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Ottawa County Health Dept. issues new 'no body contact advisory' following sewage discharge
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'Harry Potter' star details racist 'abuse' he suffered after joining upcoming TV show
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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.
'Everybody Loses' author discusses the meteoric rise of sports gambling
Two years ago, Americans bet $120 billion on sports, a 27% increase from the previous year. That figure grew to $150 billion in 2024. Journalist Danny Funt investigates what's considered one of the most consequential — and least scrutinized — shifts in modern American sports in his new book, "Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling."
Scientists Recruit Undergrad to Step Into Room Filled With Ravenous Mosquitoes for “Full-Body Massacre”
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‘We don’t need anybody to take Cuba:’ President of Movimiento Democracia reacts to President Trump’s comments on taking Cuba
Heavy smoke rises from commercial building in Providence
A fire broke out inside of a business in Providence Friday night.
Downtown Chico business owner voices concerns over street closures for events
A DOWNTOWN CHICO MERCHANT IS EXPRESSING CONCERN OVER THE IMPACT OF STREET CLOSURES FOR EVENTS -- ON THEIR BUSINESS. ACTION NEWS NOW REPORTER BELLA BARBOSA REPORTS FROM DOWNTOWN CHICO { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "VideoObject", "name": "Downtown Road Closure Dilemma", "description": "A DOWNTOWN CHICO MERCHANT IS EXPRESSING CONCERN OVER THE IMPACT OF STREET CLOSURES FOR EVENTS -- ON THEIR BUSINESS. ACTION NEWS NOW REPORTER BELLA BARBOSA REPORTS FROM DOWNTOWN CHICO", "thumbnailUrl": "https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/actionnewsnow.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/47/c47e26d6-03c3-5f35-bf49-37925ab603d7/69bdedc4eb57d.image.jpg", "uploadDate": "2026-03-20T17:45:00-07:00", "contentUrl": "https://cdn.field59.com/KHSL/1774053903-6e1ef36dd09fbebf020833aee86b60da3b3cca3f_fl9-720p.mp4" } CHICO, Calif. - A downtown Chico business owner is voicing concerns about the impact of street closures for events on local shops. Leann Powell, owner of The Peddler’s Closet, expressed concern about events closing down streets downtown and bringing in food trucks and other shops’ products that directly compete with the brick-and-mortar stores in downtown Chico.Powell said an upcoming event held on a Saturday has brought up concerns for her and other business owners downtown, due to it being a busy day for businesses. "We're already struggling, and then to bring in more businesses on top of our businesses and shut our streets down is absolutely devastating," said Powell.Powell noted a decline in business during events like the Thursday Night Market, where street closures allow outside vendors to set up shop. She shared that while organizers for these types of events often offer booths to local businesses, it does not alleviate the burden."I don't really feel like that's a solution because you're bringing in other businesses, you're shutting the streets down. Yes, we can go down and set up a space, but then you've gotta pay somebody to run that space, plus run your own business for the day, and it's really not, it's really not helpful for us," said Powell.Applying for a street closure permit in Chico involves approval from the Public Works Department, the Chief of Police, and the Fire Chief. Permits can be denied only under a handful of circumstances, such as interference with first responders, previously scheduled construction, or existing permits for the same space.Mayor Kasey Reynolds addressed the issue, saying the city council has tasked staff with reviewing the municipal code for street closure permits with the goal of finding ways to minimize negative impacts on local businesses during events.Reynolds mentioned that any recommended changes might require further direction from the city council, depending on the extent of any changes recommended. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1514992'); });
Scientists Don’t Know Exactly What a Shark Is
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Men are losing a key chromosome with age and it may be deadly
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Ayo Dosunmu bringing 'genuine energy' as Wolves take on Blazers
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MLB reaches agreements with Polymarket, federal commission
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The Future of Climate Science Without the US
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‘Nobody trusts him’: Rep. Goldman claims Stephen Miller runs DHS and questions if Markwayne Mullin will stand up to him
100 Years of Documentary, Funding Cuts, Politics in CPH:DOX Focus
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9 Fruits To Reduce Inflammation In The Body
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Science is finally confirming the most mysterious symptoms of endometriosis
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Do Diet Trends Improve Health? A Clinical Take
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Argentina officially withdraws from World Health Organization, following US
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Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS May Be Far More Ancient Than We Thought
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Manatt Recruits Nixon Peabody Entertainment Group Chief Heisler
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Charles Payne: Everybody is talking about business moats
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Grapefruit vs. Grapefruit Juice: Which is Better for Immunity and Fiber?
