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I was on the Air Canada flight that crashed at LaGuardia
A 22-year-old student was on an Air Canada flight that crashed at LaGuardia Airport. He described the moment of the collision and the aftermath.
MacBook Neo Silences Critics Over 8GB RAM Being Inadequate; Can Open 60 Apps In Unison While Windows Laptop Powers Off Performing The Same Task
A YouTube channel decided to take the MacBook Neo for an apps stress test and opened up 60 apps at the same time to see if that 8GB RAM will be sufficient
Democratic and Republican Party officials face internal backlash after primaries
Party officials have received calls to resign amid endorsements and campaign spending in national and state primary elections.
Anthropic's Claude Can Now Control Your Computer
The developer is boosting Claude's agentic capabilities in an apparent effort to compete with platforms like OpenClaw.
Someone has publicly leaked an exploit kit that can hack millions of iPhones
Leaked "DarkSword" exploits published to GitHub allow hackers and cybercriminals to target iPhone users running old versions of iOS with spyware, according to cybersecurity researchers.
Shorebird science and conservation collective shows big data can protect birds
New research from the Shorebird Science and Conservation Collective at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI), published in the journal Conservation Biology, provides ...
Louisiana's health secretary wants AI on the phones and the website
Louisiana residents may see changes in calling the state health department or using its website if it turns to artificial intelligence to save money. The department is examining how it can implement AI over the next few years to make residents’ experiences more efficient and reduce spending, Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein said […]
iOS 26.4 offers two Liquid Glass customization updates
iOS 26.4 is launching soon, and it will bring two updates for how you can customize the Liquid Glass design on your iPhone.
Science Through Shadows: How Astronomical Alignments Reveal the Universe
When one celestial object passes in front of another, it can cast a shadow that travels across space – and sometimes across Earth. These moments of alignment, known as eclipses, occultations, and transits, allow scientists to study distant objects in remarkable ways. By observing how light changes when an object briefly blocks another, astronomers can measure sizes and shapes, detect atmospheres, and refine the orbits of asteroids and planets.
Opinion | We Can’t Let Crypto and A.I. Buy the Policies They Want
We can’t let crypto and A.I. buy the policies they want.
Manor Township Democratic committee person kicked off May 19 primary ballot
Kirk Barrett, a candidate for a Manor Township seat on the Lancaster County Democratic Committee, has successfully kicked the incumbent’s name off the ballot for the upcoming May 19 primary.
Health experts say spring cleaning can help boost mood
Exclusive: Kalshi to block athletes and politicians from trading on their markets
Prediction market Kalshi plans to block athletes, coaches and officials from betting on their sports and to block political candidates from trading on their campaigns, Axios has learned.
2026 NCAA Tournament second round schedule: March Madness bracket, game dates, tip times, TV channels
Check out the master schedule for the first and second rounds of the 2026 NCAA Tournament so you can watch all the March Madness
Mexico's Karim Lopez reportedly declares for the 2026 NBA Draft
Lopez could become the first player of Mexican descent selected in the first round.
Bachelorette suitor from canceled season drove car in Madison Cawthorn crash
A 'Bachelorette' suitor from Taylor Frankie Paul's now-scrapped season was the driver in the 2014 car crash that paralyzed former Republican congressman Madison Cawthorn.
The live-action 'Moana' trailer debuts Dwayne Johnson as Maui — and fans can't stop talking about his hair
The remake of the 2016 animated film hits theaters July 10.
NBA MVP rankings: Luka Dončić is rising, but can anyone take the trophy from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?
Microsoft-backed startup raises $40 million for advanced chipmaking equipment tech
Lace, a Norway-headquartered chipmaking equipment startup which is backed by Microsoft, has raised $40 million in funding to further develop a technology that could enable significant advances in semiconductor design and manufacturing, the company said on Monday.
Microsoft-backed startup raises $40 million for advanced chipmaking equipment tech
Lace, a Norway-headquartered chipmaking equipment startup which is backed by Microsoft, has raised $40 million in funding to further develop a technology that could enable significant advances in semiconductor design and manufacturing, the company said on Monday. To make cutting-edge chips, manufacturers such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co and Intel employ a process called lithography that uses light to draw complex circuits that form the foundation of advanced artificial intelligence chips. Manufacturers use light-based lithography systems made by the Dutch company ASML - which dominates the market - as they race to shrink chip components and squeeze in more features to boost the computing horsepower on a limited area of silicon.
