https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/bioethics/ Bioethics. Read the latest research on medical technology, stem cells, cloning and other topics related to bioethics. en-us Sun, 08 Mar 2026 01:40:44 EST Sun, 08 Mar 2026 01:40:44 EST 60 https://www.sciencedaily.com/images/scidaily-logo-rss.png https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/bioethics/ For more science news, visit ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260306224232.htm A mysterious form of plague that spread across Eurasia thousands of years before the Black Death has finally revealed a crucial clue. Scientists analyzing ancient DNA discovered the bacterium Yersinia pestis in a 4,000-year-old domesticated sheep from a Bronze Age settlement in the Ural Mountains—the first time the pathogen has ever been found in a non-human host from that era. Because this early strain couldn’t spread through fleas like the medieval plague, researchers have long puzzled over how it traveled so widely. Sat, 07 Mar 2026 03:41:28 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260306224232.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260302030642.htm As millions turn to ChatGPT and other AI chatbots for therapy-style advice, new research from Brown University raises a serious red flag: even when instructed to act like trained therapists, these systems routinely break core ethical standards of mental health care. In side-by-side evaluations with peer counselors and licensed psychologists, researchers uncovered 15 distinct ethical risks — from mishandling crisis situations and reinforcing harmful beliefs to showing biased responses and offering “deceptive empathy” that mimics care without real understanding. Mon, 02 Mar 2026 10:04:35 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260302030642.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260302030637.htm Why do we tip—even when we know we’ll never see the server again? New research suggests it’s not just about rewarding good service, but about social pressure. Some people tip out of genuine appreciation, while others simply follow the norm. But here’s the twist: those who truly value great service tend to tip more than average, and everyone else adjusts upward to match them. Mon, 02 Mar 2026 03:06:37 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260302030637.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260218031559.htm Ancient DNA from a Stone Age burial site in Sweden shows that families 5,500 years ago were more complex than expected. Many individuals buried together were not immediate family, but second- or third-degree relatives. One grave held a young woman alongside two children who were siblings—yet she wasn’t their mother. The discoveries hint at tight-knit communities where extended kin mattered deeply. Thu, 19 Feb 2026 01:47:07 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260218031559.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260217005806.htm A new University at Buffalo study suggests cannabis-infused beverages could help some people cut back on alcohol. In a survey of cannabis users, those who drank cannabis beverages reported cutting their weekly alcohol intake roughly in half and binge drinking less often. Nearly two-thirds said they reduced or stopped drinking alcohol after starting cannabis drinks. Tue, 17 Feb 2026 23:51:59 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260217005806.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260217005754.htm An Ice Age double burial in Italy has yielded a stunning genetic revelation. DNA from a mother and daughter who lived over 12,000 years ago shows that the younger had a rare inherited growth disorder, confirmed through mutations in a key bone-growth gene. Her mother carried a milder version of the same mutation. The finding not only solves a long-standing mystery but also proves that rare genetic diseases stretch far back into prehistory. Tue, 17 Feb 2026 06:25:57 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260217005754.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084626.htm Scientists warn that rapid advances in AI and neurotechnology are outpacing our understanding of consciousness, creating serious ethical risks. New research argues that developing scientific tests for awareness could transform medicine, animal welfare, law, and AI development. But identifying consciousness in machines, brain organoids, or patients could also force society to rethink responsibility, rights, and moral boundaries. The question of what it means to be conscious has never been more urgent—or more unsettling. Sun, 01 Feb 2026 08:49:46 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084626.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260125083421.htm A Roman-era skeleton discovered in southern England has finally given up her secrets after more than a decade of debate. Known as the Beachy Head Woman, she was once thought to have roots in sub-Saharan Africa or the Mediterranean—an idea that sparked global attention. But new, high-quality DNA analysis paints a different picture: she was most likely a local woman from Roman Britain. Sun, 25 Jan 2026 10:04:57 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260125083421.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260125083349.htm A 5,500-year-old skeleton from Colombia has revealed the oldest known genome of the bacterium linked to syphilis and related diseases. The ancient strain doesn’t fit neatly into modern categories, hinting at a forgotten form that split off early in the pathogen’s evolution. This pushes the history of treponemal diseases in the Americas back by millennia and shows they were already diversifying long before written records. Mon, 26 Jan 2026 06:04:05 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260125083349.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260116035308.htm Humans pay enormous attention to lips during conversation, and robots have struggled badly to keep up. A new robot developed at Columbia Engineering learned realistic lip movements by watching its own reflection and studying human videos online. This allowed it to speak and sing with synchronized facial motion, without being explicitly programmed. Researchers believe this breakthrough could help robots finally cross the uncanny valley. Fri, 16 Jan 2026 10:28:30 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260116035308.