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Hay fever: The new wave of effective cures for seasonal allergies
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How to recover after a workout
It's normal to feel some pain or soreness after a workout. But how much is too much, and more importantly, how do you get relief? This episode, build out your post-workout recovery routine. A sports medicine doctor, nutritionist and professional athlete break down everything you can do from the moment your last workout finishes to right before your next one begins – to feel better in your body, minimize your injury risk and get the most out of that gym session. This episode was originally published on Jan. 30, 2025Follow us on Instagram: @nprlifekitSign up for our newsletter here.Have an episode idea or feedback you want to share? Email us at lifekit@npr.orgSupport the show and listen to it sponsor-free by signing up for Life Kit+ at plus.npr.org/lifekit
Panthers $120 million signing named among riskiest offseason moves
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Top Chinese nuclear, radar and missile experts vanish from engineering body site
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How crunches give your body so much more than strong abs
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Scientists revive activity in frozen mouse brains for the first time
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Emotional Abuse in College Sports
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Kansas star Darryn Peterson recounts 'traumatic' experience with full-body cramps early in the season
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MacBook Neo Teardown: Modular Ports, Glue-Less Battery, Zero Tape
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Transcript, videos: Louisville talks after topping SMU
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How pollutants interact inside the body to impact health | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Peng Gao studies the “exposome”—the measure of an individual’s total environmental exposures over the course of their life and how those exposures impact biology and health.
Mental health solutions for the digital age
Ask the digital natives of Gen Z about the source of their biggest mental health challenges, and most will say social media and AI.Several of the nearly 400 guests at the third annual Gen Z Wellness Summit, presented by the Friends of Semel Teen Advisory Council at UCLA on March 8, explicitly named the endless stream of content on their phones as serious stressors. “Everybody is addicted to (Tik Tok) as if they were addicted to substances,” said Jantin Asmar, 17, a senior at Virtual Academy in Antelope Valley. “We’re always chasing that dopamine. We’re expecting that dopamine rush and it’s really decaying our interactions with others.” High school student Jantin Asmar was among nearly 400 people who attended the third annual Gen Z Wellness Summit. (Photo by Sandy Cohen) Even young teens feel pressure to be on social media constantly, both to consume content and collect “likes,” said 13-year-olds Chloe and Sophia, both students at Brentwood School. “Everyone’s always on, and you miss stuff if you’re not on it,” Chloe said, adding that social media’s emphasis on appearances is leading to eating disorders: “That’s a big thing for our generation.”The incessant influx of images and updates creates expectations that “weigh teenagers down,” said Linda Kou, 16, a junior at San Gabriel High School.Even though digital spaces allow people to connect with others beyond their immediate surroundings, it doesn’t always translate to real-life community, said Kelah Morgan, 17, a senior at Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School. High school students Kelah Morgan, left, and Linda Kou, shared about the challenges presented by social media. (Photo by Sandy Cohen) “Even if you see people saying that they relate to you online, it might be hard to find people in your personal life who you see every day who you feel comfortable enough to say, ‘You see me online, but this is me in real life and what I’m actually going through,’” she said.Solutions for our digital timesThe Gen Z Wellness Summit was intentionally designed as a free, in-person gathering where young people interested in mental health from across the southland could meet in person. “Peer support is the most important element of maintaining our mental health in community,” said Helena Hansen, MD, PhD, director of UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.Keynote speakers at the summit addressed AI, social connection and self-empowerment, while breakout sessions included discussions about eating disorders, dating, substance use, phone detox and breathwork. Here are some of the day’s top takeaways:Beware of FOPO: Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, a psychology professor at Columbia University, said that rather than FOMO, or fear of missing out, we ought to be more aware of FOPO: fear of people’s opinions. “Just think about how much your FOPO might be holding you back in your life,” Dr. Kaufman said. “And just that inner contemplation should be enough for you to change your life, because there’s so many things we don’t go after