SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " obi " 2,786 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
‘No Kings Day’ protests against Trump administration expected in NYC
Organizers said it’s part of a mobilization to defend democracy and fight against authoritarianism.
Another global health crisis is gaining momentum. We need to be prepared.
The PASTEUR Act has been proposed to create a subscription-style model between the federal government and companies that successfully develop novel antimicrobials, in order to ensure access to life…
'Bridging the gap': WSSU gathering addresses rural health disparities
The university is using outreach and mobile health services to try to reduce cancer death rates in rural North Carolina.
Let’s take a look at the retro tech making a comeback
Boomboxes, instant cameras, and even landlines are making a comeback. Here are the coolest retro-inspired devices available.
Mental Health Workers Fight for AI Protections in California
In Northern California, 2,400 mental health providers went on strike earlier this month against medical giant Kaiser Permanente. A major point of contention is Kaiser’s efforts to replace human-provided mental health care with artificial intelligence.
In battleground Wisconsin, the 2026 elections are poised to bring a 'changing of the guard'
Democrats sense a big opportunity following retirements at the gubernatorial, legislative and judicial levels in the state.
TA446 Deploys Leaked DarkSword iOS Exploit Kit in Targeted Spear-Phishing Campaign
TA446 used leaked DarkSword on March 26 to target iOS devices, prompting Apple alerts and widening mobile espionage risks.
Braiding science, stories and indigeneity with Robin Wall Kimmerer’s ReadUP talk
Half an hour before the start, BC Aud was already overflowing. Attendees pressed shoulder to shoulder along stairways to hear Robin Wall Kimmerer, an author and environmental activist. Click the link to read the recap of her events on campus.
Missouri sports betting market officially launched: $5,000 in sportsbook sign-up bonuses, promos right now
Missourians can now place sports bets with mobile sportsbooks and get Missouri sports betting offers for the Missouri betting launch
Finally! Single-tap Wi-Fi control returns to Quick Settings in Android 17 Beta 3
Android 17 Beta 3 just made managing your Wi-Fi connection one tap simpler.
One UI 8.5 brings major Linux Terminal upgrades to Galaxy devices
New updates to the full Linux Terminal experience on Galaxy devices have been added with One UI 8.5, a report indicates.
Scientists find gut bacteria inject proteins that control your immune system
Gut bacteria aren’t just passive passengers—they can actively send proteins straight into our cells. Using microscopic injection systems, even harmless microbes can influence immune responses and metabolic pathways. Researchers found these interactions may play a role in inflammatory diseases like Crohn’s. It’s a major shift in how scientists understand the microbiome’s power over human health.
AdventHealth takes first steps toward new sports medicine and rehabilitation space in Lake Placid
For patients working to regain their strength, mobility and confidence following an injury, surgery or illness, having access to high-quality rehabilitation close to home can make a massive difference.
How to share files from Galaxy phones to iPhones and MacBooks
Samsung introduced a major new feature to the Galaxy S26 series this week. Quick Share on these devices is now compatible with Apple’s AirDrop system, making it easier to share files wirelessly with iPads, iPhones, and Macs. So, how do you use it? Let’s take a look. Share files from Samsung Galaxy devices to Apple […]
Advancement of "Science as a Service (SaaS)" for NASA and Commercial Partners Request for Information
A new Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Request for Information (RFI) entitled “Advancement of “Science as a Service (SaaS) for NASA and Commercial Partners
As sports betting booms in North Carolina, so do gambling problems
Two years after North Carolina legalized mobile sports betting, counselors say they are seeing the fallout: drained bank accounts, strained relationships and young people — especially young men — spiraling into anxiety and depression after losing more than they can afford.
How Robinhood's chief brokerage officer tells his kids to invest
Steve Quirk shared four stock indexes to have in your core portfolio. He recommends focusing on diversification, with some cash set aside for single stocks.
Return of ‘No Kings’: Here’s what to know about third Seattle protest
Seattle organizers hope to mobilize more than 100,000 people this time around, which would make it perhaps the largest protest in the city's history.
One UI 8.5 Beta Program is expanding to more Galaxy devices
After releasing One UI 8.5 beta to the Galaxy S25, Galaxy Z Flip 7, and the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung is expanding it to more Galaxy devices.
Samsung opens One UI 8.5 beta program for Galaxy S24
Samsung has opened the One UI 8.5 (Android 16 QPR2) beta program for the Galaxy S24 series. Here are the changes the update brings.
Here’s the changelog for the first beta version of One UI 8.5 for the Galaxy S24 series
The changelog for the first beta version of One UI 8.5 (Android 16 QPR2) for the Galaxy S24 series has been leaked.
Samsung Takes Its Browser Beyond Mobile, Extending Agentic AI Across Devices
Seamlessly connecting the mobile and PC browsing experience while simplifying complex web tasks with new agentic AI capabilities
The T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra "On Us" Deal Explained (No Trade-In or Port-In Required)
Samsung's new flagship phone was released on March 11 and is now shipping.
NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #1,192 20 March 2026 (Space Life Science Research Results)
NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List
NASA ROSES-25 Amendment 50: Physical Sciences: Research Studies Not Solicited in ROSES-25
The NASA Physical Sciences (PS) program is part of the Biological and Physical Sciences Division
Google Claims Android Is Now Faster Than iPhone for Web Browsing
Google today said that Android has set a new record for mobile web performance, making it the fastest mobile platform for web browsing. The newest Android devices have set new records on web performance benchmarks like Speedometer and LoadLine, which Google attributes to "deep vertical integration across hardware, the Android OS, and the Chrome engine".
Google says Android with Chrome is ‘fastest mobile platform for web browsing’
Google shared today that Android and Chrome have set “new performance records” for mobile web browsing in two benchmarks...
Glyphosate: A story of science, risk, and nuance
In the summer of 2014, a California groundskeeper named Dewayne Johnson started noticing patches of raw, weeping skin spreading across his body. He had spent years applying Roundup, Monsanto’s glyphosate-based herbicide, for a school district, sometimes drenched in it when equipment malfunctioned. By 2014, he had a diagnosis: non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In 2018, a jury awarded him $289 million in damages, later reduced on appeal. Tens of thousands of lawsuits followed. The story hasn’t quieted down. It’s all over the internet, swinging between “this will kill you, buy organic” and “relax, you’re fear-mongering.” Some of that recent chatter stems from an Executive Order protecting glyphosate and its production, which set off intense infighting within the MAHA movement. Some of it reflects a deeper truth: Americans genuinely care about harmful chemicals in their environment (see poll below). And the conversation isn’t going anywhere, with a Supreme Court case involving Monsanto set for this April. Glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. But does glyphosate cause cancer? And how much exposure is actually risky? With so much mistrust in institutions and corporations (and some genuine conflicts of interest), making sense of the actual scientific evidence is genuinely hard. Here is a translation of what the scientific evidence actually says. Does glyphosate cause harm? Glyphosate is an herbicide that kills most plants it contacts rather than targeting specific species. It works by blocking an enzyme pathway (EPSPS) that plants and many microorganisms need to produce essential amino acids. Without those amino acids, the plant can’t grow and dies. Glyphosate was first developed by Monsanto in the 1970s and became ubiquitous after the company introduced “Roundup Ready” crops in the 1990s. In 2024, Bayer removed glyphosate from residential Roundup-branded products due to litigation pressure. But today it is still the most widely used herbicide in the world. Farmers also discovered they could spray it directly on crops like oats, lentils, beans, and peas just before harvest to dry them out faster and make harvesting easier. Because of its widespread use, it’s obviously really important to understand if it’s harmful to humans. The key principle: The dose makes the poison The most important concept in toxicology is that “the dose makes the poison.” Sixteenth-century physician Paracelsus articulated what remains the foundational principle of toxicology: sola dosis facit venenum. Water will kill you if you drink enough of it. Aspirin saves lives at 81 milligrams and causes internal bleeding at higher chronic doses. So, at what dose is glyphosate poisonous? The LD50 in rats (the dose that kills half the test animals) is around 5,600 mg/kg body weight. Table salt is roughly 3,000 mg/kg. By that classic measure, glyphosate is less acutely toxic than salt. But some people are exposed to a lot of glyphosate through their work. And among the general public, there are many questions about low-dose, cumulative exposure from multiple sources over long periods. Does glyphosate cause health problems? Cancer Correlation maps are striking, with one analysis finding that 60% of counties that spray the most glyphosate have non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma rates above the national average. But correlation alone doesn’t establish cause, which is why animal and human studies matter. In animals: Rat studies are typically what most fear is rooted in, but most people don’t know the study details on the dosage given to rats. A pooled analysis of the 13 most rigorous rat studies found evidence that very high doses, around 55,000 times greater than typical food residue exposure, can cause certain cancers. In humans: One of the strongest studies followed 55,000 herbicide users over 20 years and found no overall increased cancer risk. There was one signal: among those with the highest use, rates of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) appeared elevated. A broader meta-analysis of 18 human studies also found no overall cancer risk, though a separate meta-analysis focused specifically on non-Hodgkin lymphoma found that people with high cumulative glyphosate exposure faced a 41% higher relative risk compared to those with low or no exposure. These human studies are observational studies (randomized controlled trials would be unethical), and meta-analyses are only as reliable as the studies they pool. But the story seems consistent: at very high exposure levels, there may be some cancer risk. But that’s about as far as the science currently takes us. Emerging research: gut and reproductive health Gut: Because glyphosate targets a pathway that exists in some gut bacteria, scientists have questioned whether it could affect the microbiome. In mice, a 2023 University of Iowa study found that glyphosate altered gut bacterial composition and raised markers of intestinal inflammation. A 2024 systematic review found similar patterns: disrupted gut bacteria and problems with the mucus layer that protects the intestinal wall in mice. Whether this translates to humans is an open question. The human gut is highly variable and resistant, and we don't yet have strong studies confirming the same effects in people. Reproductive health: Animal studies have found that glyphosate-based herbicides can interfere