ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

A Hidden Brain State Before Sleep May Be The Key to Human Genius <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/Face-Sleeping-Surrounded-by-Color.jpg" alt="An abstract human face with eyes closed, morphed with bright colors"/>A creative sweet spot.

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A Hidden Brain State Before Sleep May Be The Key to Human Genius

The Beatles&#039; song Yesterday was written in what psychologists refer to as the "hypnagogic state".

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

Dick Van Dyke Credits His Longevity to One Habit, And It's Backed by Science <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/51st-Annual-Daytime-Emmys-Awards-Dick-Van-Dyke.jpg" alt="close up high contrast image of Dick Van Dyke smiling at the 51st annual Daytime Emmys Awards"/>He turns 100 on December 13.

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Dick Van Dyke Credits His Longevity to One Habit, And It&#039;s Backed by Science

Dick Van Dyke, the legendary American actor and comedian who starred in classics such as Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, turns 100 on Dec...

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

2025's Best Meteor Shower Is About to Light Up The Sky – Here's Your Guide <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/Geminids-Meteors-Over-Kitt-Peak-National-Observatory.jpg" alt="A bright meteor shower above an observatory, image of the Geminids taken in 2023"/>May you gaze into clear skies.

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2025&#039;s Best Meteor Shower Is About to Light Up The Sky - Here&#039;s Your Guide

December has arrived, and with it the year&#039;s peak meteor season for the northern hemisphere.

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

Scientists Explain Why You Wake Up Minutes Before Your Alarm <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/Brain-with-clock-on-background-split-into-night-sky-and-day-sky.jpg" alt="Brain with clock on background split into night sky and day sky"/>It might seem strange, but you didn't wake up by chance.

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Scientists Explain Why You Wake Up Minutes Before Your Alarm

You&#039;ve probably experienced it – your alarm is set for 6:30am, yet somehow your eyes snap open a few minutes before it goes off.

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

Microplastics Can Spread Dangerous Pathogens, Scientists Warn <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/PlasticTube.jpg" alt="Microplastics in a test tube"/>It's not always just plastic.

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Microplastics Can Spread Dangerous Pathogens, Scientists Warn

Scientists are hard at work trying to assess the scale of our microplastic pollution problem and the likely health impacts.

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

New Blood Pressure Guidelines Mean You Could Now Have Hypertension <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/Blood-Pressure-Green-Cloth-.jpg" alt="A blood pressure measuring device with a forest green cloth in the background"/>The bar has been lowered.

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New Blood Pressure Guidelines Mean You Could Now Have Hypertension

Nearly half of all Americans have high blood pressure – a condition called hypertension.

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

'Ozempic' For Cats Is Coming, And Vets Are Testing It on Overweight Pets <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/Overweight-tabby-cat-looking-grumpy.jpg" alt="A close-up face of a chubby tabby cat, looking a bit grumpy"/>It's still very early days.

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&#039;Ozempic&#039; For Cats Is Coming, And Vets Are Testing It on Overweight Pets

More than half of the world&#039;s pet cats are overweight, experts estimate, and soon, these chubby felines may be treated with a drug similar to ...

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

NASA Confirms It Has Lost Contact With Mars Orbiter MAVEN <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/maven-1.jpg" alt="NASA Confirms It Has Lost Contact With Mars Orbiter MAVEN"/>Sudden silence after 11 years in orbit.

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NASA Confirms It Has Lost Contact With Mars Orbiter MAVEN

NASA has officially lost contact with a spacecraft that has been orbiting Mars since 2014.

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

Bottled Water Isn't as Pure as You Might Think, Expert Warns <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/Drinking-Bottled-Water-On-Sunny-Day-.jpg" alt="Hand holding a large bottle of water to mouth, with bright sky in the background"/>Not always the safer choice.

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Bottled Water Isn&#039;t as Pure as You Might Think, Expert Warns

Growing mistrust of tap water has helped turn bottled water into a global staple, even in countries where public supplies are among the most rigoro...

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

New Cancer Therapy Offers Hope For 'Incurable' Leukaemia in Early Trial <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/t_cells_attack_header.jpg" alt="graphic of t-cells attacking a leukemia cell"/>Here's how it works.

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New Cancer Therapy Offers Hope For &#039;Incurable&#039; Leukaemia in Early Trial

A small group of patients with an otherwise incurable form of T‑cell leukaemia have seen their cancer driven into remission by an innovative form...

