Surprising Science — April 14, 2010

Stress Cases

Stress hormones may indirectly promote the spread of cancer in the body by hurting the immune system’s anti-tumor mechanisms and encouraging new blood vessels to form.

bigthinkeditor

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

The hormones associated with chronic stress may indirectly promote the spread of cancer in the body by hurting the immune system’s anti-tumor mechanisms and encouraging new blood vessels to form. Researcher Anil Sood says he now hopes to find ways to interfere with these tumor-feeding stress hormones with cognitive-behavioral therapies or drugs like beta blockers and anti-depressants.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Health

Bacteria living inside tumors help cancer spread through the blood

Intracellular bacteria promote cancer metastasis by enhancing the tumor cells’ resistance to mechanical stress in the bloodstream

Digital illustration of a DNA double helix in red and blue, set against a black background.

The Future

Can we automate science? Sam Rodriques is already doing it.

“We can build AI scientists that are better than we are… these systems can be superhuman,” says the FutureHouse co-founder.

A telescope beneath a colorful, abstract visualization of the universe, with a starry night sky in the background.

Hard Science

Einstein wins again: Exotic gravity theories take a blow from new observations

DESI has allowed astronomers to create an unprecedented 3D map of the Universe representing 20% of the entire sky.

Starts With A Bang

The Steady-State Universe: A viable alternative to the Big Bang?

For nearly 60 years, the hot Big Bang has been accepted as the best story of our cosmic origin. Could the Steady-State theory be possible?

Pixelated red human figure on a black grid background with blue symmetrical curves and white geometric shapes adjacent.

Hard Science

The Arecibo Message fifty years later

In November 1974, astronomers used the radio telescope at Puerto Rico’s Arecibo Observatory to send a hello to the universe.

Up Next

Politics & Current Affairs

A Good Kill?

Does assassinating top terrorists really make us safer? Robert Wright looks at research suggesting that “decapitation doesn’t lower the life expectancy of the decapitated groups.”