At the very large and very small levels, gravity does not really work the way it should. At the very large level, instead of contracting, the universe has both expanded and accelerated despite detectable forces that could cause it. 

Measurements to determine how fast the Universe is expanding over time are known as the Hubble constant. It has been determined by a cosmic distance ladder, calculated by observing pulsating stars called Cepheid variables in a neighboring satellite galaxy known as the Large Magellanic Cloud, 162,000 light-years away.

When defining the distances to galaxies that are further and further away, these Cepheid variables are used as milepost markers. 

Scholars recently characterized plasma levels of the biomarker dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfated form (DHEAS) – jointly referred to as DHEA(S) – to be biological determinants of chemobrain, difficulties related to memory and attention in cancer patients even months after completing their treatment.

DHEA(S) are neurosteroids that help to regulate brain development, but it was previously unknown whether their levels correlate with cognitive function or are associated with the onset of chemobrain.

The study showed that early-stage breast cancer patients with higher plasma DHEAS levels prior to chemotherapy were found to have a lower risk of developing chemobrain in the specific domains of verbal fluency and mental acuity.

Smart spacesuits and solar surfing may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but they are just two of the technology concepts NASA ha

There is one Cthulhu it's safe to invoke; Sollasina cthulhu, obviously named after H.P. Lovecraft's tentacled monster, a 430 million-year-old fossil that has been identified as a new species related to living sea cucumbers.

The new cthulhu, Sollasina, was an echinoderm (the group that includes sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and sea stars) that had 45 tentacle-like tube feet, which it used to crawl along the ocean floor and capture food. The creature was small, about the size of a large spider. It was found in the Herefordshire Lagerstätte in the United Kingdom, a site that has proven to be a trove of fossilized ancient sea animals, and included soft tissue preservation.

The discovery of an ancient painted vase in the Central America lowlands offers new clues into the mysterious breakdown of ancient Maya civilization - because it bears one of the longest hieroglyphic texts ever found.

The shattered vessel was discovered in excavations at the Maya site of Baking Pot in Belize, found amid artifacts associated with the abandonment of the royal palace complex. The fragments were found in a corner near a palace entrance. The archeology team also unearthed blades, pendants, inkpots, fragments of flutes — and human bones - in burial sites.

People choose a life partner who is likely to have a comparable life expectancy and who share similar risks of illnesses - such as high blood pressure or heart disease - according to a genetic study.