Frontiers | Science news

Health

Published on 02 Oct 2025

Death toll from drugs has more than doubled worldwide over past three decades

Researchers used new statistical methods to analyze public data on the global health burden due to drug addiction. They showed that drug-related mortality has increased 2.2-fold between 1990 and 2021, especially in high-income countries, despite a 6% reduction in cases after correcting for population growth. This surge in the public health burden from drugs was greatest in the US, and likely due to the combination of opioids and cocaine and worsening social and healthcare conditions for drug users.

Health

Published on 30 Sep 2025

Mix insect, plant, and cultivated proteins for healthier, greener, tastier food, say experts

Reducing industrial animal use can help to shrink our carbon footprint and boost health—but doing so means we need nutritious meat alternatives that are also tasty and affordable.

Health

Published on 26 Sep 2025

Protecting the protectors: as measles cases surge, how can we help healthcare workers get vaccinated?

Measles infections are on the rise, due partly to falling vaccination rates — and because of their work, healthcare workers and those around them are particularly vulnerable. In a new Frontiers in Public Health article, Nikki Heinze and her colleagues talk to healthcare workers in a London hospital to understand the factors that encourage or discourage measles vaccination. In this editorial, Heinze explores those factors, and calls for action to improve immunity screening, raise awareness, and support healthcare workers who want to be vaccinated.

Health

Published on 17 Sep 2025

People on Ozempic who eat to regulate emotions less likely to lose weight

Scientists studying people taking GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic found that those who experienced emotional eating were less likely to lose clinically significant weight.

Neuroscience

Published on 03 Sep 2025

Happy music could help you recover from motion sickness

Listening to joyful music helped study participants with motion sickness recover better than other participants — while sad music helped less than doing nothing.

Vantage point of the Murin-an garden in Kyoto the researchers used for the experiment in summer. Credit: Ueya Kato Zoen.

Neuroscience

Published on 15 May 2025

Seeing well-designed gardens could relax us almost immediately because we look at them differently

In well-designed gardens, our gaze shifts quicker and more often. Researchers believe this could be key to understanding the relaxing effects gardens can have on viewers.

Image: Neurons, glia, and vasculature used in the researcher's simulations. Shichkova et al.

Neuroscience

Published on 25 Mar 2025

Most in-depth simulation of brain metabolism yet reveals new targets for future dementia treatments

A new model of brain metabolism – the most complex ever generated –shows how altering key chemicals could restore aged cells to their youthful activity and resilience.

An older man presses his fingers to the side of his head, next to his ear.

Neuroscience

Published on 31 Jan 2025

Ear muscle we thought humans didn’t use — except for wiggling our ears — actually activates when people listen hard

The auricular muscles, which helped our distant ancestors move their ears to improve hearing quality, activated when people were trying to listen to competing sounds.

Environment

Published on 22 Aug 2025

Wildfires can raise local death rate by 67%, shows study on 2023 Hawaiʻi fires

Scientists studying the devastating Lāhainā, Maui fires of August 2023 found that deaths were two-thirds higher than expected that month — and 367% higher during the most intense week of the blaze.

Environment

Published on 24 Jun 2025

Wildlife forensic scientists develop new tool to detect elephant ivory disguised as legal mammoth ivory

Stable isotope analysis can tell apart ivory from mammoths dug up from the permafrost and modern elephants, closing a loophole for selling elephant ivory

Environment

Published on 17 Jun 2025

Yes, in my back yard: people who live near large-scale solar projects are happy to have more built nearby

Scientists studying the impact of solar power on local neighborhoods find that most people living close to large-scale solar plants wouldn’t mind if a new plant was built nearby.

Environment

Published on 09 Jun 2025

Protected Antarctic oceanic life threatened by ships anchoring, first underwater videos show

First video footage shows impacts of anchor and chain damage caused by cruise, research, fishing, and private vessels on Antarctic sea floor and animals, highlighting critically understudied conservation issue.

Psychology

Published on 13 Aug 2025

Now you see me, now you don’t: how subtle ‘sponsored content’ on social media tricks us into viewing ads

Scientists find that people mostly avoid social media ads when they see them, but many ads blend in seamlessly.

Psychology

Published on 24 Jul 2025

Students more likely to pass oral exams at noon — and that might apply to job interviews, too

Physiological rhythms could explain why Italian university students were more likely to fail exams early or late in the day.

A group of students sit together at a table.

Psychology

Published on 07 May 2025

Humans prefer to put more effort into empathizing with groups than with individuals

Study participants asked to choose whether to empathize with or describe people preferred to empathize with groups, despite finding it difficult and distressing.

Psychology

Published on 28 Mar 2025

Those constantly distracted by their phone will just find other ways to procrastinate if it isn’t nearby

A researcher put physical distance between people and their phones and found that our devices may not be the cause of our distraction – it’s what we do with them.

Concept design for a rectangular space telescope, modeled after the Diffractive Interfero Coronagraph Exoplanet Resolver (DICER), a notional infrared space observatory, and the James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: Leaf Swordy/Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Space sciences and astronomy

Published on 01 Sep 2025

Circle versus rectangle: finding ‘Earth 2.0’ may be easier using a new telescope shape

Guest editorial by Prof Heidi Newberg, an astrophysicist at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and author of a new Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences article

Space sciences and astronomy

Published on 25 Feb 2025

Laser-powered device tested on Earth could help us detect microbial fossils on Mars

Scientists successfully identify microbe fossils in terrestrial rocks like those found on Mars, opening up the possibility of searching for fossils on the Red Planet.