with reproductive hormones, including disrupting egg cell development in mice and reducing the number of eggs available in sheep’s ovaries. However, the doses used in these experiments were high, so it’s not yet clear whether the same effects would occur in humans. On the human side, a 2021 pilot study led by Mount Sinai researchers tested urine samples from pregnant women across the U.S. and found glyphosate in 95% of them. The study also found a possible connection between higher glyphosate exposure during pregnancy and a subtle physical difference measured in female newborns. That said, some connections weren’t statistically reliable and this was a small study. The researchers themselves said more and larger studies are needed before drawing firm conclusions. What do regulators say about glyphosate safety? In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2A). The classification is worth taking seriously. But, there’s an important distinction: IARC classifies hazard, meaning the potential to cause harm under some conditions. It does not assess risk, which accounts for actual exposure levels and the real-world probability of harm. The U.S. EPA, the European Food Safety Authority, Health Canada, and regulatory agencies in Australia and Japan have all concluded that glyphosate is “unlikely to be carcinogenic to humans” at realistic exposure levels. They’re asking a different question: given how much of this people actually encounter, what is the probability of harm? Your actual exposure is what determines your actual risk. What does glyphosate mean for your daily life? At the grocery store: Food residues are small. The EPA’s acceptable daily intake is 1.75 mg/kg of body weight per day. To hit that threshold from oatmeal alone, a 150-pound adult would need to eat roughly 50 pounds of oats every day. But this calculation addresses only one pathway (food), and we don’t yet have robust tools to measure people’s actual total exposure. If reducing exposure matters to you, organic certification prohibits synthetic herbicides, and organic oat products generally test at lower or undetectable levels. Either way, a diet rich in whole grains, conventional or organic, is far better for your health than one that omits them out of fear of residues. On the farm: Occupational exposure is orders of magnitude higher than consumer exposure. Farmers and farm workers who mix, load, and apply glyphosate-based herbicides, especially without protective equipment, face meaningfully different risk profiles. Proper PPE isn’t optional. Integrated weed management strategies that rotate chemical modes of action are also worth taking seriously, both for health and for long-term effectiveness. If you live near a farm: Spray drift is real. Concentrations near field edges can spike during and after application, particularly on windy days. This is an area where I think public health could really step up and empower rural communities with buffer zones, rather than placing the onus on individuals. But for now, knowing your local agricultural calendar and keeping windows closed during application are the first steps. Bottom line Dewayne Johnson was exposed to glyphosate at levels most people will never encounter, and a jury decided he deserved compensation. That outcome is not evidence that the oatmeal in your pantry is dangerous. But it is a reminder that the dose, the context, and the person doing the exposing all matter enormously. Glyphosate is a chemical tool with benefits, trade-offs, and genuine open scientific questions. Learning to hold that complexity without collapsing into panic or dismissal is, honestly, one of the most useful and hardest things to do in navigating modern health science. Love, YLE Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE) is founded and operated by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MPH PhD—an epidemiologist, wife, and mom of two little girls. Hannah Totte, MPH, is an epidemiologist and YLE Community Manager. YLE reaches more than 425,000 people in over 132 countries with one goal: “Translate” the ever-evolving public health science so that people will be well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. This newsletter is free to everyone, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support the effort, subscribe or upgrade below: Subscribe
About 40 'No Kings' protests planned across Tennessee. See when and where
In total, organizers estimate about 3,000 events nationwide, surpassing previous 'No Kings' mobilizations since the movement gained traction on President Trump’s birthday in June 2025.
New Galaxy S26 update that brings AirDrop expands globally
Samsung has released a new software update for the Galaxy S26 series outside of South Korea. It brings AirDrop to the new phones.
Apache Junction dog groomer’s mobile business destroyed in hit-and-run crash
Surveillance video shows a pickup truck crashing into Purple Pup Salon early Sunday morning, pushing the trailer back and causing extensive damage before the driver took off.
Apple's M5 Pro & M5 Max easily beat the RTX 5090 in PugetBench creator benchmarks
MacBook's are very popular among content creators and the two new SoCs M5 Pro as well as M5 Max manage excellent results in the PugetBench tests for Adobe apps and DaVinci Resolve. They also clearly beat the mobile GeForce RTX 5090.
Pistons’ Duncan Robinson shares personal story while supporting Detroit youth mental health
The Detroit Pistons Foundation, Children’s Foundation of Michigan, Duncan Robinson, and the Robinson Family Foundation made a special announcement in support of SAY Detroit’s LiveWELL Program, which provides school-based youth development programming focused on mental health, wellness, and life skills for Detroit Youth inside the SAY Detroit Play Center at Lipke Park.
Epic Games Laying Off 1,000+ Employees, Swears AI Is Not to Blame
The company behind Fortnite, the Epic Game Store, and the Unreal Engine is also implementing a $500 million cost savings plan.
Gender equality in science: a distant goal; invisible barriers persist
While the number of women in scientific organisations is increasing, the path towards true equality is slowed down by structural barriers and informal processes
Robins School of Business ranks as a Top 20 undergraduate business school
Poets&Quants for Undergrads has named the University of Richmond’s business school a top 20 school for the fifth consecutive year.
