Science Daily

1. Dark stars could solve three major mysteries of the early universe

   JWST has revealed a strange early universe filled with ultra-bright “blue monster” galaxies, mysterious “little red dots,” and black holes that seem far too massive for their age. A new study proposes that dark stars—hypothetical stars powered by dark matter—could tie all these surprises together. These exotic objects may have grown huge very quickly, lighting up the early cosmos and planting the seeds of supermassive black holes.

2. Low-Earth orbit is just 2.8 days from disaster

   Low-Earth orbit is more crowded—and fragile—than it looks. Satellites constantly weave past each other, burning fuel and making dozens of evasive maneuvers every year just to stay safe. A major solar storm could disable navigation and communications, turning that careful dance into chaos. According to new calculations, it may take just days—not decades—for a catastrophic chain reaction to begin, potentially choking off humanity’s access to space for generations.

3. The hidden reason cancer immunotherapy often fails

   Cancer immunotherapy has been a game-changer, but many tumors still find ways to slip past the immune system. New research reveals a hidden trick: cancer cells can package the immune-blocking protein PD-L1 into tiny particles that circulate through the body and weaken immunotherapy’s impact. Scientists in Japan discovered that a little-known protein, UBL3, controls this process—and surprisingly, common cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins can shut it down.

4. Why long COVID brain fog seems so much worse in the U.S.

   A massive international study of more than 3,100 long COVID patients uncovered a striking divide in how brain-related symptoms are reported around the world. In the U.S., the vast majority of non-hospitalized patients described brain fog, depression, and anxiety, while far fewer patients in countries like India and Nigeria reported the same issues. The difference doesn’t appear to be about the virus itself, but about culture, stigma, and access to mental health care.

5. This spider’s “pearl necklace” was living parasites

   What looked like a pearl necklace on a tiny spider turned out to be parasitic mite larvae. Scientists identified the mites as a new species, marking the first record of its family in Brazil. The larvae attach to juvenile spiders and feed on lymph through a weak spot in the spider’s body. The discovery came from long-stored specimens, suggesting many more species remain hidden in collections.