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A promising path to fighting COVID and other coronaviruses may have been based on a serious mistake. Scientists had zeroed in on a part of the virus called the NiRAN domain, believed to be a powerful target for new antiviral drugs. But when a Rockefeller team revisited a highly cited 2022 study, they found the evidence didn’t hold up. Key molecules shown in the original virus model were actually missing. Their discovery could help prevent wasted time and resources in the race to develop better treatments—and highlights how even one bad blueprint can throw off years of research.

Scientists have discovered that the bacteria behind Lyme disease and anaplasmosis have a sneaky way of surviving inside ticks—they hijack the tick’s own cell functions to steal cholesterol they need to grow. By tapping into a built-in protein pathway, the bacteria keep themselves alive until they can infect a new host. The research opens the door to new methods of stopping these diseases before ticks ever get the chance to bite. A new web tool also reveals that this trick might be used by other blood-feeding bugs too.

For decades, scientists believed the Arctic Ocean was sealed under a massive slab of ice during the coldest ice ages — but new research proves otherwise. Sediment samples from the seafloor, paired with cutting-edge climate simulations, show that the Arctic actually remained partially open, with seasonal sea ice allowing life to survive in the harshest climates. Traces of ancient algae, thriving only when light and water mix, reveal that the region was never a frozen tomb. This discovery not only reshapes our understanding of Earth’s past but offers vital clues about how the Arctic — and our planet — may respond to climate extremes ahead.

Titan Books’ new novelization of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s ‘Galactus Trilogy’ heralds the coming of July’s ‘Fantastic Four’ blockbuster.

Humans have used the stars to navigate, keep time, and understand our place in the universe.

The ALMA radio telescope array in the Atacama Desert temporarily halted operations after a rare snowfall blanketed the base camp last week.

A scene from Apple TV+’s “Invasion” Season 3

Some carbon dioxide absorbed by fig trees gets turned into calcium carbonate within the wood and the surrounding soil, ensuring that the carbon is kept out of the air for longer

Sprites have been known to form above intense thunderstorms.

Ambroxol, long used for coughs in Europe, stabilized symptoms and brain-damage markers in Parkinson’s dementia patients over 12 months, whereas placebo patients worsened. Those with high-risk genes even saw cognitive gains, hinting at real disease-modifying power.