Studio Entertainment: The Waddington Brothers
Bismarck, ND (KXNET) — The Waddington Brothers are performing at the Belle Mehus in Bismarck, April 24th at 7:30 pm. Tickets are on sale now and you can find them online by going to bismarcke…
In a rare event, the moon got a massive new crater
A crater as wide as two American football fields formed in spring 2024, a size expected roughly once a century. A NASA orbiter got to watch.
Finishing a video game can trigger “post-game depression,” study finds
Post-game depression is now being studied as a measurable phenomenon, with researchers identifying how finishing a video game can leave players feeling empty, reflective, and emotionally drained.
2nd Car Show Scheduled at Sangertown Square
Racing fans and families can check out high-performance cars and meet local drivers at the Mall Car Show at Sangertown Square.
DanDan restaurant in Milwaukee's Third Ward is temporarily closed
According to a sign posted on the door of the popular Third Ward American-Chinese restaurant, DanDan has been closed since March 20.
How Will Gravity on Mars Affect Humans? A New Study Reveals a Clue.
Maintaining muscle mass is key.
Shorebird Science and Conservation Collective Shows Big Data Can Protect Birds
New research published in the journal Conservation Biology provides a model for big data to inform conservation.
US soccer legend Landon Donovan details mental health struggles in new book
American soccer great Landon Donovan talks to Fox News Digital about the themes in his new book, "Landon: A Memoir."
Welcome, American scientists: Europe, a haven for researchers struggling under Trump
Initiatives are multiplying in EU countries including France, Germany and Austria to attract the talent being driven away by the US president’s policies
Add this one line to your AI prompts for faster, better answers
This handy prompt add-on can save you from tedious back-and-forths with your AI.
Republicans fear this Democrat in Georgia Senate race: ‘This guy’s no slouch’
The Cook Political Report rates the general election as a toss-up.
MLB Power Rankings: Dodgers open 2026 season as best team (again) with a World Series three-peat on the line
Ready for another MLB season? How many teams can win the World Series?
New York’s LaGuardia airport closed after plane collision with fire truck kills two pilots
About 40 people taken to hospital after Air Canada Express crash, some with serious injuries
As demand for GLP-1 pills and shots surges, healthy habits are still key
Whether they’re using weekly shots or daily pills, more Americans than ever are turning to anti-obesity drugs to lose weight and boost health.
Building a Culture of Health: BJACH Opens Armed Forces Wellness Center at Fort Polk
FORT POLK, La. — Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital marked a significant step forward in supporting warfighter readiness and community well-being with the grand opening of its new Armed Forces Wellness Center on March 23. The center, located on the first floor inside BJACH, provides Soldiers, Families, civilian employees and beneficiaries with access to personalized health assessments, education and coaching designed to improve overall health and performance.
Inaugural Health Care by Food research award honors excellence in food is medicine science
DALLAS, March 23, 2026 — At a time when American dietary patterns are facing renewed attention, the American Heart Association has announced its inaugural Health Care by Food™ Most Impactful Food Is Medicine Research Award, honoring the year’s most...
Every bulb on Govee’s new outdoor string lights can display multicolor effects
Level up your patio.
Funny business: Humor scholars on whether jokes help or hurt at work
Leeds researchers Tony Kong and Peter McGraw agree humor has real workplace benefits, but pulling it off can be tricky.
Inaugural Health Care by Food research award honors excellence in food is medicine science
DALLAS, March 23, 2026 — At a time when American dietary patterns are facing renewed attention, the American Heart Association has announced its inaugural Health Care by Food™ Most Impactful Food Is Medicine Research Award, honoring the year’s most...
Free sports physicals return for public school students in Flagler and Volusia counties
Thousands of middle and high school students in public schools across Volusia and Flagler counties can receive free sports physicals this spring as AdventHealth helps young athletes prepare safely for the upcoming season.
As President Trump’s Attacks on Science Escalate, Big Oil Moves to Avoid Legal Accountability
This piece was originally published in Climate Home News. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) recently agreed to hear arguments in Boulder v. Exxon and Suncor a case that could decide whether communities harmed by climate change can hold polluters accountable in state court. Origin
Crimson Desert Steam Reviews Jump to 'Mostly Positive' as Latest Patch Makes Significant Improvements
Crimson Desert Steam reviews are improving, moving up from ‘mixed’ to ‘mostly positive’ on Valve’s platform as developer Pearl Abyss releases game-changing updates.