because we have debilitating FOPO.”We don’t need to feel like we’re the best – or what he called “narcissistic self-esteem” – but it’s helpful to acknowledge our own worth, recognize our good qualities and develop self-belief in the skills and talents we’ve cultivated. When we have that – dignity and self-respect, without needing everyone to like us – FOPO is less of a concern.Self-reflection is most effective in community: “When we try to self-reflect alone, we sometimes ruminate,” said Ira Bedzow, PhD, executive director of the Emory University Purpose Project. “But when we self-reflect with people that we trust … (it) allows us to hold ourselves accountable to different ways of seeing and different ways of hearing and different ways of being.”Opening up about our experiences and listening to others are skills we can develop, Dr. Bedzow said.He invited students to participate in what he called a “fishbowl exercise,” where four students sat in a small circle, surrounded by a dozen or so students forming a larger circle. Those in the inner circle answered such questions as: “What stops you from being you today?” and “What helps you feel most like you?”Within minutes, the group in the small circle (the fishbowl), were sharing intimately about their life challenges as those in the outer circle nodded in understanding.After the exercise, one participant said, “I felt like I wasn’t alone, that it wasn’t just me who feels that way.”Another remarked on how “personal” it felt to share face-to-face with others, even strangers.Don’t let AI crush your creativity: Theoretical neuroscientist Vivienne Ming, PhD, has been studying artificial intelligence for more than 20 years. And while she said “it’s reasonable to be concerned” about the fast-growing technology, it can also help humans become better problem-solvers when used strategically.“The smartest thing on the planet today are humans and machines working together creatively,” Dr. Ming said. “What gets more valuable in humans as machines get smarter? Our ability to explore the unknown.“Your unique voice is literally your value to the world … but most of us for most of our lives have been taught to not be unique,” she continued. “Be your own person. Celebrate being different. It is genuinely, measurably, truly valuable.”In a breakout session called “Phone Detox? IYKYK: Living Your Story IRL” led by Don Grant, PhD, students shared their frustrations with AI compromising academic work, art and creativity.“Art is a translation of human experience,” one participant said. “When people use AI, they diminish their own human experience.”Dr. Grant urged them, as “the last generation to remember a world before AI,” to remember the power of imagination and creativity – and to act on it.Remember that social media distorts perceptions: Stuart B. Murray, PhD, PsyD, who directs the Eating Disorders Program and Translational Research in Eating Disorders Program at UCLA, asked the students in his breakout session to take a spontaneous selfie and edit it to conform with society’s beauty standards. All 20 girls in the room immediately got to work, thickening their hair, slimming their faces, plumping their lips.“The pressure to look like what we present on social media can be crippling,” Dr. Murray said. “We now know that social media use is part of a causal pathway into an eating disorder.”Adolescents and young adults are most at risk of developing an eating disorder, he said, with one in three students on college campuses exhibiting clinically meaningful eating-disorder symptoms. More than 4 million people in California will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.Even for those who don’t develop anorexia or bulimia, the ubiquity of modified images online distorts what we consider normal, making us feel worse about ourselves. Remembering that, he and other speakers said, might inspire us to log off occasionally and spend time in the real world with people who love us as we are.
Introducing Hims & Hers Benefits, Unlocking Health & Wellness Discounts for Subscribers
The program debuts with Prenuvo and Eight Sleep, providing discounts on advanced diagnostics and sleep technology Hims Hers Health, Inc. (NYSE: HIMS), the leading health and wellness platform, today announced Hims Hers Benefits, a new way for subscribers to access the best innovations in whole body health. This new initiative provides active subscribers access to discounts from health partners, all in one place, including whole body MRI scans from Prenuvo and adaptive bed systems from Eight Sleep. This is just the beginning of a larger benefits program that will make comprehensive, holistic care more accessible and affordable for subscribers. “True health doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s the result of the data you gather, the insights you can access, and the daily choices you make,” said Dheerja Kaur, Chief Product Officer at Hims Hers. “By leveraging our scale, we’re bringing health and wellness innovations like Prenuvo’s whole body MRI scans and Eight Sleep’s
Fitness Meets Franchise: The Business Model Behind Iron Bodyfit’s 25-Minute Workout
Today, Iron Bodyfit’s black-and-red studios are not just places to train but also an emerging opportunity for small business ownership in a competitive market.