Galaxy Z Fold 8 specifications leak again
Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in July 2026, and its specifications have allegedly leaked ahead of the launch event.
Mobile sports betting may soon be legal across Wisconsin
Online sports betting could soon be legal in Wisconsin through a new bill passed by the state legislature, which awaits signature by Gov. Tony Evers. The bill passed with bipartisan support in the state Senate Wednesday, with 12 Democrats and nine Republicans voting in favor, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The bill revises the...
The Family Van brings free health screenings to Boston neighborhoods
With barriers rising in health care access, mobile clinic fills critical gaps
Segment: Financing Action on Extreme Heat and Maternal and Newborn Health: The Way Forward
The segment “Financing Action on Extreme Heat and Maternal and Newborn Health: The Way Forward” will examine how innovative and better-aligned financing approaches can respond to these growing risks. Discussions will highlight country experiences in mobilizing domestic resources, opportunities to unlock and scale climate finance, and the role of heat-smart innovations in building resilient health systems. Particular attention will be given to low- and middle-income countries, where exposure and vulnerability remain highest, and where integrated solutions can deliver the greatest impact.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx Brings Novel Minimally Invasive Vascular Surgery Procedures to the Bronx - NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx today announced it has begun offering two types of minimally invasive surgical procedures that were
Microsoft Exchange Online service change causes email access issues
Microsoft is working to address an ongoing service issue that has intermittently prevented some users from accessing their cloud-based Exchange Online mailboxes via Outlook mobile and Mac desktop clients since Thursday.
University of Richmond Robins School of Business Ranked as Top 20 Undergraduate Business School
The University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business ranked in the top 20 of the annual by Poets&Quants for Undergrads, the leading online publication for undergraduate business education news.
German men's biathlon coaches stay, women's coaches leave after flop
Tobias Reiter und Jens Filbrich have kept their jobs as coaches of Germany's men's biathlon team despite their equivalents in the women's team leaving their roles. The season which finished on Sunday was hugely disappointing for the former biathlon powerhouses, with just one Olympic bronze medal and no World Cup wins.
Galaxy S27 Ultra may not bring major S Pen reforms
It was rumored that the Galaxy S27 Ultra could bring a major S Pen change, but that doesn't seem to be happening.
Science diplomacy, research and global health
Nature Microbiology - As a young scientist from the global south, engaging in science diplomacy has brought greater purpose and meaning to my career, writes Delfina Fernandes Hlashwayo.
Science diplomacy, research and global health
Nature Microbiology - As a young scientist from the global south, engaging in science diplomacy has brought greater purpose and meaning to my career, writes Delfina Fernandes Hlashwayo.
Your Thymus and Your Healthspan
Our thymus gland plays a central role in the development or our immune system, specifically for supporting T cell development (how these cells got their name, maturation and differentiation in the thymus) and discriminating between self and foreign, non-self antigen proteins with production of dendritic cells. As we age, our thymus gland shrinks—the process known as involution—with progressive change from spongy to fatty tissue, with loss of functionality. But this process, with respect to timeline and extent, markedly varies from one person to the next. And to make things even more complicated, our thymus gland anatomy and precise location in the chest also is highly variable. So the famous Frank Netter diagrams from the 1960s (such as at left below) don’t capture the remarkable heterogeneity that a random set of 12 chest CT scans (below at right). What I consider as 2 landmark papers in Nature this week (here and here) used AI to quantify health of the thymus in 2 large cohorts, and then correlate the metric to a broad array of health outcomes. In this edition of Ground Truths, I’m going to cover three questions: (1) How was thymus health determined by AI?; (2) How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? and (3) Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? Subscribe 1. How was thymus health determined by AI? This was accomplished by extensive work developing and validating an AI pipeline for 2 stages, the first for localization and segmentation of the thymus bed, and the second to quantify a digital marker, termed the thymic health score. There’s a lot to this algorithmic development, so I won’t go into all the details, but just provide a rudimentary outline of what was done. The 1st stage used supervised learning with 2 radiologists reviewing 2,461 chest CT scans. That work trained a 3D U-Net model to automatically identify the thymic bed’s 3D cropped region using center of mass coordinates, which reached 99.8% accuracy. The 2nd stage used a foundation model that was pre-trained with SwAV (which stands for Swapping Assignment between multiple Views), a self-supervised model, that generated a high-dimensional thymus representation of 4,096 features. That compares to the radiology reductionist and subjective scoring of 0 to 3 where 0 means the thymus is fully degenerated and fatty, and 3 is considered dense, intact glandular soft tissue. Notably, the self-supervised learning (SSL) performance was superior to supervised (AUC ~0.75 vs 0.55, respectively) reflecting the shallowness of the 0-3 classifier vs SSL’s holistic, self-taught AI. The thymic health score ranged from 0 to 100, with the highest number indexed to fully preserved thymic health. The algorithmic work extended to explainability with both Shapely value distribution, meaning the model was holistic not relying on any “magic” pixel, and occlusion sensitivity, demonstrating the model’s performance was not affected by ribs, sternum, lung tissue, but rather focused on the thymic bed directly. Below are a few saliency maps from