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This week in science: The European Space Agency (ESA) is investigating a fireball that streaked across European skies and damaged a house in Germany; scientists have detected a mysterious glow emitted by trees during thunderstorms; bumblebee queens have been found to naturally scuba dive for days; and much more!
Popular Anti-Aging Supplement May Fuel Cancer Growth – Here's Why
Scientists have uncovered a mechanism by which cancer cells can thrive. (Koto_feja/E+/Getty Images)
Research shows that compounds called polyamines, often sold as anti-aging supplements, can promote cancer growth.
Importantly, this does not mean polyamines cause cancer outright. Instead, when cancer has already begun due to biological malfunctions, cancer cells can exploit polyamines to survive and spread.
Read the full story here.
Evolution Keeps Reinventing The Appendix. Here's Why It May Be Important.
An illustration of the appendix. (Sebastian Kaulitzki/Science Photo Library/Getty Images)
Scientists report that the appendix is not a useless remnant; evolution repeatedly reinvents this organ, which plays a key role in immune function.
"The appendix is not an IKEA spare part included 'just in case,' but neither is it essential today. Human biology has many traits that were once beneficial, now marginal – and understanding them allows medicine to make better modern decisions," the researchers explain.
Read the full story here.
ESA Investigating Fireball Over Europe After Meteorites Strike German Home
The European Space Agency is investigating a fireball seen over Europe on March 8, which created a hole in the roof of a home in Germany.
The fireball, glowing for about six seconds just before 7 pm Central European Time (18:00 GMT) on Sunday, was witnessed across Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
Read the full story here.
Stem Cell Treatments For Parkinson's And Heart Failure Approved in World First
(koto_feja/Getty Images)
Japan has approved stem cell therapies for