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251227082716.htm Stanford scientists have uncovered how mRNA COVID-19 vaccines can very rarely trigger heart inflammation in young men — and how that risk might be reduced. They found that the vaccines can spark a two-step immune reaction that floods the body with inflammatory signals, drawing aggressive immune cells into the heart and causing temporary injury. Sat, 27 Dec 2025 10:52:27 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251227082716.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251221043223.htm A philosopher at the University of Cambridge says there’s no reliable way to know whether AI is conscious—and that may remain true for the foreseeable future. According to Dr. Tom McClelland, consciousness alone isn’t the ethical tipping point anyway; sentience, the capacity to feel good or bad, is what truly matters. He argues that claims of conscious AI are often more marketing than science, and that believing in machine minds too easily could cause real harm. The safest stance for now, he says, is honest uncertainty. Wed, 31 Dec 2025 21:23:42 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251221043223.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251221043218.htm A major international review has upended long-held ideas about how top performers are made. By analyzing nearly 35,000 elite achievers across science, music, chess, and sports, researchers found that early stars rarely become adult superstars. Most world-class performers developed slowly and explored multiple fields before specializing. The message is clear: talent grows through variety, not narrow focus. Sun, 21 Dec 2025 10:05:31 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251221043218.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251216081933.htm People think online platforms are overflowing with toxic and misleading content, but the reality is far calmer. A small group of highly active users creates most of the harm, while the majority remain relatively civil. Still, many Americans assume the worst about each other because of this imbalance. Correcting that belief can noticeably improve how people feel about society. Wed, 17 Dec 2025 04:08:48 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251216081933.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251125081912.htm Personalized algorithms may quietly sabotage how people learn, nudging them into narrow tunnels of information even when they start with zero prior knowledge. In the study, participants using algorithm-curated clues explored less, absorbed a distorted version of the truth, and became oddly confident in their wrong conclusions. The research suggests that this kind of digital steering doesn’t just shape opinions—it can reshape the very foundation of what someone believes they understand. Tue, 25 Nov 2025 10:38:00 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251125081912.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251122044340.htm Ideas about Vikings and Norse mythology come mostly from much later medieval sources, leaving plenty of room for reinterpretation. Over centuries, writers, politicians, and artists reshaped these stories to reflect their own worldviews, from romantic heroism to dangerous nationalist myths. Pop culture and neo-paganism continue to amplify selective versions of this past. Scholars today are unraveling how these shifting visions emerged and how they influence identity and culture. Sun, 23 Nov 2025 03:34:17 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251122044340.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251121090744.htm Hunter-gatherers at Poverty Point may have built its massive earthworks not under the command of chiefs, but as part of a vast, temporary gathering of egalitarian communities seeking spiritual harmony in a volatile world. New radiocarbon data and reexamined artifacts suggest far-flung travelers met to trade, worship, and participate in rituals designed to appease the forces of nature. Mon, 24 Nov 2025 13:14:54 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251121090744.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251111005957.htm Historians have traced myths about the Black Death’s rapid journey across Asia to one 14th-century poem by Ibn al-Wardi. His imaginative maqāma, never meant as fact, became the foundation for centuries of misinformation about how the plague spread. The new study exposes how fiction blurred with history and highlights how creative writing helped medieval societies process catastrophe. Tue, 11 Nov 2025 10:43:22 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251111005957.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251110021052.htm New research from UBC Okanagan mathematically demonstrates that the universe cannot be simulated. Using Gödel’s incompleteness theorem, scientists found that reality requires “non-algorithmic understanding,” something no computation can replicate. This discovery challenges the simulation hypothesis and reveals that the universe’s foundations exist beyond any algorithmic system. Mon, 10 Nov 2025 03:16:44 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251110021052.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251102011219.htm Spacetime isn’t something that exists; it’s a model for describing how events happen. Treating events as objects creates philosophical confusion and fuels misconceptions, such as time-travel paradoxes. Recognizing that events merely occur within an existing world brings clarity to physics and philosophy alike. Sun, 02 Nov 2025 01:12:19 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251102011219.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251025084616.htm Inside your body, an intricate communication network constantly monitors breathing, heart rate, digestion, and immune function — a hidden “sixth sense” called interoception. Now, Nobel laureate Ardem Patapoutian and a team at Scripps Research and the Allen Institute have received $14.2 million from the NIH to map this internal sensory system in unprecedented detail. Sat, 25 Oct 2025 11:17:38 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251025084616.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251013040314.htm Vast amounts of valuable research data remain unused, trapped in labs or lost to time. Frontiers aims to change that with FAIR² Data Management, a groundbreaking AI-driven system that makes datasets reusable, verifiable, and citable. By uniting curation, compliance, peer review, and interactive visualization in one platform, FAIR² empowers scientists to share their work responsibly and gain recognition. Mon, 13 Oct 2025 08:46:51 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251013040314.