A Brazilian mountain is home to a surprising number of parasitic wasps

The tropics are teeming with life, tending to hold far more species than milder environments closer to the poles. But one group of insects, the Darwin wasps, were thought to…

Internet Usage and Mental Health

Summary: A comprehensive study analyzing data from two million individuals across 168 countries, challenges the widely held belief about the negative psychological impact of internet technologies. Researchers found only small…

Beyond Processed Foods: New Insights into What Drives Our Food Choices

Summary: A new study challenges prevailing assumptions about food preferences, particularly regarding ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Engaging 224 adults, the study analyzed responses to images of 52 familiar foods, assessing factors…

Some picky Australian mosquitoes may target frog nostrils for blood

An Australian mosquito species knows the best spot to drink its bloody meals: a frog’s nostril. The bloodsuckers are surprisingly selective when dining on frogs, seemingly picking no other place…

New Treatment for COVID-Induced Smell Loss

Summary: A new study presents a promising treatment for restoring the sense of smell in long-COVID patients. The study explores the effectiveness of CT-guided stellate ganglion block, a minimally invasive…

Hikikomori: New Tool Sheds Light on Social Isolation Phenomenon

Summary: Researchers developed the Hikikomori Diagnostic Evaluation (HiDE), a new assessment tool for identifying pathological social withdrawal or hikikomori. This condition, initially identified in Japan, is characterized by extended physical…

Partisan Media Bias Shapes AI Sentiment

Summary: Researchers uncovered how partisan media sentiment influences public perception of artificial intelligence (AI). They analyzed over 7,500 articles from both liberal and conservative media, finding that liberal-leaning media exhibit…

These bats are the only mammals known to mate more like birds

As the only mammals that can fly, bats are the oddballs of the mammalian world. But serotine bats stand out for another, glaringly obvious reason — when erect, a male’s…

The first embryos from a mammal have now been grown in space

Saima Iqbal is the fall 2023 science writing intern at Science News. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College, where she studied the history of medicine, conducted research on…

Used Coffee Grounds Hold Potential Key to Treating Neurodegenerative Diseases

Summary: Researchers found that Carbon Quantum Dots (CACQDs) derived from used coffee grounds could protect brain cells from damage caused by neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. CACQDs showed neuroprotective…