Italians are known for their food, architecture, and longevity (among other things), with the Mediterranean diet often cited as a major contributor to an extensive lifespan. Yet new genetic research reveals that Italians who reach the age of 100 may in fact have their ancient hunter-gatherer DNA to thank.

As in other southern European nations, the Italian population harbors genetic ancestry from multiple prehistoric groups, including Bronze Age herders from the Pontic-Caspian Steppes, Middle Eastern Neolithic farmers, and Mesolithic Western European Hunter-Gatherers (WHG). The latter of these replaced older European human populations following the Last Glacial Maximum, and is famously represented by a 14,000-year-old skeleton from Villabruna in Northern Italy.

To find out how these ancient genetic influences shape longevity, researchers analyzed the genomes of 333 Italian centenarians and 690 healthy controls from around the country. They then compared these with 103 ancient genomes encapsulating the last 20,000 years of European genetic ancestry.

Reporting their findings, the study authors write that their analyses “revealed a significant positive association between WHG ancestry and the centenarian status,” and that “centenarians [consistently] exhibited significantly higher WHG ancestry proportions compared to the baseline expectation.”

Tellingly, no other ancient genetic ancestries displayed any associated with long life, and those over the age of 100 were found to carry a significantly higher number of WHG-related mutations than less durable individuals.

Exactly what all this means, however, is open to interpretation, as lifespan is known to be shaped by a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors. Clearly, though, Western Hunter-Gatherer DNA appears to play a role in enabling some Italians to celebrate their 100th birthday.

In the rainforests of the Congo Basin, elephants push through the brush, forming a network of trails that lead them to vital food and water sources.

Today is the December solstice at 15:03 GMT/16:03 CET.

This eumetsat MTG‑I1 image from 19 Dec 2025, 06:00 GMT, shows Earth’s day–night terminator tilted near its annual maximum of about 23.5°.

A new international study reports that adults with ADHD who are aware of their personal strengths and use them regularly tend to experience higher well-being, better quality of life, and fewer mental health problems.

Scientists from the University of Bath, King’s College London, and Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands conducted the first large-scale investigation designed to measure psychological strengths in adults with ADHD.

Published in Psychological Medicine, the study compared 200 adults with ADHD and 200 adults without ADHD, examining how strongly participants identified with 25 positive characteristics. These traits included creativity, humor, spontaneity, and hyperfocus, which researchers described as “things [they] do well or best.”

Although ADHD is commonly linked to difficulties such as impulsivity, forgetfulness, and inattention, the findings point to a different perspective by emphasizing the importance of recognizing and making use of individual strengths.

Luca Hargitai, lead researcher from the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, said: “These exciting findings give us an indication of which positive qualities may be tied to ADHD and thus can be considered ADHD-related strengths. It can be really empowering to recognize that, while ADHD is associated with various difficulties, it does have several positive aspects.”

2025 Rewind ⏪
A year of new Earth observation missions, ensuring continuity for existing ones, and celebrating 50 years of esa.

When the most massive stars reach the ends of their lives, they blow up in spectacular supernova explosions, which seed the universe with heavy elements such as carbon and iron. Another type of explosion—the kilonova—occurs when a pair of dense dead stars, called neutron stars, smash together, forging even heavier elements such as gold and uranium. Such heavy elements are among the basic building blocks of stars and planets.

So far, only one kilonova has been unambiguously confirmed to date, a historic event known as GW170817, which took place in 2017. In that case, two neutron stars smashed together, sending ripples in space-time, known as gravitational waves, as well as light waves across the cosmos.

The cosmic blast was detected in gravitational waves by the National Science Foundation's Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and its European partner, the Virgo gravitational-wave detector, and in light waves by dozens of ground-based and space telescopes around the world.

Now, astronomers are reporting evidence for a possible second kilonova event, but the case is not closed. In fact, this situation is much more complex because the candidate kilonova, named AT2025ulz, is thought to have stemmed from a supernova blast that went off hours before, ultimately obscuring astronomers' view.

Northeastern University researchers have made a breakthrough drug discovery, developing the first synthetic endogenous cannabinoid compound, with repercussions for new therapeutics from pain and inflammation to cancer.

Spyros P. Nikas, an associate research professor in Northeastern's Center for Drug Discovery, says that the discovery hinges on the distinction between two different kinds of cannabinoid chemicals, endogenous and exogenous. Exogenous cannabinoids are those produced outside the human body, like THC or CBD, both derived from the cannabis plant and present in marijuana.

Our own bodies, however, are also producing cannabinoids all the time. Called endogenous cannabinoids—or just "endocannabinoids"—these chemicals "modulate a wide range of physiological and pathophysiological responses," Nikas says, processes that include mood, inflammation and even neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The research is published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Cannabinoids—not just cannabis
Endocannabinoids don't have the same structure as the plant-derived cannabinoids, "but they do exactly the same job," says Alexandros Makriyannis, the George D. Behrakis chair of the department of chemistry and chemical biology.

The cannabinoid system within the human body—"combining endocannabinoids, receptors and enzymes"—Nikas says, "exists everywhere with high abundance in the central nervous system."

Due to its prominence, Nikas calls it "a system that is responsible for the homeostasis of the human being."

The receptors that bind with cannabinoids, called CB1 and CB2, are also found throughout the body, but "they have different distribution in different tissues and organs," Nikas says.

Drugs that target the CB1 and CB2 receptors do exist already in medicine—for instance, to prevent vomiting in chemotherapy patients—but these are derived from the exogenous cannabinoids, and thus also exhibit the cannabis plant's side effects, from hallucinations to dependence, Nikas says.

Drugs derived from endocannabinoids "are not expected to have these side effects," Nikas says, as they are made inside our own, but the synthetic variety could still "have a wide range of therapeutic utility."

If researchers can produce synthetic endocannabinoids, they should come with all the medical benefits of our own naturally created endocannabinoids without the attendant side effects of exogenous cannabinoids. The problem is how unstable these synthetics usually are.

An orbital sunrise with comet C/2023.

Scientists using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have observed a rare type of exoplanet, or planet outside our solar system, whose atmospheric composition challenges our understanding of how it formed. 

Officially named PSR J2322-2650b, this Jupiter-mass object appears to have an exotic helium-and-carbon-dominated atmosphere unlike any ever seen before. Soot clouds likely float through the air, and deep within the planet, these carbon clouds can condense and form diamonds. How the planet came to be is a mystery. The paper appears Tuesday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 

“This was an absolute surprise,” said study co-author Peter Gao of the Carnegie Earth and Planets Laboratory in Washington. “I remember after we got the data down, our collective reaction was ‘What the heck is this?’ It's extremely different from what we expected.”

Orcas are all about working smarter, not harder, as they coordinate in their pods to corral and stun their prey.

The Artemis II crew will observe parts of the Moon never before seen by human eyes. Their exact view will depend on lunar surface lighting (aka the Moon's phase) as they fly by, which in turn depends on launch timing.

Dive in with Ernie Wright, Artemis II Visualization Lead.