Could gene-editing be used to treat mental illness?
Just as the technology is promising new therapies for everything from heart disease to cancer, some researchers believe that tinkering with the epigenome could help reverse the damage done by trauma. In recent years, scientists have made strides towards treating diseases through gene-editing technology, their most promising breakthrough being the...
Current in Science
Could this mushroom one day replace plastic?
Researchers are studying the molecular structure of fomes fomentarius, a fungus with the remarkable ability to yield a wide range of materials with different properties. If you’re familiar with my writing, by now I’m sure you’re well aware of my deep-rooted obsession with all things mycelium. This is pretty understandable,...
Could clouds of moon dust temper global warming?
Scientists at the University of Utah believe firing millions of tons of moon dust into the atmosphere could help to prevent global warming. The best answer is often the simplest... is a mantra being emphatically shunned by climate scientists at the University of Utah. The group of researchers at the institution have...
Scientists believe live bacteria could be eating ocean plastic
It’s hard to believe any living thing could survive on a diet consisting of plastic, but new research has revealed that certain bacteria have found a way to ingest ocean pollution – making it disappear altogether. If you’ve been visiting Thred for a while, you’re likely well-versed in how serious...
Scientists create ‘vagina on a chip’ to advance sexual health research
Medical conditions affecting people with vulvas are notoriously understudied, but recent developments in the field suggest that things might finally be about to change. Scientists at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University have created the world’s first ‘vagina on a chip,’ a development that could prove significant in bridging...
New study suggests vaping damages the immune system
Though scientists still know little about the long-term effects of e-cigarettes on the human body, they just found the devices to be causing significant cellular and molecular changes in the lungs. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that vapes are all the rage. Replacing one of the leading...
Australia legalises therapeutic use of MDMA and psilocybin
In a world first, the country has officially recognised psychedelics as legitimate medicines. From July, authorised psychiatrists will be able to prescribe the drugs for treatment-resistant mental illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. For decades, scientists and researchers have sought to prove the extraordinary medical potential of psychedelic drugs. Time and time again these mind-altering compounds have shown genuine promise in alleviating some of the most intractable (and expensive)...
The Earth’s inner core has started spinning in the opposite direction
This is according to a new study which probed the deepest reaches of our planet with seismic waves from earthquakes. The surprising finding might solve longstanding mysteries about the climate patterns that guide our local weather. According to a new study, the Earth’s inner core seems to have stopped spinning in the last decade and in even more surprising news, it may now be reversing the direction of its...
Is a breast cancer vaccine on the horizon?
Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine have been working on a jab to control the disease for two decades. The study’s latest results show a great deal of promise. At present, some seven million women across the globe suffer from breast cancer, making it one of the deadliest forms of the disease on Earth. In 2022 alone, the National Breast Cancer...
NASA’s James Webb Telescope discovers first known rocky planet
NASA’s James Webb Telescope has peered deep into the universe and discovered the first known planet of rocky formation. Bearing an uncanny resemblance to Earth, LHS 475b is now the subject of intense observation. Peering into the vast expanses of the universe is now possible thanks to the James Webb Telescope, in greater capacity than before anyway. Successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Telescope has already provided us...