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

Veritasium's 'Elements of Truth' Board Game Is Available on Kickstarter <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/ElementsOfTruthBG.jpg" alt="A high-contrast image of a science board game in a blue and black box"/>Any questions?

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Veritasium&#039;s &#039;Elements of Truth&#039; Board Game Is Live on Kickstarter

Board games are often a staple activity among friends and family during the holiday season.

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

Sperm Donor With Rare Cancer-Risk Gene Fathers Nearly 200 Children <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/IVF-treatment-concept.jpg" alt="A needle about to inject sperm into an egg in IVF treatment"/>Here's what happened.

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Sperm Donor With Rare Cancer-Risk Gene Fathers Nearly 200 Children

A sperm donor, who is an asymptomatic carrier of a genetic mutation increasing the risk of cancer, was used to conceive nearly 200 children worldwi...

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

New Species of Tiny Pumpkin Toadlet Discovered in Brazil's Cloud Forests <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/MiniatureFrog-1.jpg" alt="New Species of Tiny Pumpkin Toadlet Discovered in Brazil's Cloud Forests"/>Adorable.

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New Species of Tiny Pumpkin Toadlet Discovered in Brazil&#039;s Cloud Forests

Deep in the mountains of southern Brazil, a bright orange frog, just over a centimeter long, hops into the spotlight.

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

'Forever Chemicals' in Drinking Water Linked to Increased Risk of Birth Issues <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/drinking-water.jpg" alt="'Forever Chemicals' in Drinking Water Linked to Increased Risk of Birth Issues"/>Add it to the list of problems with PFAS.

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&#039;Forever Chemicals&#039; in Drinking Water Linked to Increased Risk of Birth Issues

When pregnant women drink water that comes from wells downstream of sites contaminated with PFAS, known as "forever chemicals," the risks to their ...

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

JWST Detects Record-Breaking Supernova That Erupted Right at The Cosmic Dawn <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/supernova-dawn.jpg" alt="JWST Detects Record-Breaking Supernova That Erupted Right at The Cosmic Dawn"/>Mind-blowing.

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JWST Detects Record-Breaking Supernova That Erupted Right at The Cosmic Dawn

A faint, tiny flash of red light glimpsed at the Cosmic Dawn more than 13 billion years ago has smashed the record for the earliest supernova ever ...

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

Christmas Shopping 'Hijacks' Your Brain. Here's What You Can Do About It. <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/christmas-brain.jpg" alt="Christmas Shopping 'Hijacks' Your Brain. Here's What You Can Do About It."/>Stick to the plan.

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Christmas Shopping &#039;Hijacks&#039; Your Brain. Here&#039;s What You Can Do About It.

We often throw caution to the cold, dark wind of December when it comes to spending.

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

Living at High Altitudes Induces Remarkable Changes in How Genes Behave <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/andes-eqcuador.jpg" alt="Living at High Altitudes Induces Remarkable Changes in How Genes Behave"/>Humans are amazing.

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Living at High Altitudes Induces Remarkable Changes in How Genes Behave

High in the Ecuadorian Andes, at altitudes thousands of meters above sea level, humans face environmental pressures very different from those at lo...

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

Australian Children Now Banned From Social Media. These Countries May Be Next. <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/teen_cell_phone_header.jpg" alt="teenager on a cell phone"/>The world is watching.

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Australian Children Now Banned From Social Media. These Countries May Be Next.

After months of anticipation and debate, Australia&#039;s social media ban is now in force.

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

Black Hole 'UFO' Caught at Critical Moment in Scientific First <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/flare-smbh.jpg" alt="Black Hole 'UFO' Caught at Critical Moment in Scientific First"/>WHOOSH!

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Black Hole &#039;UFO&#039; Caught at Critical Moment in Scientific First

For the first time, astronomers have caught the moment when a supermassive black hole flare triggers a mighty wind blasting out into space at relat...

ScienceAlert (RSS Feed) 2 months ago

Landmark Pig Organ Transplants Raise a Curious Paradox, Says Ethicist <img width="1200" height="675" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/12/pig_human_hand_header.jpg" alt="pig sniffing human hand"/>Why are we ok with this?

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Landmark Pig Organ Transplants Raise a Curious Paradox, Says Ethicist

In a New York operating room one day in October 2025, doctors made medical history by transplanting a genetically modified pig kidney into a living...