Thirteen years ago, I was on the brink of death. My nearly year-long battle with anorexia nervosa had reached a tipping point: tests showed my heart could give out at any moment, and I was rushed to the emergency room.
But I didn’t care. I only wanted to go home and celebrate my 15 th birthday with the two chocolate-covered strawberries I had allotted in my self-imposed calorie restrictions.
It wasn’t that I wanted to die. The fear of eating more and gaining weight simply felt more immediate than the reality of my heart failing. That paradox – continuing to starve yourself despite the consequences – is why anorexia nervosa remains one of the deadliest and most challenging mental health conditions to treat. Roughly a third of those affected don’t recover , even with treatment.
Read more Chronic inflammation messes with your mind. Here's how to calm it
Chronic inflammation messes with your mind. Here's how to calm it
“We could do much, much better. That is clear,” says Ulrike Schmidt at King’s College London.
She is part of a growing group of researchers who, in recent years, have turned to the brain for answers, and these efforts are finally bearing fruit. A wave of studies now suggests that anorexia nervosa alters circuits governing reward, habit and emotion – changes that may explain why eating can become so aversive, even for people who want to recover.
The latest on what’s new in science and why it matters each day.
While it is still early days, these insights are already reshaping how we think about anorexia and inspiring potential new therapies, from brain stimulation to experimental medications, that could one day shift treatment outcomes.
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterised by severe calorie restriction and an intense fear of gaining weight, typically leading to dangerously low body weight. Estimates suggest it affects up to 4 per cent of women and 0.3 per cent of men during their lifetime, though some studies indicate incidences …
Vetenskapsnyheter
Increase in wildfire-driven ozone linked to premature deaths across the U.S.
Smog from wildfires is getting worse across much of the U.S., according to a NASA-funded study
By Jeanna Bryner edited by Clara Moskowitz
Smog linked to wildfires is getting worse across much of the U.S., playing a role in more than 300 additional premature deaths every year since 2013, researchers say.
The main ingredient in smog is ozone, which is a gas molecule made of three oxygen atoms that, depending on where it forms, can be either helpful or harmful. In the layer of the upper atmosphere called the stratosphere, the gas creates a protective layer that shields Earthlings from harmful ultraviolet rays. But ozone is dangerous when inhaled. So on the ground, the gas can lead to respiratory issues , particularly in people with asthma or other breathing conditions.
This ground-level ozone can form when carbon monoxide gas emitted by wildfires chemically reacts with nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight. Wildfires have been on the rise because of climate change , according to NASA. To get a full picture of the effect of this recent increase in wildfire frequency and intensity, a team of researchers fed surface ozone levels and premature death data into a deep-learning model.
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing . By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
The new analysis, funded by NASA, showed that, between 2003 and 2015, ground-level ozone decreased, likely resulting from tightened controls on ozone-forming chemicals released by human activity, such as car tailpipe emissions, the scientists said. Those gains were reversed between 2015 and 2024, when, the model showed, ozone levels increased, particularly in the Midwest and parts of the western U.S.
By looking at different scenarios in their model, the researchers…
Lilly disclosed new data that provide more details on the safety and tolerability of its next-generation obesity drug retatrutide
<p>Dimitra Valadorou håller ett preparatglas med en liten ruta som ser frostad ut. – Vi kan göra ett jättelikt rutnät för ett stort antal celler, …</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://fof.se/artikel/dimitra-odlar-vaxtceller-pa-ett-chip/">Dimitra odlar växtceller på ett mikrochip</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://fof.se">Forskning & Framsteg</a>.</p>
Johnson & Johnson said it will purchase the startup Firefly Bio for $1 billion in an effort to expand its work in the suddenly buzzy field of KRAS inhibitors.
The result is correct but challenges core norms of mathematics: checking proofs, crediting ideas and keeping research open to everyone.
