“Do meditation apps really work?  Scientists reveal the truth.”

Views expressed in this science, space, and technology update are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 26 August 2025, 1448 UTC.

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Russ Roberts (https://hawaiisciencejournal.com).

Do Meditation Apps Really Work? Scientists Reveal the Truth 2025-08-26 09:14:54 +00:00 Meditation apps have been shown to lower blood pressure, lessen repetitive negative thoughts, and even influence gene expression linked to inflammation. Do you use a meditation app on your phone, computer, or wearable device? If so, you’re not alone. Today, there are thousands of meditation apps available around the world, with the top 10 alone […] Read more… First-Ever Treatment for Rare Eye Disease Wins FDA Approval After Landmark Trials 2025-08-26 08:49:55 +00:00 Phase 3 clinical trial results from Scripps Research and its collaborators supported FDA approval of ENCELTO, the first cell-based treatment for the neurodegenerative retinal disease known as MacTel. For individuals with macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel), a rare retinal disease that steadily erodes central vision, no approved therapies had previously existed. Now, a study led […] Read more… Challenging Over 150 Years of Immunotherapy: Scientists Unveil New Weapon That Kills Cancer Without the Immune System 2025-08-26 08:24:59 +00:00 Two bacteria working in harmony show powerful antitumor effects. The approach could transform treatment for immunocompromised patients. A research team led by Professor Eijiro Miyako at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), working in collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. and the University of Tsukuba, has created a pioneering bacterial therapy for […] Read more… Rare Space Dust Reveals a Shocking Link Between Very Different Asteroids 2025-08-26 04:47:08 +00:00 Scientists studying asteroids found that two seemingly unrelated types share a strange dusty coating of troilite. By using polarization of light instead of traditional spectra, Joe Masiero uncovered evidence that these space rocks may have originated from the same ancient parent bodies, offering a new glimpse into the chaotic past of the early solar system. […] Read more… Scientists Think This Star Could Be the Next Supernova 2025-08-26 04:22:57 +00:00 A red supergiant star has blown an enormous bubble of gas and dust, baffling astronomers. The structure, as massive as the Sun and larger than our solar system, formed in a sudden eruption thousands of years ago. Why the star didn’t explode as a supernova remains a mystery. Discovery of a Vast Stellar Bubble Astronomers […] Read more… The Star That Almost Vanished: Astronomers Solve a Cosmic Mystery 2025-08-26 03:57:47 +00:00 Researchers describe the newly discovered binary system as a cosmic oddball. Stars often reach the end of their lives and fade from view, but astronomers were left baffled when a star that had remained steady for more than ten years suddenly seemed to vanish for nearly eight months. From late 2024 through early 2025, a […] Read more… After 60 Years, Scientists Uncover Hidden Brain Pathway Behind Diabetes Drug Metformin 2025-08-25 22:54:39 +00:00 Scientists found that metformin acts in the brain through Rap1 to control blood sugar. This insight could lead to more precise diabetes treatments. Metformin has been the standard treatment for type 2 diabetes for more than six decades, yet scientists still do not fully understand how it works. A team from Baylor College of Medicine, […] Read more… Scientists Discover a Surprising New Way To Fight Diabetes 2025-08-25 22:29:44 +00:00 Gut microbes produce D-lactate that worsens metabolism. A trap for it restores healthier blood sugar and liver function. A group of Canadian researchers has identified an unexpected way to lower blood sugar and protect the liver: by capturing a little-known fuel produced by gut bacteria before it enters the body and causes harm. The findings, […] Read more… Owning a Smartphone Before 13 Linked to Alarming Mental Health Declines, Global Study Finds 2025-08-25 22:04:42 +00:00 Experts identify four urgent priorities after findings reveal that smartphone users under 13 are more likely to report various problems, including suicidal thoughts. A worldwide study involving more than 100,000 participants has found that receiving a smartphone before the age of 13 is linked with weaker mental health and lower overall wellbeing in early adulthood. […] Read more… Buried Secrets Reveal How Humans Changed the Great Salt Lake Forever 2025-08-25 14:32:28 +00:00 For thousands of years, Utah’s Great Salt Lake reflected only natural shifts in climate and water flow. But fresh sediment analyses show that in just two centuries, human activity forced the lake into states unseen for millennia. For thousands of years, Utah’s Great Salt Lake has responded to shifts in climate and water supply. But […] Read more… These Ant Wars Are Pure Chaos, But They Might Save Your Morning Coffee 2025-08-25 14:07:39 +00:00 On a Puerto Rican coffee farm, researchers uncovered a surprising web of chaos among ants and a predator fly. Three ant species compete in shifting cycles of dominance, but when a fly targets the strongest species, the balance flips unpredictably. These swings create wild oscillations where any species can rise to the top. Understanding Ecology […] Read more… The World’s First Human Hybrid? Ancient Fossil Stuns Scientists 2025-08-25 13:42:45 +00:00 Scientists have uncovered the world’s oldest evidence of human-Neanderthal interbreeding: a 140,000-year-old child from Israel’s Skhul Cave. The fossil shows a unique blend of traits, revealing that humans and Neanderthals were mixing tens of thousands of years earlier than once believed. Fossil Discovery Challenges Human Evolution Timeline An international team of researchers from Tel Aviv […] Read more… Socializing Could Add Years to Your Life, Study Finds 2025-08-25 09:22:03 +00:00 Older adults who stay socially engaged may live longer, a new study reveals. A new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggests that staying socially connected may play an important role in helping older adults live longer. Researchers analyzed data from 2,268 people in the United States who were 60 years […] Read more… This Diet Could Help Protect Your Brain From Alzheimer’s 2025-08-25 08:59:23 +00:00 A large-scale study found that following a Mediterranean-style diet significantly reduces the risk of dementia, particularly in people genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s. Mediterranean Diet Linked to Dementia Risk Reduction A new study led by investigators from Mass General Brigham, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard suggests […] Read more… Researchers Uncover Cancer’s Secret Weapon Against Immune Cells 2025-08-25 08:24:50 +00:00 A hormone-receptor interaction weakens immunity. Targeting it could fight cancer. Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified how a hormone binds to a receptor on immune cells, allowing cancer cells to evade the body’s defenses. The study, published in Nature Immunology, points to potential new directions in cancer immunotherapy and may also open avenues […] Read more… Scientists Unlock Quantum Computing Power by Entangling Vibrations in a Single Atom 2025-08-25 04:06:46 +00:00 Physicists at the University of Sydney have achieved a breakthrough in quantum computing by creating a universal logic gate inside a single atom. Using a powerful error-correcting system known as the Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill (GKP) code — often called the “Rosetta Stone” of quantum computing — they managed to entangle vibrations of a trapped ion. This achievement […] Read more… The Bizarre Material No Container Can Hold: Scientists Create Liquid Carbon in the Lab for the First Time 2025-08-25 03:41:25 +00:00 Researchers have completed a groundbreaking experiment at the European XFEL. An international team of scientists, led by the University of Rostock and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), set out to investigate matter under extreme pressure. In 2023, they used the high-power DIPOLE 100-X laser at the European XFEL for the very first time, achieving remarkable results. […] Read more… Breathing Crystal Breakthrough Could Revolutionize Clean Energy 2025-08-25 03:16:34 +00:00 Scientists in Korea and Japan have unveiled a remarkable “breathing” crystal that can repeatedly absorb and release oxygen, almost like living lungs. Unlike earlier fragile materials, this crystal is stable, reversible, and functions under mild conditions, making it a game-changer for clean energy and smart technologies. Crystal That Breathes: A Breakthrough in Clean Energy Materials […] Read more…