After decades of mixed results, new evidence suggests stem cells really can help the heart heal. The largest trial yet finds stem cell therapy cuts the risk of heart failure by nearly 60% in the years following a heart attack. www.newscientist.com/article/2502...

Throughout the year, the US government has gut staff running crucial public health surveys. These datasets track births, deaths, diet and drug use, forming the foundation of most public health policy. Without them, the public health system will be flying blind. www.newscientist.com/article/2501...

More research is uncovering that aritficial sweeteners aren't as harmless as we once thought. Not only may they increase hunger and raise blood sugar, but a new study finds they could also be interfering with crucial cancer treatments. www.newscientist.com/article/2490...

We discuss what could be the first step towards having gene-edited microbiomes. With @pennysarchet.bsky.social and @gracewade.bsky.social m.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs9r...

The US is the midst of its largest measles outbreak since it eradicated the virus in 2000. And it isn't alone. Countries around the world are losing ground against measles as more people choose to forego vaccination. www.newscientist.com/article/2488...

My interview with @gracewade.bsky.social @newscientist.com www.newscientist.com/article/2488...

We're losing control of measles, and that's not great, as @gracewade.bsky.social explains www.newscientist.com/article/2488...

We know little about the neurobiology of eating disoders, especially in children. Now, the largest-ever neuroimaging study of young children with anorexia finds the brain's outer layer drastically thins in those with the condition. www.newscientist.com/article/2488...

I'm really enjoying @gracewade.bsky.social's fitness column in @newscientist.com. This week's is super-interesting about the health benefits of exercises like planking, squats or wall sits that involve contracting and then holding our muscles in that position. www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...

I must admit that I knew very little about ivermectin before writing this story. So I was surprised to learn just how important it has been for improving global health – and that some researchers believe it still has untapped potential. www.newscientist.com/article/2487...

The study also estimates that there were nearly 9000 more non-violent deaths during this period than would normally be expected in the Gaza Strip. This is the first estimate of indirect deaths, and is lower than some have suggested doi.org/10.1101/2025...

Around 75,000 people - 3.6 per cent of the population - in the Gaza Strip died from violent causes between 7 October 2023 and 5 January 2025, according to an independent study. That is higher than the estimate of 46,000 violent deaths by Gaza’s health ministry www.newscientist.com/article/2485...

When my publisher asked about inspiration for my book's cover I just sent a bunch of old textbook images, truly they used to be so good!

Loved @davidarobson.bsky.social's latest column for @newscientist.com. I only started feeling comfortable in a swimsuit when I began appreciating my body for what it could do rather than how it looked. I am a big fan of the body-neutrality movement! www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...

It's absolutely wild that US government policy is that cows should be protected against bird flu, but people shouldn't - really interesting piece from @gracewade.bsky.social www.newscientist.com/article/2484...

Last week, RFK Jr announced the CDC would stop reccomending covid-19 vaccines for healthy children and pregnancies. In practice, not much has changed when it comes to who can access covid-19 vaccines in the US – but the news still sets a troubling precedent. www.newscientist.com/article/2483...

TB may have caused more suffering than any other disease and still wreaks havoc today. To understand why, look to its ability to fly, writes Carl Zimmer.

More and more research is suggesting that psychedelics can reduce inflammation. This raises the possibility of using the drugs to treat non-psychiatric conditions linked with excess inflammation, such as inflammatory bowel disease or chronic Lyme disease. www.newscientist.com/article/2479...

The US government has faced swift backlash over plans to create a massive health database to study autism. But the initiative, as it turns out, could be a boon for public health research — so long as it is executed ethically. Read more: www.newscientist.com/article/2478...

It was a pleasure to join Science Vs this week to discuss measles! Listen to the episode below :)

Bad Bunny will be the subject of a course at Yale University this fall, joining the handful of living artists, including Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga, who have amassed enough cultural clout to have a college class taught about them.

Took a break from health news to write about what has to be the most metal caterpillar of all time. This lil guy adorns itself with dead insects, lives with spiders, steals their prey AND is a cannibal. If that isn't hardcore enough, its named the bone collector. www.newscientist.com/article/2477...

It is ridiculous I am even saying this, but the fact some students experience not just one, but TWO(?!) school shootings in their lifetime is downright deplorable. It shouldn't be a surprise as to why young people are jaded on US government/politics...