<p>KTH rankades som världens 82:a bästa universitet i QS World University Rankings 2027. I den nya rankningen hamnar KTH på andra plats bland Sveriges universitet och på 27:e plats i Europa.</p>
Why "Schedule F" matters, the Ebola outbreak response, and more health news from Morning Rounds
A huge study into the biology of endometriosis has revealed new mechanisms by which it may cause its severe and wide-ranging effects on health , paving the way for improved treatments. The work, which included data from more than a million women, is also the first to identify specific genes linked to endometriosis in people of African ancestry, a group that has historically been under-represented in research on the condition.
“We were able to pinpoint around 300 genes that are going to be really exciting for the field to focus on,” says Shefali Setia-Verma at the University of Pennsylvania.
Read more A deeper understanding of endometriosis is suggesting new treatments
A deeper understanding of endometriosis is suggesting new treatments
Endometriosis is a chronic, often debilitating condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body, forming lesions. It affects around 10 per cent of women of reproductive age and can cause fatigue, severe pain and fertility problems. It has also been linked with cardiovascular disease, but the biological mechanisms behind this association have remained unclear.
To investigate, Setia-Verma and her colleagues took a “multi-omics” approach, combining analyses of genes, proteins, the microbiome and endometriosis symptoms to build a holistic view of the condition. They analysed data from 14 global biobanks, which together hold information about more than a million women.
Their initial analyses identified 58 areas of the genome associated with endometriosis, 27 of which were previously unrecognised. A deeper analysis pinpointed 314 genes linked to its development. Importantly, the study uncovered three genetic regions associated with endometriosis that were detected only by analysing the genomes of people with African ancestry.
Your science-backed guide to the easy habits that will help you sleep well, stress less, eat smarter and age better.
Many of the genes most strongly linked to endomet…
A combination of pancreatic cancer drugs from Tango Therapeutics and Revolution Medicines led to a strong response rate in an early-stage trial.
It may one day be possible to reap some of the benefits of sleep without ever closing our eyes. Stimulating specific brain activity in awake mice led to some of the same effects as deep sleep, including a boost in memory.
“It should be possible, at least in theory and to some extent, to replicate these results in our species,” says Vladyslav Vyazovskiy at the University of Oxford, who wasn’t involved in the research. “It would be fascinating to explore whether artificially inducing [this activity] during waking [hours] in humans can result in a subjective feeling of being more refreshed and rested afterwards.”
Read more It’s your perception of sleep that’s making you feel tired all day
It’s your perception of sleep that’s making you feel tired all day
Sleep is thought to be an essential way for the brain to carry out most of its maintenance work. This includes synaptic homeostasis, the process whereby the brain declutters the thousands of new neural connections made during the day – storing important ones and weakening or cutting away ones that aren’t as necessary.
During non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep – the deep sleep state that makes up around 80 per cent of sleep in adults – the brain’s cortex repeatedly fires signals at the exact same time and then shuts those neurons off, in a pattern called slow-wave sleep activity. “This has been linked to synaptic homeostasis, and may be a key mechanism underlying sleep’s restorative functions,” says Chiara Cirelli at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Cirelli and her colleagues wondered if a small part of the cortex could be nudged into entering this deep sleep state while an individual is still awake. Some animals do this naturally, such as dolphins, ducks and fur seals, in which one half of the brain enters NREM sleep while the other remains alert and vigilant for predators.
Your science-backed guide to the easy habits that will help you sleep well, stress less, eat smarter and age better.
To see if a si…
<p>”Rita en fyrkant, en triangel och ett hus.” Det tar bara några minuter innan 25 högstadieelever från Norrtälje har skrivit sin första fungerande kod och sett den bli till form på skärmen. På KTH får de testa programmering för första gången. För några kan det bli början på ett helt nytt intresse.</p>
Machine learning has its limits—how is it being used?
