Science

The Anti-Inflammatory Power of Food
SpotlightThe Anti-Inflammatory Power of Food

Inflammation is, in itself, a natural defense mechanism. When a foreign body, infection, or injury occurs, the body mobilizes immune cells to repair tissue. Redness, swelling, heat—these are signs that the body is healing. But there is another, more insidious and damaging form: chronic inflammation. Invisible to the eye and symptom-free for a ...

When AI Learns Without Us: Absolute Zero Reasoner, the Machine That Thinks on Its Own
When AI Learns Without Us: Absolute Zero Reasoner, the Machine That Thinks on Its Own

What if an artificial intelligence no longer needed us to learn? No more relying on our data, our corrections, our examples? That’s the bold challenge taken on by a group of Chinese researchers with the development of Absolute Zero Reasoner (AZR). This system does not rely on any human database. It learns in complete autonomy, generating its ...

US Baby with Rare Illness Treated with Tailor-Made Gene Edit
US Baby with Rare Illness Treated with Tailor-Made Gene Edit

A US infant with a rare condition has become history's first patient to be treated with a personalized gene-editing technique that raises hopes for other people with obscure illnesses, doctors said Thursday. The wee pioneer is KJ Muldoon, now a 9-and-a-half-month-old boy with chubby cheeks and big blue eyes. Shortly after birth, he was diagnosed ...

Anxiety: A Patch to Read It in Your Sweat
SpotlightAnxiety: A Patch to Read It in Your Sweat

Sweat, often dismissed as a mere bodily nuisance or a simple thermal response, is now emerging as a new frontier for connected medicine. It contains far more than just water and salt, it holds valuable biochemical clues about our internal state. Among them, cortisol, often called the “stress hormone,” is drawing particular attention. Its ...

Protection Racket? Asian Semiconductor Giants Fear Looming Tariffs
SpotlightProtection Racket? Asian Semiconductor Giants Fear Looming Tariffs

Inside one of South Korea's oldest semiconductor research institutes, the cleanrooms and workshops are calm and immaculate, but outside the Seoul National University campus, a chip storm is brewing. Last month, Washington announced a national security probe into imports of semiconductor technology, which could put the industry in the crosshairs ...

Ubisoft Dispatches Gloomy Year with 'Assassin's Creed' Rescue
Ubisoft Dispatches Gloomy Year with 'Assassin's Creed' Rescue

Earnings data from French games giant Ubisoft is set to show on Wednesday that historic cash-cow series "Assassin's Creed" has saved it from a disastrous year with multiple setbacks. The full results for Ubisoft's 2024-25 financial year, set for release after the Paris stock market closes at 1530 GMT, will be closely watched following a near ...

Inner Workings of AI an Enigma - Even to its Creators
Inner Workings of AI an Enigma - Even to its Creators

Even the greatest human minds building generative artificial intelligence that is poised to change the world admit they do not comprehend how digital minds think. "People outside the field are often surprised and alarmed to learn that we do not understand how our own AI creations work," Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei wrote in an essay posted ...

Essential Oils: Potent Natural Remedies with Hidden Risks
SpotlightEssential Oils: Potent Natural Remedies with Hidden Risks

Lavender, peppermint, tea tree, lemon and ravintsara—essential oils have taken over natural medicine cabinets. They prominently feature in skincare rituals, cosmetic products and home remedies for everything from winter ailments to stress and pain relief. As concentrated extracts from aromatic plants, they embody a return to nature in a world ...

Allergies and Climate: A Ticking Time Bomb for Lebanon’s Public Health
Allergies and Climate: A Ticking Time Bomb for Lebanon’s Public Health

Climate change and air pollution are exacerbating seasonal allergies in Lebanon, transforming them into a mounting public health crisis. Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts and deteriorating air quality are not only worsening symptoms for allergy sufferers, but also increasing the number of people affected. Experts warn that urgent action is ...

Wolf Protection Downgrade Gets Green Light in EU
Wolf Protection Downgrade Gets Green Light in EU

EU lawmakers on Thursday gave the green light to downgrading wolf protections in the bloc, which will allow hunting to resume under strict criteria. Members of the Bern Convention, tasked with the protection of wildlife in Europe as well as some African countries, agreed in December to lower the wolf's status from "strictly protected" to ...

The Healing Power of Tears: Nature’s Own Painkiller
SpotlightThe Healing Power of Tears: Nature’s Own Painkiller

Crying. This universal gesture, so often confined to the private sphere or burdened with shame, is in fact one of the most powerful signals the human body can send. We cry in response to pain, loss, injustice or overwhelming emotion – not only to express what words cannot, but also, biologically, to find relief. Emotional tears – distinct ...

Detox: Miracle Cure or Marketing Illusion?
SpotlightDetox: Miracle Cure or Marketing Illusion?

At the beginning of each year, following the indulgences of the holidays, or as summer approaches, the concept of “detox” resurfaces with renewed vigor. Celery juice, detoxifying herbal teas, crash diets and supplements with enticing names all promise a purified and lighter body, prepared to embrace the new season. The premise is simple and ...