Science & Medicine
Here we bring you the latest on all things science from physical science, evolution, astronomy, space, physics, chemistry, and medicine.
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Is Cellular Senescence the Real Cause of Aging?
Vijay Kumar Malesu / NEWS-Medical/Life Sciences
Aging is a complex biological process characterized by the progressive decline of physiological integrity, leading to impaired function and increased vulnerability to disease. It is the strongest risk factor for numerous chronic conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Among the various cellular and molecular changes associated with aging, cellular senescence (a state of permanent cell cycle arrest triggered by damage or stress) has emerged as a key player.
Senescent cells secrete pro-inflammatory and tissue-degrading factors, collectively known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which can impair neighboring cell function and tissue homeostasis.
While cellular senescence plays an essential role in processes like wound healing and development, its chronic accumulation contributes to age-related dysfunction.
This duality raises a compelling question at the heart of aging research: Is cellular senescence merely one feature of aging, or is it the primary driver of age-related decline and disease? Addressing this question could redefine strategies for promoting healthy aging.1 Read more and see video here.
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How Mars Is Shredding Spacesuits: NASA’s Perseverance Tests the Future of Astronaut Gear
By Jet Propulsion Laboratory – SciTechDaily
NASA’s Perseverance rover isn’t just hunting for signs of ancient life on Mars, it’s also testing spacesuit materials right on the Red Planet.
After four years of exposure to its harsh environment, scientists are now studying how radiation, extreme cold, and corrosive dust have affected these swatches. What they learn will help design better suits for future astronauts, ensuring they can safely explore Mars despite brutal conditions like intense UV light and toxic salts.
Perseverance’s Dual Mission on Mars: NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars in 2021 with a mission to search for signs of ancient microbial life and to study the planet’s climate and geology. But one of its lesser-known goals is to support future human exploration. As part of that effort, Perseverance carries five small samples of spacesuit materials designed to test how they hold up on the Martian surface.
After four years exposed to Mars’ extreme environment – harsh radiation, fine dust, and temperature swings – these materials are now being analyzed to see how they’ve changed. The goal is to…Read more here.
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Humans originated in Europe, not Africa, according to fossil discovery
Eric Rolls / earth.com
A recent discovery in Türkiye is shaking up our understanding of human evolution. Scientists have identified a new fossil ape, Anadoluvius turkae, from an 8.7-million-year-old site near Çankırı.
This find challenges the long-held belief that human ancestors evolved solely in Africa, suggesting instead that Europe played a significant role in our evolutionary history.
The fossil, uncovered at the Çorakyerler site with support from Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, reveals that Mediterranean fossil apes were more diverse than previously thought.
These apes are part of the earliest known group of hominins, which includes not only African apes like chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas but also humans and their fossil ancestors.
Out of Africa? Maybe not… This discovery adds weight to the theory that the ancestors of African apes and humans may have evolved in Europe before migrating to Africa between nine and seven million years ago.
Professor David Begun from the University of Toronto and Professor Ayla Sevim Erol from Ankara University led the international team of researchers who conducted the study.
“Our findings further suggest that hominines not only evolved in western and central…Read more here.
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Alien Clues in Strange Martian Stone: Scientists Stunned by Rover Discovery
By Purdue University – SciTechDaily
Pale rocks on the red planet reveal a watery past and suggest the potential for life.
Sometimes, scientists have to dig, work, and sweat to make scientific discoveries. And sometimes, a robot rolls over a rock that turns out to be a revelation.
That’s what happened when Mars exploration expert Roger Wiens, professor of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences in the College of Science at Purdue University, had NASA’s Perseverance rover fire its laser at some unusually pale rocks on the Martian surface — and discovered they were composed of unusually high levels of aluminum associated with the mineral kaolinite.
That was interesting in itself, but what made the discovery truly fascinating is that this mineral typically forms only in very warm and wet environments. The finding, published by Wiens and his team in Nature Communications Earth & Environment, suggests that Mars may have been warmer, wetter…Read more here.
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