UNC

Mar 19 2026LIFESTYLE

Fizzing Trends: Why Young People Love Dirty Soda

The new wave of soda lovers is not just about taste. They mix coffee, syrup and cola to create a drink that feels both nostalgic and modern. These drinks began in Utah where church members avoid alcohol and coffee. A local shop added syrups to soda, turning a simple pop into a customizable treat.

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Mar 18 2026SCIENCE

cGAS: How Where It Lives Inside Cells Decides What It Does

The body’s first line of defense relies on sensors that detect danger signals. One such sensor, cGAS, normally lives in the cell’s fluid part but also shows up in surprising places such as the nucleus, tiny nuclear fragments called micronuclei, mitochondria, and even on the cell surface. When cGA

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Mar 18 2026TECHNOLOGY

New AI‑Powered Payment System Debuts on Tempo Blockchain

Tempo, a crypto company backed by Stripe, has launched its own blockchain and an AI‑driven payment protocol that can work across different blockchains. The network began in a testing stage for about three and a half months before going live on Wednesday. The team says the idea of “agentic payment

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Mar 18 2026HEALTH

Healthy Foods Reversed: New Pyramid Stirs Debate

The 2024 food guide has flipped the classic diet chart, swapping grains for protein and dairy. Experts say the move could reshape what kids eat in schools and how grocery labels read. Nutritionist Shana Spence points out that the new chart favors meats, eggs and full‑fat dairy. She worries

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Mar 17 2026TECHNOLOGY

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a Starlink Launch

The day began early in Florida, where a Falcon 9 rocket was set to lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission, called Starlink 10‑46, carried 29 new satellites that will join the growing network of low‑Earth orbit internet nodes. Launch time was fixed for 9:27 a. m. , and the c

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Mar 17 2026SCIENCE

Walnut Mixes: How Protein Meets Polyphenols for Health

Walnuts leave behind a lot of waste after the shells are removed. Scientists are turning that leftover into useful food ingredients. In this study, they looked at what happens when walnut protein fragments (called WPH) bind to different walnut polyphenols – specifically epicatechin, gallic acid, fer

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Mar 16 2026SCIENCE

Rocket Journeys: From Tiny Beginnings to Giant Dreams

The first liquid‑fuel rocket, named “Nell, ” lifted only 41 feet on its debut a century ago. Though modest, it sparked the era of spaceflight that would see humans walk on the Moon decades later. Celebrating this milestone, several staff members share their most memorable launch experiences. One

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Mar 15 2026HEALTH

Deciding When a Newborn Is on the Edge

Parents and doctors often meet when a baby arrives just shy of being able to survive on their own. In those moments, they must talk about values, worries and disagreements fast. The usual method in the U. S. is called “shared decision making. ” The idea behind it is that facts like chances of sur

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Mar 14 2026HEALTH

Kidney Changes in Teens: Why They Matter

Early drops in kidney filtration and tiny amounts of protein in urine are now seen as red flags for future health problems. Scientists find that even small shifts in how well the kidneys clean blood can predict long‑term kidney damage and heart disease. These changes, called a mild decline in

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Mar 13 2026TECHNOLOGY

New Code, New Challenges: How AI Changed a CS Grad’s Job Hunt

Kiran Maya Sheikh, who earned her computer science degree from UC Irvine with a strong GPA, thought the path to a stable tech career would be straightforward. She imagined landing a role at a major company and earning a comfortable salary, just as many of her peers did. When ChatGPT launched in l

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