SCIENCE
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Postpartum psychosis is at the center of the Lindsay Clancy trial. What is it?
Lindsay Clancy, a 35-year-old former nurse, is on trial in Massachusetts for the murder of her three young children in 2023. The details of the case are disturbing—according to court records, Clancy strangled her children, aged five years, three years and eight months, to death before she attempted to take her own life. Clancy has pled not guilty to the…
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How mental exhaustion changes the choices you make
This scenario will feel familiar to many parents: Imagine spending the day watching your kids—making them breakfast, settling arguments, answering their questions and trying to keep them from getting bored. By the end of the day, you finally take a moment to think about what to make them for dinner, and with it, whether you have the ingredients, how long…
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The math of traffic jams and how to avoid them
Millions of people will take to the roads this holiday season, only to end up spending frustrating hours sitting in traffic jams. Congestion costs drivers time, fuel and patience – while also increasing pollution and placing huge pressure on transport networks. If you’ve ever found yourself staring enviously at the lane next to you, convinced it’s moving faster, you’re not…
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U.S. pledges $5 billion to boost AI in government-backed scientific research
Overall federal funding for scientific research is set to decline in 2027, the most senior White House science figure said on Wednesday. The government, however, pledged to spend $5 billion on promoting artificial intelligence in science. Michael Kratsios, the White House’s science and technology adviser, told the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology that the money will be drawn…
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America is embarking on a risky experiment with GLP-1s and aging
More than one in 10 Americans takes a GLP-1 medication for weight loss. As more people take a GLP-1, or glucagonlike peptide 1, receptor agonist, such as Wegovy, so, too, do more older adults—and those numbers are set to skyrocket. Last week the Trump administration launched the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program, a new initiative that would set the cost of…
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A super-Earth exoplanet’s leaking helium could be evidence of a complex atmosphere
A rocky planet that’s the right distance from its star to be hospitable to life likely has an atmosphere, a new study claims. The exoplanet, known as LHS 1140 b, is about 49 light-years away from Earth, which means it is a relatively close neighbor, given that the Milky Way is more than 100,000 light-years across. The world was found…
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Scientists spot sugar in interstellar space for the first time ever
Scientists have spotted something sweet at the heart of the Milky Way. Erythrulose, a sugar found in raspberries, kiwis and many red fruits, also apparently exists in a giant molecular cloud of gas and dust near the center of our galaxy, some 26,745 light-years from Earth. This marks the first time a sugar has been seen in interstellar space. The…
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China’s Long March 10B rocket successfully launches—and lands—in a global spaceflight milestone
On Friday China made a giant leap in its ongoing effort to be a dominant player in 21st-century spaceflight by successfully launching and recovering the first stage of its Long March 10B orbital rocket on that vehicle’s maiden flight. The feat places the nation in an elite club, bringing China alongside the U.S.-based aerospace firms SpaceX and Blue Origin as…
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Should you be taking creatine? Here’s what the science says
Of all the dietary supplements out there, creatine is perhaps the one with the most fervent fan base. Long a favorite among athletes looking for a workout boost, creatine has been credited with tamping down perimenopausal mood swings, controlling blood sugar and perhaps even helping recovery from concussions. But what does the science say? It’s important to note that creatine…
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For July 4, NASA unveils an astronomical fireworks show, complete with sound effects
NASA is lighting the cosmos in red, white and blue in honor of the 250th birthday of the United States—and the show even comes with sound. The imagery shows the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, the dusty nebula NGC 3603, the spiral galaxy Messier 94 and the galaxy cluster ZwCl 0024+1652. Data from the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space…
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