Multivitamins may slow biological aging in older adults, study finds
The research focused on biological aging, which reflects wear and tear on the body at the cellular level.
Scientists found a surprising way to make exercise work better
Exercise normally boosts the body’s ability to use oxygen, a key marker of health and longevity — but high blood sugar can block that benefit. Researchers found that a ketogenic diet helped mice normalize blood sugar and dramatically improved how their muscles responded to exercise. Their muscles became better at using oxygen and built more endurance fibers. The results suggest diet and exercise may work together in surprising ways to improve metabolic health.
What intermittent fasting really does for your body and brain
Fasting has been shown to reduce blood pressure, improve cognition, and even reverse chronic disease. But experts say the benefits may not apply to everyone.
'LOTR' star Elijah Wood doesn't want anybody else to play Frodo as long as he's 'alive and able'
Elijah Wood won't confirm whether or not he will appear in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,' but he has made it clear that he won't let go of his beloved hobbit without a fight: 'I certainly wouldn’t want anybody else to play Frodo.'
A Classroom takes flight with Zion Williamson–inspired science lessons
A NYC high school class uses NBA star Zion Williamson’s injuries, body data and career path to explore nutrition, psychology and kinesiology.
Does wearing a hat make you bald? Here are the root causes
Patchy, bare scalps may be more about what's in your body than on top of your head.
Scientists say this simple diet change could transform your gut health
A growing trend called “fibermaxxing” is putting dietary fiber in the spotlight—and for good reason. Fiber plays a powerful role in keeping the body healthy, from supporting digestion and feeding beneficial gut microbes to helping regulate blood sugar and cholesterol. Researchers say getting enough fiber may even lower the risk of conditions like obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers.
Scientists say this simple diet change could transform your gut health
A growing trend called “fibermaxxing” is putting dietary fiber in the spotlight—and for good reason. Fiber plays a powerful role in keeping the body healthy, from supporting digestion and feeding beneficial gut microbes to helping regulate blood sugar and cholesterol. Researchers say getting enough fiber may even lower the risk of conditions like obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers.
Why lentils are one of the healthiest foods you can eat
Many don’t understand what lentils are or how they benefit the body.
Raven-Symoné collapses in hysterics after learning lyrics she's being quizzed on are from her own song
Raven-Symoné collapsed in hysterics after learning that the lyrics she was being quizzed on in a game on her podcast were from her own song: 'This is definitely somebody white.'
A Pilates teacher thought she had the flu. Doctors found an aggressive disease: "An out-of-body experience"
Debi Weiss thought her fatigue and weakness was a seasonal illness, but her condition quickly worsened.
The actual reasons why chocolate makes you feel good
Chocolate’s enduring appeal lies in how it interacts with the brain and body
Scientists create cartilage scaffold that helps the body regrow bone
Researchers in Sweden have engineered a cell-free cartilage scaffold that can guide the body to rebuild damaged bone. By removing the cells but preserving the structure and natural growth signals, the material acts as a blueprint for the body’s own repair process. In animal studies, it helped regenerate bone without triggering strong immune reactions. The team now plans to scale up production and begin testing the approach in humans.
California whiz kid’s science experiment draws FBI probe: ‘Surprising situation’
“This is definitely a surprising situation,” he said. “I don’t think anybody expects to have the federal authorities knock on their door.”
From 1984: Indira Gandhi, Born to Politics, Left Her Own Imprint on India
The dominant figure in Indian politics for nearly two decades, she was elected prime minister four times before being assassinated by her bodyguards.
Body language in sports isn’t mystical. It can win or lose the next play
This isn't a character flaw; it's human wiring. The question is: What we can learn to do about it?