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251010091550.htm Men’s heavy drinking is fueling a hidden crisis affecting millions of women and children worldwide. The harms, from violence to financial instability, are especially severe where gender inequality is high. Experts warn that alcohol policies must include gender-responsive strategies to protect vulnerable families. They call for reforms combining regulation, prevention, and community action. Fri, 10 Oct 2025 09:15:50 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251010091550.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251005085621.htm Over 40% of fatal crash victims had THC levels far above legal limits, showing cannabis use before driving remains widespread. The rate didn’t drop after legalization, suggesting policy changes haven’t altered risky habits. Experts warn that the lack of public awareness around marijuana’s dangers behind the wheel is putting lives at risk. Sun, 05 Oct 2025 08:56:21 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251005085621.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251001092216.htm BMJ Group has pulled a widely reported apple cider vinegar weight-loss study after experts uncovered major flaws in its data and analysis. Attempts to replicate the results failed, and irregularities raised questions about the trial’s reliability. The authors admitted mistakes and agreed to the retraction, while editors stressed the importance of transparency and warned against citing the discredited findings. Wed, 01 Oct 2025 23:34:47 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251001092216.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250924012246.htm Æthelstan, crowned in 925, was the first true king of England but remains overshadowed by Alfred the Great and later rulers. A new biography highlights his military triumphs, legal innovations, and cultural patronage that shaped England’s identity. From the decisive Battle of Brunanburh to his reforms in governance and learning, Æthelstan’s legacy is finally being revived after centuries of neglect. Wed, 24 Sep 2025 11:12:27 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250924012246.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250915085344.htm A groundbreaking project is piecing together Leonardo da Vinci’s genetic profile by tracing his lineage across 21 generations and comparing DNA from living descendants with remains in a Da Vinci family tomb. If successful, the effort could reveal new insights into Leonardo’s health, creativity, and even help confirm the authenticity of his works. Mon, 15 Sep 2025 09:07:55 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250915085344.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250910000244.htm Barrels dumped off Southern California decades ago have been found leaking alkaline waste, not just DDT, leaving behind eerie white halos and transforming parts of the seafloor into toxic vents. The findings reveal a persistent and little-known legacy of industrial dumping that still shapes marine life today. Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:02:44 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250910000244.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250907172635.htm Artificial intelligence is reshaping law, ethics, and society at a speed that threatens fundamental human dignity. Dr. Maria Randazzo of Charles Darwin University warns that current regulation fails to protect rights such as privacy, autonomy, and anti-discrimination. The “black box problem” leaves people unable to trace or challenge AI decisions that may harm them. Sun, 07 Sep 2025 21:23:41 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250907172635.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250828002415.htm Scientists have finally uncovered direct genetic evidence of Yersinia pestis — the bacterium behind the Plague of Justinian — in a mass grave in Jerash, Jordan. This long-sought discovery resolves a centuries-old debate, confirming that the plague that devastated the Byzantine Empire truly was caused by the same pathogen behind later outbreaks like the Black Death. Sat, 30 Aug 2025 04:47:37 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250828002415.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250812234529.htm A sweeping international study has revealed that when faced with complex decisions, people across cultures—from bustling megacities to remote Amazon communities—tend to rely on their own judgment rather than seeking advice. The research, spanning over 3,500 participants in 12 countries, challenges the long-held belief that self-reliance is primarily a Western trait. While cultural values influence how strongly individuals lean on their inner voice, the preference for private reflection remains a shared human tendency. Wed, 13 Aug 2025 01:20:00 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250812234529.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250811104233.htm A study finds that people are more open to plant-based eggs when they’re part of familiar foods, like pancakes, rather than served plain. While taste and appearance still favor regular eggs, vegan eggs score higher on environmental and ethical benefits. Familiarity is the key to getting people to try them. Tue, 12 Aug 2025 07:31:24 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250811104233.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250724040935.htm Even people who never caught Covid-19 may have aged mentally faster during the pandemic, according to new brain scan research. This large UK study shows how the stress, isolation, and upheaval of lockdowns may have aged our brains, especially in older adults, men, and disadvantaged individuals. While infection itself impacted some thinking skills, even those who stayed virus-free showed signs of accelerated brain aging—possibly reversible. The study highlights how major life disruptions, not just illness, can reshape our mental health. Thu, 24 Jul 2025 12:32:20 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250724040935.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250718031218.htm In a groundbreaking UK first, eight healthy babies have been born using an IVF technique that includes DNA from three people—two parents and a female donor. The process, known as pronuclear transfer, was designed to prevent the inheritance of devastating mitochondrial diseases passed down through the mother’s DNA. The early results are highly promising: all the babies are developing normally, and the disease-causing mutations are undetectable or present at levels too low to cause harm. For families once haunted by genetic risk, this science offers more than treatment—it offers transformation. Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:05:48 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250718031218.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081532.htm Swap steaks for spinach and you might watch the scale plummet. In a 16-week crossover study, overweight adults who ditched animal products for a low-fat vegan menu saw their bodies become less acidic and dropped an average of 13 pounds—while the Mediterranean diet left weight unchanged. Researchers link the shift to lower “dietary acid load,” a hidden inflammation trigger driven by meat, eggs, and cheese. Thu, 26 Jun 2025 11:15:35 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081532.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625232033.htm Poachers are using a sneaky loophole to bypass the international ivory trade ban—by passing off illegal elephant ivory as legal mammoth ivory. Since the two types look deceptively similar, law enforcement struggles to tell them apart, especially when tusks are carved or polished. But scientists may have found a powerful new tool: stable isotope analysis. Thu, 26 Jun 2025 07:32:31 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625232033.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603114822.htm In the heart of Dublin, scientists have discovered that the air holds more than melodies and Guinness-infused cheer it carries invisible traces of life, from wildlife to drugs and even human diseases. Using high-powered air filters and environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, researchers vacuumed up the city s air and uncovered genetic material from cannabis, magic mushrooms, and pathogens. This emerging technology, which doesn t require direct contact with organisms, could revolutionize how we monitor ecosystems, track diseases, and even locate endangered species all from the sky above. It's science fiction turned science fact, and it s changing what we thought was possible from a simple breath of air. Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:48:22 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603114822.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602155325.htm Human-AI interactions are well understood in terms of trust and companionship. However, the role of attachment and experiences in such relationships is not entirely clear. In a new breakthrough, researchers from Waseda University have devised a novel self-report scale and highlighted the concepts of attachment anxiety and avoidance toward AI. Their work is expected to serve as a guideline to further explore human-AI relationships and incorporate ethical considerations in AI design. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:53:25 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602155325.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530123818.htm To achieve the European Green Deal's goal of 25% organic agriculture by 2030, researchers argue that new genomic techniques (NGTs) should be allowed without pre-market authorization in organic as well as conventional food production. NGTs -- also known as gene editing --- are classified under the umbrella of GMOs, but they involve more subtle genetic tweaks. Fri, 30 May 2025 12:38:18 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530123818.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124114.htm Reducing travel speeds and using an intelligent queuing system at busy ports can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from oceangoing container vessels by 16-24%, according to researchers. Not only would those relatively simple interventions reduce emissions from a major, direct source of greenhouse gases, the technology to implement these measures already exists. Thu, 29 May 2025 12:41:14 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124114.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250528132240.htm Close to five million smuggled seahorses worth an estimated CAD$29 million were seized by authorities over a 10-year span, according to a new study that warns the scale of the trade is far larger than current data suggest. The study analyzed online seizure records from 2010 to 2021 and found smuggling incidents in 62 countries, with dried seahorses, widely used in traditional medicine, most commonly intercepted at airports in passenger baggage or shipped in sea cargo. Wed, 28 May 2025 13:22:40 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250528132240.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250522133513.htm A new study says students appear to be using generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) responsibly, and as a way to speed up tasks, not just boost their grades. Thu, 22 May 2025 13:35:13 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250522133513.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250522124842.htm When deciding whom to trust, people are more likely to choose individuals who grew up with less money over those who went to private schools or vacationed in Europe, according to new research. Thu, 22 May 2025 12:48:42 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250522124842.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250507141127.htm Scientists say human-caused climate change led to 15,000 additional early deaths from wildfire air pollution in the continental United States during the 15-year period ending in 2020. Wed, 07 May 2025 14:11:27 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250507141127.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250507130615.htm Groundbreaking device instantly detects dangerous street drugs, offering hope for harm reduction A portable device that instantly detects illicit street drugs at very low concentrations, thereby highlighting the risks they pose. The device has the potential to address the growing global problem of people unknowingly taking drugs that have been mixed with undeclared substances, including synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and nitazenes. Wed, 07 May 2025 13:06:15 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250507130615.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250507130007.htm Researchers are investigating how the legal supply of cannabis affects consumption and mental health among participants. In a first academic publication, the study team has now reported on the direct comparison of the substance's legal versus illegal procurement. Wed, 07 May 2025 13:00:07 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250507130007.