RealClear Science

Cholesterol Treatment May Remove Microplastics From Blood Esra Öz Science Alert August 12, 2026 A filter used to clear excess fats from the blood of people with cardiovascular disease may also trap much smaller stowaways: some persistent synthetic chemicals and microplastics. The treatment, known as therapeutic apheresis, passes a patient's blood through a machine, filters out targeted substances, and returns the blood to the body. Read Full Article »

We’re often told walking is good for you. Because it is. But a related, rarely asked question is: “How good?” The answer depends on your current fitness level, how much you’re walking, how fast, and your longevity goals. If you’re middle-aged and aiming for longevity, recent research suggests walking may not be enough for aerobic fitness. These studies show links between exercise with more intensity, longer lifespan and slower aging. Read Full Article »

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz and the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a miniature microscope that allows scientists to observe and activate individual brain cells during natural movement, an advance that could accelerate research into how the brain controls behavior while deepening understanding of neurological diseases. Read Full Article » Show comments Hide Comments

There’s a big space between being cognitively healthy and having dementia, and it’s a space many of us will enter as we age. After all, just like our bodies, our minds are going to show some wear and tear after decades of use. Keeping up an exercise regimen can help gird our bodies against physical decline, but can mental exercise help keep our brains fit? Read Full Article » Show comments Hide Comments

Press release Kaunas University of Technology August 12, 2026 Global electricity consumption continues to rise each year, while the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is creating new challenges for the energy sector. With electricity demand projected to surge by 2030, this trend is already being described as one of the fastest transformations in the history of energy. As a result, researchers are seeking solar energy solutions that are more efficient, more affordable and easier to deploy.

Researchers say a spike in temperatures during an ice age 304 million years ago could inform what climate scientists are learning about rapidly changing conditions today. University of Cincinnati Professor Thomas Algeo worked with a team of international researchers, including lead author Le Yao from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, to examine a period of rapid warming that occurred during the Late Paleozoic Ice Age, the second most recent ice age on Earth. Read Full Article »

Some laws of physics are so fundamental that they’ve served as the baseline for science for centuries. But with technological advancements, physicists can—albeit temporarily—create small worlds that evade these laws. And when they do, strange things occur. Read Full Article » Show comments Hide Comments

Editorial Nature Medicine August 12, 2026 A central tenet of aging research is that common mechanisms contribute to pathology across many different types of age-related diseases and conditions — the so-called hallmarks of aging. Accordingly, anti-aging treatments should target these overarching drivers of aging, such as inflammation, cell senescence, epigenetic drift, inadequate autophagy and somatic mutation. Read Full Article » Show comments Hide Comments

I nearly failed organic chemistry. That is not how these essays usually open, but it is the truest place to start. I was a student at Andhra Christian College in Guntur, India, and the lecturer's pace made no sense to me. Rather than keep drowning in class, I put the lectures aside and worked through Morrison and Boyd on my own, at my speed, stopping wherever I got stuck until I actually understood it. I finished the term as the top student in the class. Read Full Article »

The vagus nerve is a both underappreciated and incredibly powerful instrument of the body. Researchers have long known that the vagus nerve serves as an information highway, ferrying signals between the brain stem and the rest of the body. It plays a role in everything from breathing and digestion to inflammation and immune responses. But exactly how it does this is somewhat of a mystery. Read Full Article » Show comments Hide Comments