Neat News - Neat things do happen

Many fatal swimming accidents can be avoided by some simple measures: using a good stroke technique, exercising for muscle strength, taking regular rest, making sure that there is a lifeguard on duty, and not swimming under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

related: #swimming

In a new study it has been found that low levels of stress can help the brain to develop resilience and lead to a lower risk of mental health issues such as depression.

related: #low_level_stress #mental_health

Stamp-sized patches have been developed that allow to continuously monitor internal organs such as the heart or the lungs for 48 hours using ultrasound.

related: #ultrasound #monitoring

A man who was diagnosed with HIV in 1988 and had to take antiviral medication for many years, has received a bone marrow transplant to treat his leukaemia. Since the donor was HIV resistant, the man is now in remission. There is hope that this may prove to be another puzzle stone in finding a cure for HIV.

related: #HIV #remission #bone_marrow_transplant

A new study finds that the flavanols in cocoa reduces high blood pressure and arterial stiffness. Unlike many standard blood pressure medication, the effect is measurable only if the blood pressure is actually too high.

related: #cocoa #blood_pressure

In a new study with more than 100,000 Americans older than 30, it was found that mortality is lowest when they exercise between 150 and 600 minutes per week (or are involved in vigorous activity between 75 and 150 minutes).

related: #exercising #mortality

The big Lovell radio telescope in the UK will be used as the screen for a sound and light show to show spectacular images of our solar system and the universe.

related: #sound_and_light #Lovell_telescope

Scientists wondered whether woodpeckers have a shock absorber in order to protect their brains from the shock when they repeatedly pound their beaks against trees. New research has now found that they do not have, but that their brains can withstand the shocks without suffering a concussion.

related: #woodpecker

A new study finds that ants make collective decisions - for instance, to flee rising temperatures - just as decisions are made by neural networks such as human brains or artificial neural networks.

related: #ant #neural_network

In a study with 137 children between 6 and 10 years it was found that they uniformly prefer natural foods, such as apples, over lab-grown options with no difference as to the age of the children.

related: #food #preference

A new mattress has been developed that adjusts temperature so that people can fall asleep some 50 percent faster by cooling and heating at appropriate times. It reflects part of the 24-hour rhythm when the body temperature declines at night.

related: #sleep #temperature #mattress

A new study has confirmed a link between gut disorders and the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease. The finding may lead to a better understanding of, a prevention of, or even a treatment for Alzheimer's.

related: #Alzheimer #gut

The first black hole outside the Milky Way, namely in the Large Magellanic Cloud, has been detected. It has a mass of more than nine times that of the Sun and forms a system with a star of about 25 times the mass of the Sun.

related: #black_hole

A new method has been developed to see whether there are metastatic cancer cells in the body by looking for a particular protein in the blood. This could help to better monitor patients who suffered from breast or lung cancer.

related: #protein #blood #cancer_detection

In a proof of principle experiment with mice it was found that by exchanging the blood of affected animals the build-up of Alzheimer's disease causing substances can be reduced by 40 to 70 percent. This may lead to a new therapy possibility for Alzheimer patients.

related: #Alzheimer #therapy

There is the question why people live long after their reproduction is complete. In a new study this is explained by the contribution of grandparents to the upbringing of children, for instance, by the amount of food that they produce.

related: #longevity

In a new study it has been found that women can improve their health by eating bright coloured fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, oranges, carrots, or spinach. They help in particular in preventing visual and cognitive loss.

related: #diet #fruit #vegetables

Bill Gates has pledged 20 billion dollars of his private wealth to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which works for instance in tackling diseases such as malaria.

related: #donation #Bill_Gates

In experiments with mice, a better understanding of the neural mechanisms has been obtained how sound can reduce pain. The insights may lead to new methods to treat pain.

related: #pain #sound

The first pictures of the James Webb telescope have been published. They show how the universe looked like when it was much younger.

related: #James_Webb #telescope

A report by the UN states that for the first time since the 1950ies the world population grew with 0.8 percent in 2020 less than one percent.

related: #slowed_population_growth

5 good climate news: 1. Wind energy production is to expand tenfold until 2035. 2. Solar energy is expanded more than expected in China so that the CO₂ emission peak may be reached in 2026 instead of 2030. 3. The price of gas is so high that renewable energies are much more competitive. 4. The high energy prices are making it very attractive to become exporters of renewable energy, for instance, in form of hydrogen. 5. There are much improved technologies on the horizon to store energy.

related: #sustainable_energy

Since 1976 there is a ban on commercial whaling. This has brought back fin whales from the brink of extinction. Now a large group of about 150 fin whales has been seen in Antarctica feeding together.

related: #fin_whales #protection

Eating an avocado a day leads to a slight decrease in cholesterol levels, a new study finds.

related: #avocado #cholesterol

A new study with 350000 people over 10 years finds that people who have time to exercise only on weekends are doing fine as long as they do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity exercise such as brisk walks, cycling, or playing tennis. Alternatively people should do at least 75 minutes of vigorous activity like running, swimming, or playing a game of football.

related: #exercise

A new implantable device has been developed that can target a nerve and cool it down in order to reduce the pain a patient may have without using any drugs.

related: #pain_relieve

A major problem in going carbon neutral is to store energy, for instance, heat from the summer to the winter. Now researchers have developed a "sand battery" that can store heat at some 500 degrees Celsius for several months.

related: #sand #battery

A new giant water lily species, Victoria boliviana, has been discovered. It was hiding in plain sight in botanical gardens and was previously mis-classified. Its leaves are more than 3m wide.

related: #water_lily

More than 1000 of the so-called Benin Bronzes, stolen during the colonial occupation from Benin, are to be returned from Germany to Nigeria.

related: #Benin_Bronzes

Consequently targeting the four safety risk factors speed, alcohol, helmet usage, and seat belt usage could save more than half a million lives around the world per year (speeding being by far the biggest problem).

related: #road_safety

AstraZeneca informs that their immunotherapy drug Imfinzi in combination with chemotherapy improves chances with non-small cell lung cancer patients when given before surgery.

related: #lung_cancer