Everybody's Business: The Hidden Crisis Behind the Iran Conflict
Listen Everybody's Business Podcast
'Everybody down!': BWC shows Austin officers stop mass shooting suspect in under a minute
Austin officers arrived within 56 seconds of the first 911 call, shooting and killing the suspect after he fired at police, Chief Lisa Davis said
Schefter: Rashid Shaheed not close to new deal with Seahawks
Everybody wants to go test the market, it seems.
Your Cells Can ‘Remember’—Meaning Your Entire Body Could Be Conscious, Some Researchers Suggest
A recent study suggests that memories aren’t just stored in the brain, raising important questions about cognition.
Popular fruits and vegetables linked to higher pesticide levels
A sweeping new study reveals that what’s on your plate may directly shape the pesticides circulating in your body. Researchers found that people who eat more fruits and vegetables known to carry higher pesticide residues—such as strawberries, spinach, and bell peppers—also have significantly higher levels of those chemicals in their urine. While produce remains a cornerstone of a healthy diet, the findings highlight how everyday food choices can drive real-world exposure to substances linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and developmental harm.
Crypto billionaire pardoned by Trump gives £20m to science
The London Institute for Mathematical Sciences has secured funding from the British entrepreneur Ben Delo — a major gift for a non-Oxbridge body
The Voice in Your Head Can Alter Your State of Consciousness—And Trick You Into Thinking You’re Awake, Scientists Say
Your mind is warning your body that something isn’t right, experts say, but you have the power to fight back.
Metformin treated diabetes for 60 years. Now scientists find it works in the brain too - Futura-Sciences
Doctors have prescribed metformin for type 2 diabetes since the 1950s. It works: reliably, cheaply, and with a safety record few drugs can match. What nobody fully understood, until now, was how. A study published in Science Advances on July 30, 2025, by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and...
Hospitals add body cameras in Kansas City health system deployment
Deal equips 68 FirstVu Pro cameras and 9 docks at a Kansas City health system within a 24-hospital, $12B network, opening a three-year cloud subscription.
As bombs fly do sports matter? For World Cup Iran, U.S. have to decide
Iran’s national men’s team has qualified for soccer’s World Cup, and in three months should be playing in one of the countries bombing theirs now. Nobody knows what comes next.
Painless skin patch offers new way to monitor immune health
Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), have developed the first bandage-like microneedle patch that can sample the body's immune ...
Add This 1 Ingredient to Meals to Absorb More Nutrients, Dietitian Says
In TODAY.com's Expert Tip of the Day, a dietitian shares an easy strategy using pantry staples to help your body absorb more vitamins from foods.
Can magnesium supplements improve sleep, energy and concentration?
Magnesium has been called the “super mineral of the moment”, hailed for its supposed benefits for the brain and body. But columnist Alice Klein finds that the evidence is lacking for many of these claims
Opinion | The State of Our Union’s Political Dysfunction
We are fighting for the soul of the country, and nobody is going to be the first to stop shouting.
Maserati Once Built A Six-Valve-Per-Cylinder Engine (And Quickly Learned Why Nobody Else Did)
Although the six-valve V6 claimed a big improvement in economy, the engine was incredibly expensive to develop and the project was shelved.
How the body really ages: 7 million cells mapped across 21 organs
Scientists have built a massive cellular atlas showing how aging reshapes the body across 21 organs. Studying nearly 7 million cells, they found that aging starts earlier than expected and unfolds in a coordinated way throughout the body. About a quarter of cell types change in number over time, and many of these shifts differ between males and females. The research also highlights shared genetic “hotspots” that could become targets for anti-aging therapies.
How much vitamin D3 should you take every day?
Here’s what vitamin D3 is and why your body needs it.
From a Conversation to an Economic Boom
In the Fall of 2018 Greenville native and writer, Julia Reed, called me from New Orleans. She had run into the producers of the hit Netflix food and travel show “Somebody Feed Phil”. They were interested in shooting an episode in the Delta and she was helping them location scout. In 2019 they did come […]
Scientists discover diet that tricks the body into burning fat without exercise
Researchers found that cutting two amino acids common in animal protein—methionine and cysteine—made mice burn significantly more energy. The boost in heat production was nearly as powerful as constant exposure to cold temperatures. The mice didn’t eat less or exercise more; they simply generated more heat in their beige fat. The discovery hints that diet alone might activate the body’s calorie-burning machinery.