What’s the science behind ice thickness and when it’s safe to drive on a lake?
A Canadian ice researcher came up with a formula in 1971 for ice roads. It’s still the foundation for safety guidelines.
Mailer in Germantown school election has one big problem
An outside political group urges Germantown School District voters to re-elect a candidate who isn't on the ballot.
How to beat Gigantamax Pikachu: Best Counters & Guide
Gigantamax Pikachu is a Tier 6 Max Battle in Pokémon GO. It will cost 800 Max Particles to participate in this Max Battle, which will only be consumed if you defeat Pikachu successfully. Gigantamax Pikachu can be shiny from Max Battles. Being an type, it is only weak to type moves. Pikachu can be caught […]
New York approves cannabis for anxiety. Science says it may not help
A Lancet Psychiatry study found no evidence cannabinoids treat anxiety, PTSD. In NY, any practitioner can certify a patient for medical cannabis for any condition they deem appropriate.
The New Party Politics of Abortion
Some Republicans remain consistently pro-life. But under Trump’s lead, the GOP has become an anti-Roe yet pro-choice coalition.
Doubts from key Republicans on surgeon general test MAHA’s political power
Casey Means faces pushback from some Republicans over her refusal to forcefully recommend vaccines.
Meet CT’s 2026 Women in Business honorees
Hartford Business Journal’s 2026 Women in Business awards recognize top leaders who are making a significant difference within their organization and the broader community.
Inside the Turmoil at RFK Jr.’s CDC, as Told by Current and Former Employees
Forty-three current and former C.D.C. employees on the changes they say are replacing science with ideology — and making Americans more vulnerable.
In California, a Republican Sheriff Seizes Ballots, Prompting Concerns
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a candidate for governor, recently took possession of more than 650,000 ballots as part of a fraud probe. Election officials say his investigation is baseless.
Fertilizer prices bring more pain for American farmers amid war in Iran
The war in Iran is pushing up prices for already-strained farmers, with higher costs for fertilizer and energy on top of last year’s tariffs. And the increasing pressure on American agriculture could lead to even bigger price tags at the grocery store.
Diabetes, Overlooked and Unchecked, Poses New Risks in Africa
As deaths from diabetes start to rival those from infectious threats like malaria, a new form of the condition linked to malnutrition is surfacing in patients who can afford neither screening nor care.
‘They’ve Stolen the Narrative’: Black Business Leaders on the DEI Backlash
Bloomberg Businessweek convened five prominent Black executives to candidly discuss navigating the White House, rollbacks in access and the current American mood.
Scientists See Converging Evidence of Antarctic Ice Retreat
A sediment core spanning millions of years and new modeling studies point to significant ice retreat under temperatures similar to today.
Mum on his own replacement, Bennet disrespects voters
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is playing an arrogant game of hide-and-seek with Colorado voters as he seeks to abandon his Senate seat to become governor. Bennet insists that if he is elected governor in November, he will wait until he is inaugurated in January 2027 before he resigns from the Senate so he can unilaterally […]
Those who cannot live without wild things
Aldo Leopold wrote in his Sand County Almanac, “There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot.” The collection of essays first published in 1949 was accepted by a publishing house after a steady stream of rejections. His work long outlived him as Leopold died of a heart attack while fighting […]
Turning coal to medicines: Chinese scientists bring a 160-year-old dream to life
Study cracks a puzzle that has baffled scientists and will reshape modern medicine production as the world reels from a global oil shortage.
Power Play Primed – Hurricanes 5, Penguins 1
The Carolina Hurricanes scored three power play goals and dominated the Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-1 on Sunday afternoon in the Steel City. The Canes controlled the puck most of the game and were holding the Pens to a paltry 12 shots on goal until the Pens finally found some offense with five minutes and change to […]
At 85, I can still work out on the bars and do headstands with my wife
Peng Lin Hua, 85, says retirement didn't slow him down. He and his wife split their time between two countries.
These Michigan U.S. Senate candidates took money from ICE contractors
Anti-ICE messaging is expected to be featured prominently in Michigan's hotly contested U.S. Senate Democratic primary.
Commentary: Keep Kentucky judges judging and leave politics to politicians
A provision in House Bill 534 would invite judicial candidates to disclose their political party affiliation and their current and past voter registration, including “communicating political values or viewpoints consistent with his or her party affiliation.”
