Carissa Wong

Your microbiome may determine your risk of a severe allergic reaction The microbes that live in our mouth and gut may influence whether an allergic reaction to peanuts is mild or life-threatening, and could be harnessed to ward off a severe attack

For people with peanut allergies, microbes in the gut and mouth may influence the severity of allergic reactions.

www.newscientist.com/article/2517...

People who eat a lot of fibre spend more time in deep sleep The most comprehensive study to date has revealed what we need to eat throughout the day to sleep well that night

The key to better sleep could be in what you eat. A new study suggests that chomping on more fibre could help you snooze more deeply.

www.newscientist.com/article/2517...

Accidental discovery hints at mystery structures within our brain Scientists may have stumbled across a network of vessels in the brain that helps clear out waste fluid – a discovery that could "represent a paradigm shift in our understanding of all neurodegenerativ...

Scientists claim to have stumbled across a hidden network of vessels in the brain, a discovery that could transform our understanding of neurodegenerative conditions - but further research is needed to confirm the findings.

www.newscientist.com/article/2515...

Faecal transplants could boost the effectiveness of cancer treatments Adults with kidney cancer who received faecal microbiota transplants on top of their existing drugs did better than those who had placebo transplants as their add-on intervention

Stool transplants seem to boost the effectiveness of cancer therapies against kidney and lung cancer, by altering the gut microbiome. Cool to see a couple of studies building on evidence that this approach can work for skin cancer.

www.newscientist.com/article/2513...

Bone cancer therapy unexpectedly makes tumours less painful A drug that kills cancer cells by puncturing them comes with an additional benefit: tests in mice suggest it reduces the growth of pain-sensing nerves around tumours

Cancer therapy has, understandably, long focused on helping people live longer, but tumours can also be painful. Now a drug seems to both improve survival rates and relieve bone tumour-related pain, suggesting it could offer a more comfortable form of therapy.

www.newscientist.com/article/2513...

Cancelling plans may be more socially acceptable than you think Volunteers consider it relatively unacceptable to cancel social plans – but they are more forgiving if it's someone else cancelling the plans

If you're not feeling up for a social plan, you may find yourself wondering: to cancel or not to cancel? Well, it turns out that people may be more accepting of cancellations than we assume...

www.newscientist.com/article/2511...

Why So Many Smart People Are Wasting Their Lives | Rutger Bregman YouTube video by New Scientist

A bumper pod this week:
💥Rutger Bregman on moral ambition, veganism, the AI revolution
💥Evolutionary explanation for gay sex in primates
💥Small tweaks to increase lifespan
💥Wild proposal to drawdown carbon
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPke...

These small lifestyle tweaks can add a year to your life A few extra minutes of sleep per day or an extra half-serving of vegetables with dinner can add a year to our lives, according to an analysis of data from 60,000 people

If you're looking for ways to boost your health this year, there's some good news: even small tweaks to your sleep, diet and exercise have been linked to a longer life.

www.newscientist.com/article/2511...

Exercise may relieve depression as effectively as antidepressants A comprehensive review confirms the benefits of exercise for treating depression, even if the exact reasons remain unclear

You may be familiar with the mood-boost that comes with exercise - now a major review confirms that even light physical activity, like walking, can ease depression symptoms as effectively as talking therapies or antidepressants.

www.newscientist.com/article/2510...

Weight regain seems to occur within 2 years of stopping obesity drugs Drugs like Ozempic have transformed how we treat obesity, but a review of almost 40 studies shows it doesn't take long for people to regain weight if they come off them

People who stop taking obesity drugs tend to regain the weight they've lost within 1.7 years, emphasising how obesity is a chronic condition that requires long-term treatment.

www.newscientist.com/article/2510...

A spectacular showcase of animal pictures from 2025 Our visual highlights from the animal world this year include a mouse caring for its companion, dolphins communicating in an unexpected way and a colossal squid caught on camera for the first time

This year, we’ve seen creatures of all shapes and sizes stealing the spotlight with their adorably cute, and bizarre, behaviours…to be greatly enjoyed!

www.newscientist.com/article/2507...

New antibiotic could stave off drug-resistant gonorrhoea Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the microbe responsible for gonorrhoea, is developing resistance to most antibiotics, which means we need new drugs to treat the condition. An antibiotic called zoliflodacin mig...

It's a great week for the fight against drug-resistant gonorrhoea, which is rising globally: a new antibiotic effectively cleared the infection in a late-stage trial - FDA may approve on Monday.

Plus FDA expanded use of another antibiotic to treat gonorrhoea.

www.newscientist.com/article/2508...

Sperm Evolved BEFORE Animals YouTube video by New Scientist

"We have adolescent brains into our 30s" is a great headline but it's also not true. @rowhoop.bsky.social, @carissacwwong.bsky.social and I unpicked all the interesting details from that big news-making white matter study on the World, The Universe And Us youtu.be/HoQgW-KKbr0?...

Man unexpectedly cured of HIV after stem cell transplant A handful of people with HIV have been cured after receiving HIV-resistant stem cells – but a man who received non-resistant stem cells is also now HIV-free

A man has become the seventh person to be free of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant to treat blood cancer. Crucially, he received stem cells that were not resistant to the virus, prompting scientists to rethink what's necessary for an HIV cure.

www.newscientist.com/article/2506...

Monthly injection could replace daily steroid pills for severe asthma Daily steroid pills are often necessary for severe cases of asthma, but they raise the risk of several serious conditions. Now, scientists have shown that a monthly antibody injection can eliminate th...