Seems hard to track US progress in addressing the opioid crisis and mental health issues without this national survey...

Today, @HHSGov abruptly laid off all 17 employees running the United State's only nationwide survey on drug use and mental health. The survey has tracked these issues across the US for more than half a century. Its future is now uncertain. www.newscientist.com/article/2474...

What impact do weight-loss drugs have on our ability to exercise, and do we still need to work out when taking them?

The first randomised controlled trial of LSD for ADHD shows that microdosing the psychedelic drug isn't any more effective at reducing symptoms than a placebo. Still, more research is needed to rule out whether a higher or lower dose could have an effect. www.newscientist.com/article/2472...

The US is hardening sanctions in Cuba specifically related to the medical aid out gives others countries. Cuba has some of the best doctors in the world and people especially in the Caribbean are very reliant on them. That it comes as they gut USAID is especially gross.

Thousands join Stand Up for Science rallies across the US - @gracewade.bsky.social @jamesdinneen.bsky.social @newscientist.com www.newscientist.com/article/2471...

The USDA announced it will invest up to $100 million in developing vaccines and other strategies for curbing the spread of H5N1 in poultry. Yet the money isn't exclusive to chickens – those in the dairy industry say it could help vaccinate dairy cattle as well. www.newscientist.com/article/2471...

I would genuinely pay money for an AI tool trained on my stories that could look through my unread emails and pick out press releases I get and miss every day

When they find another mouse unconscious, some mice will attempt to revive their companion by pawing at them, biting and even pulling their tongue aside to clear the airways.

For decades, fairness has been the guiding principle of the American organ transplant system. But today, nearly 20% of the time, officials ignore strict rules meant to ensure that donated organs are offered to the patients who need them most, a New York Times investigation found. nyti.ms/3XlqVK1

Without us, Earth may have been on track to plunge into another ice age within 11,000 years. This long-term forecast of the planet’s “natural” climate absent global warming is based on a new analysis of how Milankovitch cycles in Earth's orbit alter the amount of solar energy reaching the planet.🧪

Lynn Dekleva, a lobbyist, once led an aggressive effort by an industry group to block regulations on formaldehyde, a cancer-causing chemical. Now she’s in a senior role at the Environmental Protection Agency.

I'm pretty sure I had to run two miles at an 8-minute pace to make it onto the field hockey team in high school

While the US withdrawal from the WHO formally takes a year, it has already stopped sharing critical influenza surveillance data with the international health agency. The result? Flu shots may be less effective, especially for the US. www.newscientist.com/article/2469...

Next week, the WHO will determine the current dominant flu strains and help plan global vaccine production. This happens each flu season, but this time there is a key difference: the US is unlikely to take part. Important story from @gracewade.bsky.social www.newscientist.com/article/2469...

Children may have a higher risk of developing ADHD if their mothers used paracetamol – also known as acetaminophen – during pregnancy, adding weight to the contested idea that the widely used painkiller may impair fetal brain development. www.newscientist.com/article/2467...

I'd forgotten about Tim's Manifesto - brilliant.

Well done to AP for making the correct choice

This and COVID should be/have been *huge* wake-up calls that political journalists need much stronger science and technology skills if they’re going to make sense of how government operates, communicates, or makes decisions.

Nothing published this week either. Very concerning. What aren’t we learning about and when will we know so we can protect ourselves?

www.newscientist.com/article/2465... by @gracewade.bsky.social

Trump threw public health infrastructure into disarray his first week back in office, withdrawing the US from the WHO and imposing a gag order on public health agencies. If RFK Jr. becomes Secretary of Health, it could further destabilise the situtation. www.newscientist.com/article/2465...

I hate when people talk over others, so you can imagine why watching any congressional hearing is excrutiating for me. I imagine it is for a lot of Americans.

#Gaza: We are devastated to report the death of Bilal Okal, our colleague killed by Israeli forces in Jabalia, North Gaza, along with 10 of his family members. Bilal joined MSF in 2017. He was 37 years old.

The CDC is operating without an acting director, multiple health officials confirm to CBS News, leaving the agency without a clear chain of command. A leadership vacuum atop the CDC is unprecedented. | CBS News www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-who...

a really thorough and digestible explanation from Megan on what the science actually says about sex and gender: www.statnews.com/2025/01/23/t...