the occlusion sensitivity that indicate the thymic bed focus, not affected by neighboring structures, using the jet color scale. Now the AI was ready for processing ~25,000 CT scans, each over 30 MB files, from the 2 large participant cohorts to provide a thymic health score, it did so in less than 14 hours, which is less than 2 seconds per scan! Share 2. How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? The two cohorts were the National Lung Screening Trial, NLST (N=25,031) and the Framingham Heart Study, FHS (N=2,581) each with baseline demographics and long term follow up of >12 years for health outcomes. From the NSLT, you can see below that increased age and body-mass index were correlated to reduced thymic health. And, overall, men had reduced thymic health scores compared with women. There are a lot of graphs in the paper for outcomes, for both the NLST and FHS cohorts. To simplify the major outcomes, below is a composite Figure with striking reduction of all-cause mortality and for the different causes of death. The results were consistent between the 2 cohorts. For example, the cardiovascular mortality hazard ratio average was 0.57 in NLST and 0.38 in FHS (weighted to be 0.53 for the aggregate). The reduction of mortality also extended to digestive diseases and pulmonary disease (data not shown below). Lung cancer incidence was reduced by 36% for high vs low thymic health (Figure below, with a panel -incidence and b panel-mortality, adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking status). Notably, there was a smoker’s paradox: lower incidence and improved survival for lung cancer in smokers who had a high thymus health score. Smoking was associated with lower thymic scores whereas alcohol was not. Higher thymic health was linked to higher HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, lower fasting blood glucose, and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Inflammation biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, were elevated in the people with lower thymic health scores. In their second paper, the same team looked at the relationship between thymic score and outcomes for 3,476 patients receiving cancer immunotherapy. The non-small cell lung cancer progression-free survival was reduced in patients with low thymic health score. A parallel relationship for survival was seen for other types of cancer including melanoma, breast, and kidney with a 44% lower risk among high thymic scores (Figure). A similar pattern was seen with different immune checkpoint inhibitors. The thymus health score outperformed programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1)and tumor mutation burden (TMB) assay of the tumor and was an independent prognostic marker of progression-free survival. In this dataset, a direct connect with thymus score and adaptive immune function was noted with a correlation before cancer treatment for both T-cell diversity and thymus T-cell production (a metric known as T cell receptor excision circles). Thymus Removal Study There is a highly relevant citation about thymus function before moving onto ways to rejuvenate it. In 2023, a very important study of thymus removal during cardiothoracic surgery was published, with 1146 patients undergoing thymus removal vs 1146 matched controls (mean age 55 years). The adverse outcomes for thymus removal were striking, with a 2.9 higher risk of all-cause mortality and doubling of cancer incidence, 1.5 fold increase in cancer mortality, and 1.5-fold increase in autoimmune diseases. The immune function showed marked compromise after thymus removal, as reflected by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (Figure below) Share Ground Truths 3. Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? In recent months we’ve learned a lot about the process of thymus involution and the pathways by which this may be modulated. Thymus involution is primarily due to loss to thymus epithelial cells (TECs) and there are 2 subtypes with different functions: the cortical, responsible for positive selection of T cells, and the medullary, for negative selection. When adipose tissue infiltrates the thymus, thymic adipocytes are pro-inflammatory, knocking out T-cell output. Likewise, systemic inflammation, or “inflammaging,” from smoking, obesity, and chronic stress promote thymic adipocytes. Now, from preclinical studies, we know about key pathways that account for these processes. Historically, back in 2014, FOXN1 was recognized as a single master transcription factor essential for TEC function, with studies in mice with forced FOXN1 upregulation leading to thymus regeneration. That laid the foundation for potential regrowth of quiescent thymus cells. It took awhile to find pathways to accomplish this goal and to even refute its role as the master regulator. The Liver-Thymus Axis Feng Zhang and his team recently showed that injection of an mRNA vaccine to the liver encoding DLL1, IL-7 and FLT3-L in combination, factors known to support thymopoiesis (Figure), successfully enhanced immune function in aged mice. However, the effect was transient. The FGF21 Story Two reports in 2025 addressed the thymus gland’s production of FGF21, a growth factor (fibroblast growth factor 21) and its control of thymus involution. This growth factor is also produced by the liver, but it doesn’t have impact on the thymus in aged rodent models. In contrast, The liver’s hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been shown to reverse senescent TEC structural changes. Growth hormone stimulates production of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the liver and the thymus. Two small studies in human participants (TRIIM, for Thymus Regeneration, Immunorestoration, and Insulin Mitigation) of 6 and 50 people, respectively, treated with combined human growth hormone, metformin and DHEA, suggested the potential of slowing epigenetic aging and improving thymus mass and function. But the combination of drugs, small sample, and lack of controls make conclusions murky. Increased thymus FGF21 led to increased CD8 T cells in old mice and extended healthspan and improved physical performance. Building on the previous FOXN1 data, ablation of β-klotho, the obligatory co-receptor for FOXN1, accelerated thymic aging. The benefit to FGF21 was confirmed in a companion paper using an FGF21 knock-in mouse model