Why Are So Many Democrats Running for California Governor?
With California’s political machine on the wane, nobody has emerged as a clear front-runner. Democrats worry that nine of their candidates could split the vote and hand Republicans a win.
The more you fear aging, the faster your body may age
Worrying about getting older—especially fearing future health problems—may actually speed up aging at the cellular level, according to new research from NYU. In a study of more than 700 women, those who felt more anxious about aging showed signs of faster biological aging in their blood, measured using cutting-edge “epigenetic clocks.” Fears about declining health had the strongest link, while concerns about beauty or fertility didn’t appear to have the same biological impact.
Game On: Club and Intramural Sports Fuel Community at Taylor University
Club and intramural sports at Taylor University engage nearly half the student body while building community and fostering connection.
argenx Reports Full Year 2025 Financial Results and Provides Fourth Quarter Business Update
$1.3 billion in fourth quarter and $4.2 billion in full year global product net sales, representing 90% year‑over‑year growth Delivered $1.1 billion in operating income in 2025, marking first year of operating profitability VYVGART MG label expansion supported by positive ADAPT SERON and OCULUS results; PDUFA target action date of May 10, 2026 for anti‑AChR antibody‑negative (“seronegative”) gMG Management to host conference call today at 2:30 PM CET (8:30 AM ET) February 26, 2026 7:00 AM CET Am
‘Open for business’ or ‘body count?’ Bill would curb environmental, health protections
Kentucky regulators could not issue regulations to protect health and the environment until people are being harmed under a bill that moved from committee.
Compromises for affordability ahead: Code leak spills details on new MacBook
Nobody claimed it was going to be equivalent to a MacBook Pro or even a MacBook Air. A code leak details the budget MacBook having an A18 Pro chip, limits on charging, no True Tone, and more.
32 Products That Will Probably Confuse Regular People But Delight The Weirdos
Only a certain kind of human is going to understand the necessity of this Froot Loops–inspired body oil and judgmental light-up frog, and that's more than okay.
Delroy Lindo calls out BAFTA response to N-word controversy at awards show
Delroy Lindo said he was disappointed that nobody from BAFTA spoke to him or Michael B. Jordan after a racial slur was yelled while the 'Sinnners' stars were on stage at Sunday's ceremony.
Noah Donohoe: Mental health considered in investigation
The body of the Belfast schoolboy was found in a water tunnel almost a week after he went missing in June 2020.
Which full-body MRI scan should I get? Compare major companies like Preunvo.
Full-body MRIs are all the rage. We take a look at three major companies offering such testing.
How To Find Meaning In A World That's Moving Too Fast
It's simpler than you think.
Hornets aim for return to winning ways vs. Wizards
The Charlotte Hornets have stumbled out of the All-Star break with consecutive losses, but nobody seems close to pushing the panic button.
How your body knows when to stop scratching
Understanding how this signal works could lead to better treatments for chronic itch.
Scientists discover why high altitude protects against diabetes
Living at high altitude appears to protect against diabetes, and scientists have finally discovered the reason. When oxygen levels drop, red blood cells switch into a new metabolic mode and absorb large amounts of glucose from the blood. This helps the body cope with thin air while also reducing blood sugar levels. A drug that recreates this effect reversed diabetes in mice, hinting at a powerful new treatment strategy.
Colorado GOP officers set competing meetings to hold ‘no-confidence’ votes on state chair Brita Horn
Once again, members of the Colorado Republican Party’s central committee have scheduled separate, competing meetings to consider whether the state GOP’s governing body supports its chair, but this time neither meeting will be held under a bridge. State GOP Chair Brita Horn on Feb. 14 issued a formal call for an online meeting on March […]
Autism Rates Appear To Be Even Across Sexes. Diagnosis Is Not | Science Friday
There’s a long-held idea that autism is more prevalent in boys than girls—the CDC says it’s three times as common. But a growing body of research suggests the reality is more complica...