University of Bonn

One of the biggest cosmological mysteries centers on a discrepancy in how fast the universe is expanding. A new study comes to an intriguing solution by applying a modified theory of gravity and an unsettling “supervoid” that our galaxy resides in.

Water level sensors serve an important purpose in rivers, warning of floods and unsafe recreational conditions. A new one is claimed to be not only more robust and reliable than others, but also considerably less expensive.

Astrophysicists have observed puzzling behavior in star clusters that defies our current understanding of gravity at cosmic scales. Intriguingly, the observations fit with an alternative theory of gravity that could negate the need for dark matter.

In the quest to tackle obesity, a new study has brought a new molecule into the mix. The authors were able to demonstrate how the molecule can be targeted with treatments to prevent weight gain in mice on high-fat diets.

For decades those with multiple sclerosis have suggested dairy products can exacerbate their disease. Now researchers have shown how this could be occurring, by finding a protein in cow milk can trigger the immune cells known to damage neurons in MS.

Ordinarily, if biologists wish to confirm that an animal specimen represents a new species, they have to perform a dissection – essentially destroying it. Now, though, the task has been accomplished non-invasively, using MRI and CT scan technologies.

Scientists have successfully extracted DNA from insects trapped in amber – but any creatures you might revive from this would hail from the not-so-distant past of 2014. The study aims to work backwards to find the limits of DNA preservation.

By triggering receptors on a fast-burning form of fat, researchers were able to give older mice less fat and more muscle, making them as healthy as much younger mice. And better yet, humans seem to have a similar pathway.

One of the core components of cosmology is the understanding that the universe is expanding evenly in all directions. But new X-ray observations now suggest that this may not be the case after all – certain areas may be expanding faster than others.

Scientists at Germany’s University Hospital Bonn have turned their attention to salt's impacts on the human immune system, finding that a diet too heavy on sodium chloride can “significantly weaken” our natural defenses against bacterial infections.

Several new studies are reporting evidence affirming a growing hypothesis that links inflammation with the cognitive deficits seen in bipolar disorder and Alzheimer’s. It's also suggested low-grade inflammation can result in mental sluggishness.

The cosmos is full of strange things, like planets made of diamond, mysterious radio bursts and quasars that shine like 600 trillion Suns. Now astronomers have spotted a bizarre star that may prove to be one of the rarest objects ever, with maybe as few as five or six of them in the galaxy.