showing thymus enlargement and increased TECs throughout the lifespan. (schematic Figure below). The accompanying editorial for these 2 papers speculated: “The proposed link between age-associated thymus involution and organismal aging is intriguing, and suggests we might seek to achieve systemic rejuvenation by counteracting thymic involution.” Other Factors Lessons from the Axolotl (Mexican Salamander) In an elegant set of experiments of the axolotl (Figure), known for its complete thymus regeneration after total surgical removal, mediators were identified. Surprisingly FOXN1 was dispensable. But midkine, a growth factor, appeared to be the driver, the initiator of thymus cell growth, survival, and repair. Other components that contributed were Postn+ (periostin-expressing mesenchymal niches) and Ccl19, a chemokine protein from the bloodstream. RANK and RANKL RANK (receptor activator of nuclear factor κB its ligand (RANKL) have been considered key regulators of medullary TECs. In a study of both aged mice and human thymus cell cultures, their key role was confirmed, with multiple benefits of resorting TEC function, recruitment of progenitor cells, and T cell development. Subscribe Summing Up This body of work strongly supports the health of the thymus gland as a critical regulator of human healthspan, not just a correlate or link. The new landmark studies are reinforced by the regenerative biology experimental models that have shown, via an array of mediators, that healthspan of aged mice is at least in part dependent on thymus gland function and its critical role for maintaining adaptive immunity. It sure seems that we’d be better off having an immune reservoir of naive T cells instead of a profile in older adults of exhausted, low quality, memory T cells, with a senescent phenotype. It is striking that we ignored the importance of the thymus gland for many decades. A wake-up call was the results of the thymectomy matched control study reviewed here, with the opposite of high thymic health score improved health outcomes. The convergence of AI and healthspan here is notable. The exceptional and laborious work for developing and validating (no less explaining) the AI to quantify thymus health set the foundation for probing the connect the major health outcomes in two cohorts with extensive follow-up. We’ve never had a way to meaningfully quantify the thymus gland before, so this represents important leverage of supervised, self-supervised, and transformer models. The study wouldn’t have been possible without AI. And it begs the question as to whether there are ways we can maintain our thymus at a high health score. But it’s not so simple to rejuvenate our thymus. There are multiple risks including the induction of autoimmunity, increasing the risk of cancer, and inducing a pro-inflammatory state. For example, factors that increase TEC proliferation could compromise the medulllary negative selection process and leak out auto-reactive (self-attacking) T cells. Thymic cells could be induced to proliferate, but we know, for example, that growth hormone and IGF-1 are associated with an increase risk of cancer. If thymus rejuvenation doesn’t clear out the accumulated senescent cells in older adults, then inflammation within the gland could block the production of TECs. Keeping these risks in mind, we now have identified many ways to keep our thymus healthy as we age that undoubtedly will be tested in clinical trials going forward. Ultimately, the benefit-to-risk tradeoffs will be defined. In the meantime, we have desperately needed an immunome. As I’ve stressed in multiple prior Ground Truths, we have no test in the clinic to assess a patient’s immune status! It was very encouraging for me to get an email from Hugo Aerts, the senior author of the landmark papers in the days after they were published: “I also wanted to say that your Substack on “Why We Need an Immunome” was inspiring for this work. We found it a very compelling perspective and greatly enjoyed reading it.” Just having an assessment of a person’s immune status via a chest CT scan, with millions of these performed per year, might help in guiding the right immunotherapy for cancer (e.g. more intensive, combinations for those with low thymic health scores) and help define people who are increased risk for age-related diseases of cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative. The main theme of Super Agers is that we now have many layers of data (genetics, proteins, biomarkers, organ clocks that can be integrated via multimodal AI) for us to define a person’s specific risk decades before one of these age-related diseases leads to symptoms, enabling prevention. From the new studies this week, we can add thymus health score as yet another way to understand a person’s risk, a window into their adaptive immune system and healthspan. And perhaps someday we will be able to safely rejuvenate the thymus, or maintain its health through one’s life, and use the thymus health score to monitor. NB: I wrote this post (No A.I.) A Quick Poll Loading... ********************************************************************* Thanks to Ground Truths subscribers (now > 200,000) from every US state and 212 countries. Your subscription to these free essays and podcasts makes my work in putting them together worthwhile. Please join! If you found this interesting PLEASE share it! Share Ground Truths Paid subscriptions are voluntary and all proceeds from them go to support Scripps Research. They do allow for posting comments and questions, which I do my best to respond to. Please don’t hesitate to post comments and give me feedback. Let me know topics that you would like to see covered. Leave a comment Many thanks to those who have contributed—they have greatly helped fund our summer internship programs for the past two years. It enabled us to accept and support 47 summer interns in 2025! We aim to accept even more of the several thousand who will apply for summer 2026.
Natrona County health and food inspections (3/13/26–3/19/26)
CASPER, Wyo. — The Casper-Natrona County Health Department inspects restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, mobile food units, commissaries and
Tantalizing Tech: The Goodies at Cyclingworld Europe 2026
Turbulence at Eurobike has led to a big boost for Cyclingworld. Here's some of the latest dream tech from the show.