<p>Guardian analysis finds facilities to be built in some of the driest areas as outcry grows over water needed to power AI</p><p>A record-shattering drought has racked much of the US. But the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/artificialintelligenceai">artificial intelligence</a> industry is pushing ahead regardless, with the majority of planned datacenters set to be built in drought-ridden locations, a Guardian analysis has found.</p><p>About two-thirds of upcoming datacenters, which typically require a large amount of water to operate, are set to be built in places that have been among the driest in the country over the past year.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/08/datacenter-ai-drought-water">Continue reading...</a>
Why drugs like Ozempic might reduce cancer risk
A new wave of research links GLP-1 drugs to reduced cancer spread and better survival, and the mechanism may go beyond just weight loss
By Lori Youmshajekian edited by Lauren J. Young & Tanya Lewis
CHICAGO—At the world’s largest oncology conference, Ozempic, a diabetes drug, found its way to the center of the conversation. As thousands of attendees bounced between presentations at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting, some of the biggest buzz focused on the connection between taking Ozempic and similar glucagonlike peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and having a decreased risk of several types of cancer.
GLP-1 drugs, originally designed to treat type 2 diabetes, have become blockbuster treatments for weight loss and metabolic conditions such as heart , liver and kidney disease . Now researchers are investigating whether certain cancers, such as breast cancer, could be added to that list. At the conference, scientists announced their findings that people taking GLP-1 drugs were less likely to be diagnosed with certain cancers, have them spread or die from them when compared with nonusers and those on other diabetes medications. Even though the findings are largely based on observational studies, they reinforce animal research that shows GLP-1 drugs do more than just shed pounds and improve metabolic health. The drugs may also dial down the inflammation that can drive cancer development—and might even act directly on tumors.
Obesity has long been identified as a risk factor for at least 13 types of cancer. Excess weight promotes chronic inflammation, raises insulin levels in the blood and increases estrogen circulating in the body—all potential drivers of cancer development. Whether GLP-1 treatments reduce cancer risk by reversing these pathways through weight loss, or through some other mechanism entirely, remains an open question. Several lines of research presented at ASCO offer evidence o…
World Cup kicks off amid outbreak tracking as Mars mission ends and AI fights heat up
World Cup crowds spark outbreak tracking as AI tensions rise and ancient Rome’s roads get a stunning reboot
By Rachel Feltman , Lauren J. Young , Andrea Gawrylewski , Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura
Rachel Feltman: Happy Monday, listeners and Happy Pride! For Scientific American ’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. You’re listening to our weekly science news roundup.
The World Cup kicks off in just a few days. Now, I love “the beautiful game” as much as the next guy, but I will say this international spectacle is already messing with my commute. Which I don’t appreciate. My concerns about overcrowded public transit are small potatoes compared to what public health experts have to worry about in the wake of such a large event. New York City’s health commissioner recently told NPR that the city has been running simulations to prepare for mass casualty events and disease outbreaks. And some of the World Cup locations in the U.S. are also dialing up their use of wastewater surveillance to catch any pathogens.
Here to tell us more about that is Lauren Young, associate editor for health and medicine at Scientific American . Thanks for being here, Lauren.
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing . By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
More than five million people from around the world are going to be traveling to North America for the World Cup this week. Sixteen different cities are gonna be hosting the games. But as people come, public health experts are gonna be on pretty high alert for any potential outbreaks of infectious diseases, and the way they’re doing that is using this forecasting system through wastewater detection.
Wastewater is, like, a super helpful forecast tool, if you will, to pick up things like gen…
När unga avhoppare berättar om sitt kriminella förflutna försöker de både förklara sina handlingar och skapa en ny identitet. En ny studie från Lunds universitet visar hur berättelser om tjuvheder, ansvar och vuxenblivande blir centrala i vägen bort från kriminalitet.
En person som begått brott men vill sluta behöver – både inför sig själv och andra – förstå och förklara vem man har varit, vem man är i dag och vem man vill bli.
– Det räcker inte att sluta begå brott. Man behöver också skapa en berättelse om sitt liv som gör förändringen begriplig, både för en själv och för omgivningen. Den berättelsen är central för att kunna skapa sig en ny identitet och förhålla sig till sitt gamla liv, säger Hanna Edgren, som intervjuat 20 unga vuxna om deras väg in i och ut ur kriminaliteten.
