Plants face changing weather every day, so they must turn short‑term stress into lasting growth plans. A new idea calls this process an “epigenetic set‑point, ” where the structure of DNA and its associated proteins works like a smart switch. The switch gathers two kinds of signals: the plant’s ener
Plants close their tiny pores, called stomata, to keep water from escaping during dry spells. Even then, a small amount of moisture still drips out – this is called minimum conductance or gmin. Scientists measured gmin in 101 different plant species, ranging from ferns to flowering trees, and found
A new study shows that fewer babies are getting the hepatitis B vaccine in recent years. The drop is more than 10 percent from 2023 to August 2025, a trend that worries doctors. Hepatitis B is not as obvious as measles. It travels through blood or body fluids, so parents think newborns are sa
Research shows that genes and early life events can set the stage for depression in middle age and beyond. A study found that people with a family history of mood disorders face higher risks if they also grew up with parents battling addiction. The findings suggest that childhood struggles don’t jus
Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe, two trailblazers in women’s sports, shared some big news last week. The couple announced their separation through a joint post on Instagram. Bird, a basketball superstar, spent her entire 22-year career with the Seattle Storm, winning four championships and earning five O
For years, the Kichwa Indigenous community in Ecuador’s Napo province lived quietly along the Napo River. But now, their peaceful life has been disrupted by a new kind of invasion—not soldiers or settlers, but illegal gold miners tearing through their land. The miners aren’t just digging for treasur
For the first time in 25 years, U. S. men aged 18 to 29 now say religion matters more to them than women their age do. In 2022, only 28% of young men called religion “very important, ” but by 2024 that number jumped to 42%. Young women stayed flat around 30%. A 14-point rise in just two years looks
South Korean music powerhouses Hybe, YG Entertainment, SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment are joining forces to build a new company that could host an international music festival featuring their stars. The move comes after the four firms, all members of a government cultural committee, annou
The push to include gender identity in healthcare has led to messy court battles and confusing insurance rules. Hospitals and clinics sometimes refuse treatments like sex changes or hysterectomies based on religious or ethical grounds, only to be sued by patients who feel these refusals are unfair.
Recent data shows a surprising shift among young men in America. More are saying religion plays a big role in their lives than young women—a rare reversal in the past 25 years. In 2024, 42% of men aged 18-29 called religion "very important, " up from just 28% two years earlier. Meanwhile, young wome