Column: Republicans fearing a midterm rout revive Islamophobia as political strategy
The latest twist on replacement theory is the idea that white Americans are in need of saving from dark-skinned "others."
Umberto Bossi, the League's populist founder and a pivotal figure in Italian politics, dies at 84
ROME — Umberto Bossi, the founder of Italy’s populist Northern League and one of the most influential — and polarizing — figures...
Former FBI chief, Robert Mueller, dead at 81
Robert Mueller oversaw the probe into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 United States election.
ChatGPT Took a Science Exam Designed by College Professors and Scored a Low D, and That Should Worry You
Confident. Clear. But a new study suggests ChatGPT's polished tone might be masking something far more troubling about how it actually reasons.
Laid Off in Midlife, China’s Reform Generation Braces for Downward Mobility
The future once seemed boundless for those who grew up during China’s reform era. Now in middle age, they are pinned between economic stagnation and institutional age discrimination.
Michigan's mobile businesses bring convenience to your door
Mobile salons, saunas and gaming trucks are booming in Michigan as entrepreneurs meet rising demand for doorstep convenience and flexible service.
Open-world adventure game CookieRun: New World announced for console, PC, and mobile
Devsisters has announced CookieRun: New World, an open-world adventure game based on the CookieRun mobile game franchise with over 300 million players and more than $1 billion in lifetime revenue. …
Scientists turn probiotic bacteria into tumor-hunting cancer killers
Scientists have engineered probiotic bacteria to act as tumor-seeking drug factories. In mice, these bacteria infiltrated tumors and produced a cancer-fighting drug right where it was needed. This targeted approach could make treatments more effective and reduce side effects. More research is needed before it can be tested in people.
There Aren't a Lot of Reasons to Get Excited About a New Amazon Smartphone
The company is reportedly building a new AI-powered mobile device. If Amazon follows through on the plan, experts warn it would be next to impossible to break into a crowded market.
Mark Robinson admits ‘I lied’ about CNN story
Former North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson admitted he lied about a bombshell CNN KFile investigation during the final months of his 2024 gubernatorial campaign, uncovering his extensive history of posting inflammatory and racist comments on a pornography website.
How accurate is the science in Project Hail Mary?
This science-fiction movie plays with quantum physics, space travel, astrobiology and mass-to-energy conversion
Galaxy S26 Ultra Enterprise Edition is here with advanced security features
Samsung has announced the launch of the Galaxy S26 Ultra Enterprise Edition in the UK. It comes with improved privacy and security features.
Towards responsible AI for mental health and well-being: experts chart a way forward
On 29 January 2026, WHO‑supported experts met at a TU Delft workshop to address the rapid, largely untested use of generative AI for mental health support. Participants warned of risks to well‑being, especially for young people, and called for stronger governance.
Corporations flee to red states for better business climate
FOX Business contributor Lou Basenese explains the ongoing "blue state exodus," where companies like Yamaha and ExxonMobil are leaving Democrat-led states.
Samsung is bringing AirDrop to Galaxy phones soon
Starting with the Galaxy S26, AirDrop compatibility is coming to Samsung phones, rolling out through software updates. Samsung’s mobile boss Choi Won-joon just confirmed it publicly at a press briefing in Japan. AirDrop has always been the ecosystem glue that people actually feel. People stick with iPhones because their friends all tap a button for […]
‘It’s time to be honest’: Mark Robinson to discuss political defeat, allegations in new interview
In an episode of a new podcast called After The Call, former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is expected to focus on ‘setting the record straight on the controversies that surrounded his campaign.’
Mobile sports betting dies again in Mississippi Senate
It is the second time this session that a mobile sports betting bill from the House has died in the Senate.
Will mobile sports betting ever become legal in Mississippi?
Another legislative session is set to close without legal mobile sports betting for Mississippi. See why a Jackson senator blocked bills this year.
High School Students Present Ideas to St. John’s Experts in Tobin Business Plan Competition
Area high school students brought their business visions to St.
Cone Health to Cut Ribbon on Two New Mobile Health Units
Two New Mobile Units Launch To Meet The Needs of the Community
Samsung’s 65W Trio adapter can’t charge your Galaxy S26 Ultra at 60W
The 65W Trio adapter from Samsung can't charge the Galaxy S26 Ultra at 60W, and there's a reason behind this limitation.
Republicans are ramping up attacks on Muslims
Past GOP leaders, including George W. Bush, spoke out against Islamophobia. Now it is going unchallenged.
Galaxy S26 Ultra 25W wireless fast charging won’t work unless you do this
Samsung has clarified that the Galaxy S26 Ultra 25W wireless charging only works if a 45W charger is used with the charging pad.
Samsung may open One UI 8.5 beta program for Galaxy S24 series
Firmware for the Galaxy S24 series featuring One UI 8.5 (Android 16 QPR2) has been spotted on Samsung's server.
