Science

After decades, FDA finally moves to pull ineffective decongestant off shelves

In a long-sought move, the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday formally began the process of abandoning oral doses of a common over-the-counter decongestant, which the agency concluded last year is not effective at relieving stuffy noses. Specifically, the FDA…

What makes baseball’s “magic mud” so special?

“Magic mud” composition and microstructure: (top right) a clean baseball surface; (bottom right) a mudded baseball. Credit: S. Pradeep et al., 2024 “Magic mud” composition and microstructure: (top right) a clean baseball surface; (bottom right) a mudded baseball. Credit: S….

Airborne microplastics aid in cloud formation

Clouds form when water vapor—an invisible gas in the atmosphere—sticks to tiny floating particles, such as dust, and turns into liquid water droplets or ice crystals. In a newly published study, we show that microplastic particles can have the same…

Nearly three years since launch, Webb is a hit among astronomers

From its halo-like orbit nearly a million miles from Earth, the James Webb Space Telescope is seeing farther than human eyes have ever seen. In May, astronomers announced that Webb detected the most distant galaxy found so far, a fuzzy…

For fame or a death wish? Kids’ TikTok challenge injuries stump psychiatrists

Case dilemma The researchers give the example of a 10-year-old patient who was found unconscious in her bedroom. The psychiatry team was called in to consult for a suicide attempt by hanging. But when the girl was evaluated, she was…

The next Starship launch may occur in less than two weeks

The company will also use Starship’s next flight to assess new tiles and other elements of the vehicle’s heat shield. “Several thermal protection experiments and operational changes will test the limits of Starship’s capabilities and generate flight data to inform…

“Havard”-trained spa owner injected clients with bogus Botox, prosecutors say

Mounting evidence Multiple clients and employees told investigators that Fadanelli also said she is a registered nurse, which is false. Though she is a registered aesthetician, aestheticians are not permitted to administer injections or prescription drugs. Investigators set up an…

Endurance tells story of two expeditions, centuries apart

Finally, as the search was coming down to the wire, the Endurance22 team finally found the long-sought wreckage 3,008 meters down, roughly four miles (6.4 km) south of the ship’s last recorded position. The ship was in pristine condition partly…

NRO chief: “You can’t hide” from our new swarm of SpaceX-built spy satellites

The current generation of Starlink satellites launch in batches of 20 to 23 spacecraft on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. They’re flat-packed one on top of the other inside the Falcon 9’s payload shroud, then released all at once in orbit….

After 31 cargo missions, NASA finds Dragon still has some new tricks

A Cargo Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station on Tuesday morning, less than a day after lifting off from Florida. As space missions go, this one was fairly routine, ferrying about 6,000 pounds (2,700 kg) of cargo and…