A DNA test ruled him out. He was convicted of murder anyway.
Forensics has its share of high-profile problems. There’s phony “junk science,” like bogus bite-mark and blood spatter analyses that have sent innocent people to jail. And there’s the steady drumbeat of lab scandals, where analysts make up results. But there’s a subtler and more pervasive problem at work in many cases: lab analysts and lawyers who take perfectly legitimate science and twist it. Globe Opinion is exploring these distortions with a series we’re calling “Twisted Science.” And there may be no better place to start than with the case of Terrel Barros.
US soccer legend Landon Donovan opens up on mental health struggles, redefining success
American soccer legend Landon Donovan opened up about mental health struggles and reconfiguring what success meant to him. He releases "Landon: A Memoir" this week.
A promising fatty liver treatment may raise cancer risk
A surprising new study reveals that blocking a supposedly protective enzyme, Caspase-2, could actually backfire—raising the risk of chronic liver damage and cancer over time. Researchers found that without this enzyme, liver cells grow abnormally large and accumulate genetic damage, leading to inflammation, scarring, and eventually tumors, especially with age. While inhibiting Caspase-2 may offer short-term benefits, such as reducing fatty liver disease, the long-term consequences appear dangerous.
How the G.O.P. and Democrats Are Talking About the Surge in Gas Prices
Republicans have largely been on defense against Democratic criticism. Here are five arguments advanced by figures in both parties.
Two-thirds of workers are burned out—here's what science says about how to tackle it
Burnout is at an all-time high, with some studies saying two-thirds of employees now cite job burnout as a major challenge. Overwork and chronic stress do not just drain energy, they can erode health, ...
‘Project Hail Mary’ blasts off with $80.5 million, a best for Amazon MGM, and the year
Studio estimates on Sunday say Amazon MGM's “Project Hail Mary” has topped the North American box office charts with $80.5 million in ticket sales — the second biggest ever for a non-franchise film.
Opinion | Jesse Jackson, the Prophet Who Became a Politician
He challenged black Americans in the 1960s and ’70s, then retreated into victimhood and grievance.
Bursaries open for help with sports memberships
Children meeting certain criteria can get up to £200 from Epsom & Ewell Borough Council.
Welcome to allergy season. Here's how to protect yourself
Where you live, what you're allergic to and your lifestyle can make a big difference when it comes to the severity of your allergies.
Your Thymus and Your Healthspan
Our thymus gland plays a central role in the development or our immune system, specifically for supporting T cell development (how these cells got their name, maturation and differentiation in the thymus) and discriminating between self and foreign, non-self antigen proteins with production of dendritic cells. As we age, our thymus gland shrinks—the process known as involution—with progressive change from spongy to fatty tissue, with loss of functionality. But this process, with respect to timeline and extent, markedly varies from one person to the next. And to make things even more complicated, our thymus gland anatomy and precise location in the chest also is highly variable. So the famous Frank Netter diagrams from the 1960s (such as at left below) don’t capture the remarkable heterogeneity that a random set of 12 chest CT scans (below at right). What I consider as 2 landmark papers in Nature this week (here and here) used AI to quantify health of the thymus in 2 large cohorts, and then correlate the metric to a broad array of health outcomes. In this edition of Ground Truths, I’m going to cover three questions: (1) How was thymus health determined by AI?; (2) How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? and (3) Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? Subscribe 1. How was thymus health determined by AI? This was accomplished by extensive work developing and validating an AI pipeline for 2 stages, the first for localization and segmentation of the thymus bed, and the second to quantify a digital marker, termed the thymic health score. There’s a lot to this algorithmic development, so I won’t go into all the details, but just provide a rudimentary outline of what was done. The 1st stage used supervised learning with 2 radiologists reviewing 2,461 chest CT scans. That work trained a 3D U-Net model to automatically identify the thymic bed’s 3D cropped region using center of mass coordinates, which reached 99.8% accuracy. The 2nd stage used a foundation model that was pre-trained with SwAV (which stands for Swapping Assignment between multiple Views), a self-supervised model, that generated a high-dimensional thymus representation of 4,096 features. That compares to the radiology reductionist and subjective scoring of 0 to 3 where 0 means the thymus is fully degenerated and fatty, and 3 is considered dense, intact glandular soft tissue. Notably, the self-supervised learning (SSL) performance was superior to supervised (AUC ~0.75 vs 0.55, respectively) reflecting the shallowness of the 0-3 classifier vs SSL’s holistic, self-taught AI. The thymic health