Galaxy S25 series starts getting a new software update
Samsung has started rolling out the March 2026 security update to the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Exclusive: $599 MacBook Neo easily beats $1,119 Dell laptop on Windows 11 benchmarks - yes, macOS may well be the best platform ever for Microsoft's OS
Despite running a mobile CPU and Windows in a virtual machine, the MacBook laptop excelled in single-core CPU performance
Shinobi: Art Of Vengeance 'SEGA Villains Stage' DLC Arrives Next Month
Three familiar faces join the fight
SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance DLC ‘SEGA Villains Stage’ launches April 3 alongside free update
SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance downloadable content “SEGA Villains Stage” will launch on April 3 for $9.99 alongside a free update, publisher SEGA and developer Lizardcube announced.
Samsung Is Now Allowing Users In A Key Market To Use The Galaxy S26 Series For A Year By Paying Just 50 Percent Of The Price
Samsung Mobile is throwing everything, including the proverbial kitchen sink, to keep the sales cadence for the Galaxy S26 series elevated.
TE Connectivity Acquires EV Charging Inlet Business From Phoenix Contact
TE Connectivity acquired a major portion of Phoenix Contact E-Mobility business, which manufactures charging inlets for electric vehicles.
Apple Cracks Down on ‘Vibe Coding’ Apps
Apple has quietly prevented AI vibe coding apps such as Replit and Vibecode, which help people create games and other applications, from releasing updates to their mobile apps on the App Store unless they make modifications, according to several people with knowledge of the situation. The ...
Ali Larijani, a Top Iranian Politician and Emissary, Is Dead at 67
Mr. Larijani, the top national security official and a confidante of the former supreme leader, expertly navigated Iran’s internal politics and led the brutal crackdown on protests this year.
National Academies of Science Space Science Week 2026
Space Science Week at the National Academies of Science
Samsung stops selling $2,899 TriFold phone after just three months
Samsung Electronics Co. is winding down sales of its Galaxy Z TriFold smartphone after roughly three months on the market, suggesting the $2,899 device was always intended as more of a technological showcase than a cornerstone of the company’s mobile lineup.
Contributor: War abroad, injustices at home and a theme running through it all
For a template to connect the public’s wariness about war with concerns about affordability and xenophobic immigration policies, look to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Samsung to Stop Selling $2,899 TriFold Phone After Three Months
Samsung Electronics Co. is winding down sales of its Galaxy Z TriFold smartphone after roughly three months on the market, suggesting the $2,899 device was always intended as more of a technological showcase than a cornerstone of the company’s mobile lineup.
Jasmine Crockett confirms member of her security team killed by Dallas police
She said the man, Diamon Robinson, had gone by a different name during his employment. Police said he had "multiple felony warrants" and a parole violation warrant.
Intel launches Core Ultra 200HX Plus Arrow Lake Refresh mobile CPUs: 290HX Plus is 8% faster than 285HX
Intel announces Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus and Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus for gaming laptops Intel has announced its new Core Ultra 200HX Plus series for
Insider’s view: how China mobilises resources nationwide to develop new weapons
The country’s military modernisation integrates civilian scientific and industrial capabilities into defence innovation allowing rapid development.
An early test for Democrats' anti-ICE messaging: From the Politics Desk
Plus, Democrats' shifting views on Israel.
Super powerful Dell Pro Precision 7 14 and Pro Precision 7 16 workstation laptops are now official
The Dell Pro Precision 7 14 and Pro Precision 7 16 workstation laptops are now official with the latest Intel Panther Lake APUs and powerful Nvidia RTX Pro graphics. Both mobile workstations feature clean designs with Dell's new modern keyboards and Thunderbolt 4/5 ports.
Samsung Galaxy Forever lets you use Galaxy S26 for a year at half the price
Samsung has introduced the Galaxy Forever program for the Galaxy S26 series in India. It makes buying these phones easier.
Missouri sports betting market officially launched: $5,000 in sportsbook sign-up bonuses, promos for March
Missourians can now place sports bets with mobile sportsbooks and get Missouri sports betting offers for the Missouri betting launch
Exclusive: New Galaxy Tab S12+ leak uncovers battery capacity
Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy Tab S12 series early next year, and the battery capacity of the Galaxy Tab S12+ has been leaked.
Looks like Samsung doesn’t want to sell the Galaxy Z TriFold anymore
Samsung is reportedly going to stop selling the Galaxy Z TriFold, at least in its home market of South Korea.
Spotify's mobile app may soon get a feature fans have wanted for 15 years
Playlist management is about to become a lot more convenient on Spotify's mobile app.
Breaking: First One UI 9 build is here for the Galaxy S26 Ultra
Samsung has started the development of the Android 17-based One UI 9 update for the Galaxy S26 Ultra. It has appeared on Samsung's servers.
Despite record Galaxy S26 pre-orders, Samsung's mobile unit is literally in emergency mode
Samsung is seeing record Galaxy S26 series pre-orders, but the mobile unit is entering 'emergency management' due to financial concerns.
Galaxy Z Fold 8’s widescreen version reportedly has a bigger battery
Samsung is expected to launch a variant of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 with a wider screen aspect ratio, and its battery capacity has been revealed.