Det är svårt att säga ”när jag var ung och dum” om något som hänt helt nyligen
Men medan äldre brottslingar, efter flera år i fängelse, kan tala om sin brottslighet i termer av ”mitt gamla liv” och att de nu har blivit bättre människor, är detta svårare för unga.
– Det är svårt att säga ”när jag var ung och dum” om något som hänt helt nyligen, säger Hanna Edgren.
Därför låter unga avhoppares berättelser annorlunda än de äldres. Deras berättelser om varför de slutar vara kriminella handlar snarare om att de nu har blivit vuxna. Ofta sker avhoppen efter att något dramatiskt har hänt. De har blivit rädda och vill inte dö. Drogerna – som ibland var vägen in i kriminaliteten – kan nu vara anledningen till att de vill sluta. Att de har blivit föräldrar eller träffat en betydelsefull person uppges också som skäl.
Avhopparna som Hanna Edgren intervjuade var mellan 18 och 30 år gamla, och samtliga hade börjat sin kriminella bana när de var mycket unga. Någon så tidigt som på lågstadiet. Berättelserna om varför de en gång började begå brott handlade om stökiga uppväxtförhållanden, fattigdom och svårigheter i skolan, men också om lockelserna; gemenskap, spänning och pengar.
– Kriminaliteten…
“We do not lack cures. We lack the infrastructure to pay for and deliver them,” writes William Padula.
“American horses are getting sick in ways that look remarkably familiar,” writes Joshua Moen.
Unmet vascular needs can lead to limb loss among unhoused patients. An unusual Massachusetts General Hospital program meets patients where they are.
<p>Måttet BMI (body mass index) har under lång tid använts inom sjukvården för att hitta personer med förhöjda hälsorisker på grund av obesitas. En ny …</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://fof.se/artikel/bmi-kan-missa-personer-som-riskerar-allvarliga-sjukdomar/">BMI kan missa personer som riskerar allvarliga sjukdomar</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://fof.se">Forskning & Framsteg</a>.</p>
<p>We are in dangerous territory as courts encourage jurors to discern untruth from body language. In fact, the words are far more revealing</p><p>Imagine you are a juror on a murder trial. A married couple have been found shot dead. The defendant, a man known to them, denies the charge. You’ve heard the prosecution’s evidence and you’ve heard his testimony. But you and your fellow jurors are unsure if you should believe his protestations of innocence. At the hotel in the evening, another juror makes a novel suggestion: contact the spirits of the dead couple to find out if the defendant is lying. In agreement, you all sit around a crudely constructed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/oct/30/ouija-board-mystery-history">Ouija board</a> and call upon the spirits of the dead couple to ask: “Who killed you?” The board spells out the name of the defendant. The next day, you return a guilty verdict to the court.</p><p>Sounds too absurd to be true? Well, in 1994 an English jury <em>did</em> <a href="https://stacklaw.com.au/news/criminal-law/ouija-board-used-by-uk-jury-to-determine-verdict-in-murder-trial">consult a Ouija board</a> (a retrial was ordered, and the defendant was found guilty again). But it is no less absurd than a jury being directed by the courts to use an assessment of body language to make a judgment. Judicial directions in Scotland <a href="https://judiciary.scot/docs/librariesprovider3/judiciarydocuments/jury-manual/20240903-jury-manual.pdf?sfvrsn=8bbad1fe_1">advise jurors</a> that they can “look at the content of witnesses’ evidence, [and] their body language in giving it”. Similarly, in England and Wales, jurors are instructed <a href="https://www.judiciary.uk/guidance-and-resources/crown-court-compendium-october-2025/">not to take so many notes</a> during a trial that they are “unable to observe the manner/demeanour of the witnesses as they give their evidence”. It appears that the UK’s judicial system is no different from most…
<p>This game is end to end!</p><p>Today’s offering is for fans of the number 4. It’s a cute puzzle that offers up its solution in an elegant way.</p><p><strong>Nose to tail </strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/08/can-you-solve-it-do-you-have-a-snout-for-numbers">Continue reading...</a>