score ranged from 0 to 100, with the highest number indexed to fully preserved thymic health. The algorithmic work extended to explainability with both Shapely value distribution, meaning the model was holistic not relying on any “magic” pixel, and occlusion sensitivity, demonstrating the model’s performance was not affected by ribs, sternum, lung tissue, but rather focused on the thymic bed directly. Below are a few saliency maps from the occlusion sensitivity that indicate the thymic bed focus, not affected by neighboring structures, using the jet color scale. Now the AI was ready for processing ~25,000 CT scans, each over 30 MB files, from the 2 large participant cohorts to provide a thymic health score, it did so in less than 14 hours, which is less than 2 seconds per scan! Share 2. How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? The two cohorts were the National Lung Screening Trial, NLST (N=25,031) and the Framingham Heart Study, FHS (N=2,581) each with baseline demographics and long term follow up of >12 years for health outcomes. From the NSLT, you can see below that increased age and body-mass index were correlated to reduced thymic health. And, overall, men had reduced thymic health scores compared with women. There are a lot of graphs in the paper for outcomes, for both the NLST and FHS cohorts. To simplify the major outcomes, below is a composite Figure with striking reduction of all-cause mortality and for the different causes of death. The results were consistent between the 2 cohorts. For example, the cardiovascular mortality hazard ratio average was 0.57 in NLST and 0.38 in FHS (weighted to be 0.53 for the aggregate). The reduction of mortality also extended to digestive diseases and pulmonary disease (data not shown below). Lung cancer incidence was reduced by 36% for high vs low thymic health (Figure below, with a panel -incidence and b panel-mortality, adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking status). Notably, there was a smoker’s paradox: lower incidence and improved survival for lung cancer in smokers who had a high thymus health score. Smoking was associated with lower thymic scores whereas alcohol was not. Higher thymic health was linked to higher HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, lower fasting blood glucose, and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Inflammation biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, were elevated in the people with lower thymic health scores. In their second paper, the same team looked at the relationship between thymic score and outcomes for 3,476 patients receiving cancer immunotherapy. The non-small cell lung cancer progression-free survival was reduced in patients with low thymic health score. A parallel relationship for survival was seen for other types of cancer including melanoma, breast, and kidney with a 44% lower risk among high thymic scores (Figure). A similar pattern was seen with different immune checkpoint inhibitors. The thymus health score outperformed programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1)and tumor mutation burden (TMB) assay of the tumor and was an independent prognostic marker of progression-free survival. In this dataset, a direct connect with thymus score and adaptive immune function was noted with a correlation before cancer treatment for both T-cell diversity and thymus T-cell production (a metric known as T cell receptor excision circles). Thymus Removal Study There is a highly relevant citation about thymus function before moving onto ways to rejuvenate it. In 2023, a very important study of thymus removal during cardiothoracic surgery was published, with 1146 patients undergoing thymus removal vs 1146 matched controls (mean age 55 years). The adverse outcomes for thymus removal were striking, with a 2.9 higher risk of all-cause mortality and doubling of cancer incidence, 1.5 fold increase in cancer mortality, and 1.5-fold increase in autoimmune diseases. The immune function showed marked compromise after thymus removal, as reflected by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (Figure below) Share Ground Truths 3. Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? In recent months we’ve learned a lot about the process of thymus involution and the pathways by which this may be modulated. Thymus involution is primarily due to loss to thymus epithelial cells (TECs) and there are 2 subtypes with different functions: the cortical, responsible for positive selection of T cells, and the medullary, for negative selection. When adipose tissue infiltrates the thymus, thymic adipocytes are pro-inflammatory, knocking out T-cell output. Likewise, systemic inflammation, or “inflammaging,” from smoking, obesity, and chronic stress promote thymic adipocytes. Now, from preclinical studies, we know about key pathways that account for these processes. Historically, back in 2014, FOXN1 was recognized as a single master transcription factor essential for TEC function, with studies in mice with forced FOXN1 upregulation leading to thymus regeneration. That laid the foundation for potential regrowth of quiescent thymus cells. It took awhile to find pathways to accomplish this goal and to even refute its role as the master regulator. The Liver-Thymus Axis Feng Zhang and his team recently showed that