Friday 30 January 2026

Science Daily

  1. Researchers have found a way to make ordinary aluminum tubes float indefinitely, even when submerged for long periods or punched full of holes. By engineering the metal’s surface to repel water, the tubes trap air inside and refuse to sink, even in rough conditions. The technology could eventually be scaled up into floating platforms, ships, or even wave-powered energy systems.
  2. People who naturally stay up late may be putting their hearts under added strain as they age. A large study tracking more than 300,000 adults found that middle-aged and older night owls had poorer overall heart health and a higher risk of heart attack and stroke than those who were active earlier in the day, with the effect especially pronounced in women. Much of this elevated risk appeared to stem from lifestyle factors common among evening types, including smoking and inadequate sleep.
  3. Men start developing heart disease earlier than women, with risks rising faster beginning around age 35, according to long-term research. The difference is driven mainly by coronary heart disease, not stroke or heart failure. Traditional risk factors explain only part of the gap. The findings suggest earlier screening could help catch problems before serious damage occurs.
  4. A new imaging technology called fast-RSOM lets researchers see the smallest blood vessels in the body without invasive procedures. It can detect early dysfunction in these vessels — a quiet warning sign of future heart disease — long before symptoms appear. Unlike traditional risk estimates, it measures real changes happening in the body. The portable system could one day be used in routine checkups to catch heart risks earlier.
  5. On a remote Alaskan island, gray wolves are rewriting the rulebook by hunting sea otters — a behavior few scientists ever expected to see. Researchers are now uncovering how these coastal wolves adapted to marine hunting, what it means for land–sea ecosystems, and whether this ancient predator–prey relationship is re-emerging as sea otters recover.

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