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250501163954.htm Urgent action must be taken to reduce the ever-rising number of people killed by extreme temperatures in India, say the authors of a new 19-year study which found that 20,000 people died from heatstroke in the last two decades. Cold exposure claimed another 15,000 lives. Thu, 01 May 2025 16:39:54 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250501163954.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250501122456.htm A new study has unveiled a groundbreaking framework for rethinking political decision-making -- drawing inspiration from how the human body maintains stability and health. Thu, 01 May 2025 12:24:56 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250501122456.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250428220929.htm A new study offers fresh insight into trends in maternal mortality in the United States. For the first time, the study disentangles genuine changes in health outcomes from shifts caused by how deaths are recorded. Nevertheless, the study confirms the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal death rates for women of all racial and ethnic groups. Mon, 28 Apr 2025 22:09:29 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250428220929.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250423111913.htm A new study lays out a scientific framework for holding individual fossil fuel companies liable for the costs of climate change by tracing specific damages back to their emissions. The researchers use the tool to provide the first causal estimate of economic losses due to extreme heat driven by emissions. They report that carbon dioxide and methane output from just 111 companies cost the world economy $28 trillion from 1991 to 2020, with the five top-emitting firms linked to $9 trillion of those losses. Wed, 23 Apr 2025 11:19:13 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250423111913.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250421163219.htm The study highlights the transformative potential of the Rights of Nature, which views nature as a rights-bearing entity, not merely an object of regulation and subjugation by extractive industries. The Llurimagua case -- a dispute over a mining concession in Ecuador's cloud forest -- illustrates this approach, providing a unique opportunity to rethink Earth system governance. Mon, 21 Apr 2025 16:32:19 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250421163219.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250411110035.htm Police officers are more than twice as likely to have traumatic brain injuries compared to the general population. Fri, 11 Apr 2025 11:00:35 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250411110035.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250408121700.htm Just steps from the center of Tikal, a 2,400-year-old Maya city in the heart of modern-day Guatemala, a global team of researchers has unearthed a buried altar that could unlock the secrets of a mysterious time of upheaval in the ancient world. The altar, built around the late 300s A.D., is decorated with four painted panels of red, black and yellow depicting a person wearing a feathered headdress and flanked by shields or regalia. The face has almond-shaped eyes, a nose bar and a double earspool. It closely resembles other depictions of a deity dubbed the 'Storm God' in central Mexico. Tue, 08 Apr 2025 12:17:00 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250408121700.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250408121433.htm A researcher spent a year living in a jjokbang-chon, an extremely impoverished neighborhood in Seoul, South Korea. While there, he calculated residents' carbon footprints, finding they contribute much less to climate change than their fellow citizens, and detailed how they suffer the effects of extreme heat and other climate issues. He advocates for social work to take a role in addressing such climate injustice in a way that does not remove already limited resources from such populations. Tue, 08 Apr 2025 12:14:33 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250408121433.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250407173042.htm Scientists say they have discovered how a group of proteins linked to Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis act as 'guardians' of mitochondria, small organelles, or subunits, within a cell that make and store energy and are found in almost all plants and animals. Mon, 07 Apr 2025 17:30:42 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250407173042.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250407114235.htm As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly integrates into health care, a new study reveals that all generative AI models may recommend different treatments for the same medical condition based solely on a patient's socioeconomic and demographic background. Mon, 07 Apr 2025 11:42:35 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250407114235.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250402135729.htm World leaders should look to existing international law on the use of force to address the threat of space becoming ever more militarized, a new study shows. Wed, 02 Apr 2025 13:57:29 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250402135729.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250331151256.htm AI mental health apps may offer a cheap and accessible way to fill the gaps in the overstretched U.S. mental health care system, but ethics experts warn that we need to be thoughtful about how we use them, especially with children. Mon, 31 Mar 2025 15:12:56 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250331151256.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250327141421.htm To encourage scientists to speak up when people misuse science to serve political agendas, biology professor Mark Peifer of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill argues that eugenics should be included in college genetics curriculums. Thu, 27 Mar 2025 14:14:21 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250327141421.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250326154311.htm A study finds that factors beyond a person's control, like socioeconomic status and whether their mom smoked or was obese, can influence whether they are overweight or obese as teenagers or adults. Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:43:11 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250326154311.htm