We’ve always been told #bears spend the #winter hibernating, but they actually use a different survival trick called "torpor." Unlike true hibernators that practically shut down, bears stay just active enough to shift around and even give birth.

Scientists are now studying bear blood to see if this "low-power mode" could help prevent muscle loss in humans or even prepare us for long-distance #space travel.

https://www.popsci.com/environment/do-bears-hibernate/

‍️ What is Fat Bear Week? And why are bulked up bears a great thing? https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/what-is-fat-bear-week-katmai-video

#wildlife #biology #science #medicine #nature #education #discovery

Adam-U Ultra is a #humanoid robot that’s mastering human movement at record speed.

Beyond the impressive dance moves, its "brain" uses a VLA model trained on over 10,000 real-world samples, allowing it to learn new physical skills in a fraction of the time traditional #robots require.

https://www.livescience.com/technology/robotics/watch-chinese-humanoid-robot-adam-u-ultra-dance-without-missing-a-beat-in-eerie-new-video

#robotics #AI #STEM #engineering #tech #future #learning #dancing

🧬 For the first time in #history, #US life expectancy has reached 79 years.

Beyond recovering from the #pandemic, researchers say we are seeing a significant drop in deaths from heart disease and drug overdoses as medical treatments and public #health efforts continue to improve.

https://www.sciencealert.com/us-life-expectancy-broke-records-in-2024-and-could-still-be-climbing

#science #data #medicine #biology #STEM

Centuries before the American Civil War, Incan surgeons were performing skull surgery with survival rates as high as 83%. For comparison, #CivilWar-era trepanation survival rates hovered around 50%.

The secret? Centuries of refined technique and the use of natural, plant-derived antiseptics.

https://www.openculture.com/2026/01/how-the-incas-performed-skull-surgery-more-successfully-than-u-s-civil-war-doctors.html

#history #medicine #archaeology #Inca #science #STEM #technology #tech #ancient #health

@deborahh @rayckeith I find there is an immense amount of new tech being used for good, it's just that it gets less media coverage because it tends to be too nerdy for the average person watching/reading a publisher’s content

🧵 Researchers at Fudan University in #Shanghai have developed a flexible "fiber chip" that packs thousands of transistors into a single millimeter of thread.

The soft, washable circuits could soon allow doctors to perform robotic surgeries with a sense of touch or treat neurological conditions with #brain-compatible implants.

https://newatlas.com/materials/scientists-fiber-chip-thread/

#robotics #medicine #health #technology #tech #innovation #science #engineering #future

🧠 Researchers at #Cornell have developed a "MOTE" – a tiny wireless sensor that can record #brain activity while sitting on a grain of salt.

Powered by infrared light rather than bulky #batteries, these microscopic devices are small enough to monitor neural #health for years without irritating sensitive brain tissue.

https://scitechdaily.com/smaller-than-a-grain-of-salt-engineers-create-the-worlds-tiniest-wireless-brain-implant/

#technology #tech #medicine #science #engineering #innovation #neuroscience #future #discovery

🩹 Traditional medical implants are rigid, but our bodies are soft and curvilinear.

Researchers at institutions like the #Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory are developing "soft bioelectronics" that stretch and bend just like human tissue to monitor #health without causing irritation.

https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/how-soft-electronics-are-transforming-medical-devices/4022806.article

#chemistry #biotech #medicine #engineering #science #innovation #future #technology #tech #biology

🧠 Your #brain isn't just a static organ – it's a dynamic system that "remodels" itself based on use. Just like lifting weights builds muscle, pushing your brain into the "discomfort zone" with unfamiliar tasks builds new neural connections that protect your cognitive #health as you age.

https://theconversation.com/your-brain-can-be-trained-much-like-your-muscles-a-neurologist-explains-how-to-boost-your-brain-health-271331

#neuroscience #biology #learning #science #stem #medicine #mentalhealth

Researchers are studying "social jetlag," the physical exhaustion caused when our social calendars clash with our biological internal clocks. This mismatch doesn't just make us tired – it can actually impact our long-term metabolic #health and focus.

https://www.popsci.com/health/what-is-social-jetlag/

#biology #science #stem #medicine #research

🦴 Why do some sports injuries like #tennis elbow or Achilles pain never seem to go away? Researchers have identified a protein called HIF1 that acts as a hidden trigger.

When tendons are overloaded, this protein causes the tissue to become brittle and stimulates the growth of new, sensitive nerves directly into the tendon.

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-trigger-of-achilles-pain-tennis-elbow-and-jumpers-knee/

#health #biology #medicine #science #anatomy #stem #research #discovery

Researchers at the University of #Maryland locked #flu-positive students in a room with healthy volunteers, expecting a total spread. Instead, zero people caught the #virus.

The data suggests that simple air movement from a heater and dehumidifier diluted the virus clouds so effectively that even close contact wasn't enough to pass it on.

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-tried-to-spread-the-flu-only-to-discover-something-unexpected

#health #science #biology #research #stem #education #medicine

🩹️ Researchers have developed an aerosolized wound spray called SEAL that stops severe arterial bleeding nearly instantly.

The #Baltimore-based team uses a specialized chitosan mixture to create a physical seal, providing a potential lifesaver for soldiers and first responders in remote areas.

https://newatlas.com/medical-tech/battlefield-wound-spray/

#medicine #health #innovation #science #biology #tech #technology #research #safety #emergency