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May 18 2026SCIENCE

Ancient doctor’s fight against gout: what a 2000-year-old book reveals

Back in the days of the Roman Empire, a doctor named Rufus from a town called Ephesus noticed something strange about certain patients. They would wake up with swollen, painful joints, especially in their feet. Today we call this gout, but back then it was just another mystery. A long time after Ruf

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May 18 2026POLITICS

Why the U. S. is suddenly eyeing Guyana's resources

While most eyes were on the Middle East, a small South American country quietly became a hotspot for global powers. Guyana sits on massive oil reserves found in the last ten years, making it a key player in today’s energy crisis. But oil isn’t the only resource drawing attention—bauxite, a mineral u

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May 18 2026RELIGION

Are Americans Reconsidering Religion's Role in the Country?

A recent survey shows more Americans now think religion is becoming more influential in daily life. Only a few years ago, most people felt the opposite. Back in 2024, just 18% believed religion was growing stronger, but now that number has nearly doubled to 37%. Meanwhile, those who think religion i

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May 18 2026POLITICS

Cameras Tracking Cars in Troy Stir Up Big Questions

Troy, a small city in upstate New York, is having a heated debate over tiny cameras that snap pictures of every car that drives by. These aren’t just any cameras—they can read license plates, spot bumper stickers, and even notice things like gun racks. The city council thinks the mayor might be over

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May 18 2026SPORTS

Softball teams mix it up: Public vs. Private games are thriving in NJ

New Jersey’s softball scene is doing something rare: mixing public and private schools in real competition. At recent tournaments, public schools like Steinert, Columbia, and Marlboro have beaten top private teams including Mount St. Dominic and Immaculate Heart. In one event, five out of six public

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May 18 2026ENTERTAINMENT

The Faces That Fool: How One Game Changed What We Think We See

Fifteen years back, a game came out that didn’t blow things up—it blew minds instead. It trained players to spot lies in small twitches, not big bangs. Instead of racing cars or shooting aliens, the game asked them to read faces. To do this, actors spent days in a room packed with 32 cameras. Every

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May 18 2026SCIENCE

Turning farming scraps into useful products in Indonesia

Indonesia throws away huge amounts of plant waste from farms every year. Instead of burning this waste or letting it rot, experts think it could be turned into something useful. Most research in the country focuses on burning the waste for fuel, which is low down on the recycling ladder. Very little

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May 18 2026ENVIRONMENT

Snake traps get smarter: new designs keep out the wrong reptiles

Scientists are tackling a sneaky problem: invasive snakes that eat native lizards and upset local ecosystems. The California kingsnake, originally from North America, has spread to places like the Canary Islands, where it hunts rare reptiles. Traditional traps catch everything, including harmless lo

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May 18 2026HEALTH

How AI is changing the way doctors plan cancer treatments

AI isn’t replacing doctors, but it’s becoming a helpful tool in cancer care. A big study looked at how AI helps with something called "organ at risk contouring" – basically drawing clear maps around healthy parts of the body that shouldn’t get too much radiation during treatment. These maps are cruc

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May 17 2026HEALTH

Risk of Ovarian Cancer in Women with Endometriosis

Women who have endometriosis, especially ovarian cysts called endometriomas, face about twice the chance of developing ovarian cancer compared to those without the condition. The overall risk over a lifetime is still small, roughly 2 percent. Studies show that the same gene changes—ARID1A, PIK

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