Daily steroid pills are often used for severe asthma but they raise the risk of several conditions including infections, diabetes, bone problems...great to see a new trial supporting the idea that a monthly antibody injection can offer a safer alternative.

www.newscientist.com/article/2506...

Daily pill could offer alternative to weight-loss injections Orforglipron, a GLP-1 drug taken as a pill, achieved positive results in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes, although it seems less effective than injectable drugs

A daily pill could soon offer a more convenient, and potentially cheaper, alternative to injections like Wegovy and Ozempic, which enable weight loss and improve blood sugar levels.

www.newscientist.com/article/2505...

Ultrasound may boost survival after a stroke by clearing brain debris The damage of strokes caused by brain bleeds can be mitigated by removing dead blood cells. Scientists have now found a way of doing this non-invasively, with promising results in mice

Pulsing ultrasound waves through the brain seems to help clear dead blood cells from the organ after a type of stroke, improving survival.

The approach could potentially help to clear toxic proteins linked to brain conditions like Alzheimer's disease.

www.newscientist.com/article/2503...

Magnetic gel could remove kidney stones more effectively Standard techniques for removing kidney stones often require repeated surgery, but a magnetic gel seems to make the process more efficient

A magnetic tool for removing kidney stones that's "sort of like using a stick to fish out a snot full of stone fragments" could mean fewer surgeries, and less pain, for people with the condition.

www.newscientist.com/article/2502...

Can't focus after a bad night's sleep? Your dirty brain is to blame During sleep, your brain cleans itself by flushing through cerebrospinal fluid to prevent damage to brain cells. If you're lacking in sleep, this happens when you are awake – and seems to cause moment...

It can be hard to focus after a bad night's sleep...Now we may know why. It turns out that momentary lapses in attention may occur because the brain's trying to catch up with clearing out waste - something it usually does while we snooze.

www.newscientist.com/article/2501...

The extraordinary influence of the lymphatic system on our health It has remained mysterious for millennia, but we’re finally uncovering the profound role the lymphatic system plays in everything from preventing dementia to fighting cancer

Our bodies contain a ghostly web of thread-like vessels and bean-shaped nodes, called the lymphatic system.

My latest cover story looks at how it could be a secret ingredient in treating some major health conditions from Alzheimer's disease to cancer.

www.newscientist.com/article/2499...

Paralysed man can feel objects through another person's hand Keith Thomas, a man in his 40s with no sensation or movement in his hands, is able to feel and move objects by controlling another person's hand via a brain implant. The technique might one day even a...

Awesome story from @carissacwwong.bsky.social www.newscientist.com/article/2499...

Paralysed man can feel objects through another person's hand Keith Thomas, a man in his 40s with no sensation or movement in his hands, is able to feel and move objects by controlling another person's hand via a brain implant. The technique might one day even a...

A man with paralysis used his thoughts to move and feel sensations through another person's hand, thanks to a brain implant - the approach could be used to help people rehabilitate from spinal cord injury.

www.newscientist.com/article/2499...

Pig liver transplant into a living person edges it closer to the norm The first ever transplantation of a pig's liver into a living person helps us better understand how animal organs can be used to prolong, or even save, lives

A pig's liver has been transplanted into a living person for the first time, helping us better understand how animal organs can prolong, or even save, lives.

www.newscientist.com/article/2499...

Nobel prize for medicine goes to trio for work on immune tolerance The 2025 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine has gone to Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi for their discoveries around how we keep our immune system under control

Regulatory cells in our blood play a key role in preventing our immune systems attacking us - and the discovery of these cells by Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi was today rewarded with a Nobel prize 🧪

www.newscientist.com/article/2498...

Long covid may be making your periods longer and heavier Half a decade since the arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, we're still learning about its complications, with the latest research suggesting that long covid may disrupt menstrual periods

The vast majority of long covid research has ignored how the condition may affect the menstrual cycle. Now a study suggests it may make periods longer and heavier.

www.newscientist.com/article/2496...

Good immune health may come at the expense of chronic inflammation Inflammation is a vital part of the immune response, but it seems that the system can sometimes go awry, resulting in chronic inflammation that has been linked to conditions such as cancer

Some of our immune cells fend off infections by undergoing an inflammatory form of cell death, but this may come at the cost of chronic inflammation later in life.

www.newscientist.com/article/2496...

Smartphone scrolling on the toilet could increase risk of haemorrhoids People seem to spend longer on the toilet if they use a smartphone while sitting there – and all that scrolling may be boosting their likelihood of getting haemorrhoids

We’re spending more time on the loo 🚽because of smartphones 📱 - and that substantially increases the risk of getting piles, according to a small study 🧪

www.newscientist.com/article/2494...

A single dose of LSD seems to reduce anxiety About half of people with generalised anxiety disorder don’t respond to common treatments with antidepressants – but psychedelics may offer relief

Could psychedelics treat anxiety? A landmark trial found a single dose of the mind-altering drug LSD seems to reduce anxiety without lasting side effects.

www.newscientist.com/article/2495...

Hepatitis B vaccine linked with a lower risk of developing diabetes Being vaccinated against hepatitis B may reduce chronic inflammation levels in the body, which could help ward off diabetes

An intriguing study suggests the hepatitis B vaccine may reduce the risk of diabetes, and not just by preventing infections.

www.newscientist.com/article/2494...

How cocoa beans' microbiomes are key to the finest chocolate flavours Nine species of fungi and bacteria have been found in cocoa beans that produce fine chocolate, and this knowledge could help producers develop better flavours

Mouth-watering news...We've identified microbes that produce fine flavours in chocolate, a discovery that could lead to entirely new kinds of the delectable treat.

www.newscientist.com/article/2492...