Space sciences and astronomy

Published on 06 Feb 2025

Efforts to find alien life could be boosted by simple test that gets microbes moving

Scientists explored microbial movement as a possible biosignature to detect life on Mars and beyond, cheaper and faster than ever before.

Space sciences and astronomy

Published on 03 Feb 2025

Can ocean-floor mining oversights help us regulate space debris and mining on the Moon?

Space belongs to no-one, yet many nations and private entities now plan to lay their claim on its resources. In a recent Frontiers in Space Technologies article, Nishith Mishra, Martina Elia Vitoloni and Dr Joseph Pelton shared their thoughts about how plans to exploit the ocean floors could impact the way resources from space are used and managed.

Frontiers | Science news

Science news

Natural antimicrobial drugs found in pollen could help us protect bee colonies from infection

Protecting the protectors: as measles cases surge, how can we help healthcare workers get vaccinated?

Lactate IV infusion found to trick the body into releasing a hormone behind that post-workout brain boost

Make openness Europe’s scientific strength: Frontiers urges action at European Parliament

Latest posts

Make openness Europe’s scientific strength: Frontiers urges action at European Parliament

Death toll from drugs has more than doubled worldwide over past three decades

Natural antimicrobial drugs found in pollen could help us protect bee colonies from infection

Mix insect, plant, and cultivated proteins for healthier, greener, tastier food, say experts

Protecting the protectors: as measles cases surge, how can we help healthcare workers get vaccinated?

Libraries and AI: building trusted partnerships for open research

Categories

Health

Death toll from drugs has more than doubled worldwide over past three decades

Mix insect, plant, and cultivated proteins for healthier, greener, tastier food, say experts

Protecting the protectors: as measles cases surge, how can we help healthcare workers get vaccinated?

People on Ozempic who eat to regulate emotions less likely to lose weight

Neuroscience

Happy music could help you recover from motion sickness

Seeing well-designed gardens could relax us almost immediately because we look at them differently

Most in-depth simulation of brain metabolism yet reveals new targets for future dementia treatments

Ear muscle we thought humans didn’t use — except for wiggling our ears — actually activates when people listen hard

Environment

Wildfires can raise local death rate by 67%, shows study on 2023 Hawaiʻi fires

Wildlife forensic scientists develop new tool to detect elephant ivory disguised as legal mammoth ivory

Yes, in my back yard: people who live near large-scale solar projects are happy to have more built nearby

Protected Antarctic oceanic life threatened by ships anchoring, first underwater videos show

Psychology

Now you see me, now you don’t: how subtle ‘sponsored content’ on social media tricks us into viewing ads

Students more likely to pass oral exams at noon — and that might apply to job interviews, too

Humans prefer to put more effort into empathizing with groups than with individuals

Those constantly distracted by their phone will just find other ways to procrastinate if it isn’t nearby

Space sciences and astronomy

Circle versus rectangle: finding ‘Earth 2.0’ may be easier using a new telescope shape

Laser-powered device tested on Earth could help us detect microbial fossils on Mars

Efforts to find alien life could be boosted by simple test that gets microbes moving

Can ocean-floor mining oversights help us regulate space debris and mining on the Moon?

Frontiers | Science news

Natural antimicrobial drugs found in pollen could help us protect bee colonies from infection

Protecting the protectors: as measles cases surge, how can we help healthcare workers get vaccinated?

Lactate IV infusion found to trick the body into releasing a hormone behind that post-workout brain boost

Make openness Europe’s scientific strength: Frontiers urges action at European Parliament

Latest posts

Make openness Europe’s scientific strength: Frontiers urges action at European Parliament

Death toll from drugs has more than doubled worldwide over past three decades

Natural antimicrobial drugs found in pollen could help us protect bee colonies from infection

Mix insect, plant, and cultivated proteins for healthier, greener, tastier food, say experts

Protecting the protectors: as measles cases surge, how can we help healthcare workers get vaccinated?

Libraries and AI: building trusted partnerships for open research

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Health

Death toll from drugs has more than doubled worldwide over past three decades

Mix insect, plant, and cultivated proteins for healthier, greener, tastier food, say experts

Protecting the protectors: as measles cases surge, how can we help healthcare workers get vaccinated?

People on Ozempic who eat to regulate emotions less likely to lose weight

Neuroscience

Happy music could help you recover from motion sickness

Seeing well-designed gardens could relax us almost immediately because we look at them differently

Most in-depth simulation of brain metabolism yet reveals new targets for future dementia treatments

Ear muscle we thought humans didn’t use — except for wiggling our ears — actually activates when people listen hard

Environment

Wildfires can raise local death rate by 67%, shows study on 2023 Hawaiʻi fires

Wildlife forensic scientists develop new tool to detect elephant ivory disguised as legal mammoth ivory

Yes, in my back yard: people who live near large-scale solar projects are happy to have more built nearby

Protected Antarctic oceanic life threatened by ships anchoring, first underwater videos show

Psychology

Now you see me, now you don’t: how subtle ‘sponsored content’ on social media tricks us into viewing ads

Students more likely to pass oral exams at noon — and that might apply to job interviews, too

Humans prefer to put more effort into empathizing with groups than with individuals

Those constantly distracted by their phone will just find other ways to procrastinate if it isn’t nearby

Space sciences and astronomy

Circle versus rectangle: finding ‘Earth 2.0’ may be easier using a new telescope shape

Laser-powered device tested on Earth could help us detect microbial fossils on Mars

Efforts to find alien life could be boosted by simple test that gets microbes moving

Can ocean-floor mining oversights help us regulate space debris and mining on the Moon?