injection of an mRNA vaccine to the liver encoding DLL1, IL-7 and FLT3-L in combination, factors known to support thymopoiesis (Figure), successfully enhanced immune function in aged mice. However, the effect was transient. The FGF21 Story Two reports in 2025 addressed the thymus gland’s production of FGF21, a growth factor (fibroblast growth factor 21) and its control of thymus involution. This growth factor is also produced by the liver, but it doesn’t have impact on the thymus in aged rodent models. In contrast, The liver’s hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been shown to reverse senescent TEC structural changes. Growth hormone stimulates production of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the liver and the thymus. Two small studies in human participants (TRIIM, for Thymus Regeneration, Immunorestoration, and Insulin Mitigation) of 6 and 50 people, respectively, treated with combined human growth hormone, metformin and DHEA, suggested the potential of slowing epigenetic aging and improving thymus mass and function. But the combination of drugs, small sample, and lack of controls make conclusions murky. Increased thymus FGF21 led to increased CD8 T cells in old mice and extended healthspan and improved physical performance. Building on the previous FOXN1 data, ablation of β-klotho, the obligatory co-receptor for FOXN1, accelerated thymic aging. The benefit to FGF21 was confirmed in a companion paper using an FGF21 knock-in mouse model showing thymus enlargement and increased TECs throughout the lifespan. (schematic Figure below). The accompanying editorial for these 2 papers speculated: “The proposed link between age-associated thymus involution and organismal aging is intriguing, and suggests we might seek to achieve systemic rejuvenation by counteracting thymic involution.” Other Factors Lessons from the Axolotl (Mexican Salamander) In an elegant set of experiments of the axolotl (Figure), known for its complete thymus regeneration after total surgical removal, mediators were identified. Surprisingly FOXN1 was dispensable. But midkine, a growth factor, appeared to be the driver, the initiator of thymus cell growth, survival, and repair. Other components that contributed were Postn+ (periostin-expressing mesenchymal niches) and Ccl19, a chemokine protein from the bloodstream. RANK and RANKL RANK (receptor activator of nuclear factor κB its ligand (RANKL) have been considered key regulators of medullary TECs. In a study of both aged mice and human thymus cell cultures, their key role was confirmed, with multiple benefits of resorting TEC function, recruitment of progenitor cells, and T cell development. Subscribe Summing Up This body of work strongly supports the health of the thymus gland as a critical regulator of human healthspan, not just a correlate or link. The new landmark studies are reinforced by the regenerative biology experimental models that have shown, via an array of mediators, that healthspan of aged mice is at least in part dependent on thymus gland function and its critical role for maintaining adaptive immunity. It sure seems that we’d be better off having an immune reservoir of naive T cells instead of a profile in older adults of exhausted, low quality, memory T cells, with a senescent phenotype. It is striking that we ignored the importance of the thymus gland for many decades. A wake-up call was the results of the thymectomy matched control study reviewed here, with the opposite of high thymic health score improved health outcomes. The convergence of AI and healthspan here is notable. The exceptional and laborious work for developing and validating (no less explaining) the AI to quantify thymus health set the foundation for probing the connect the major health outcomes in two cohorts with extensive follow-up. We’ve never had a way to meaningfully quantify the thymus gland before, so this represents important leverage of supervised, self-supervised, and transformer models. The study wouldn’t have been possible without AI. And it begs the question as to whether there are ways we can maintain our thymus at a high health score. But it’s not so simple to rejuvenate our thymus. There are multiple risks including the induction of autoimmunity, increasing the risk of cancer, and inducing a pro-inflammatory state. For example, factors that increase TEC proliferation could compromise the medulllary negative selection process and leak out auto-reactive (self-attacking) T cells. Thymic cells could be induced to proliferate, but we know, for example, that growth hormone and IGF-1 are associated with an increase risk of cancer. If thymus rejuvenation doesn’t clear out the accumulated senescent cells in older adults, then inflammation within the gland could block the production of TECs. Keeping these risks in mind, we now have identified many ways to keep our thymus healthy as we age that undoubtedly will be tested in clinical trials going forward. Ultimately, the benefit-to-risk tradeoffs will be defined. In the meantime, we have desperately needed an immunome. As I’ve stressed in multiple prior Ground Truths, we have no test in the clinic to assess a patient’s immune status! It was very encouraging for me to get an email from Hugo Aerts, the senior author of the landmark papers in the days after they were published: “I also wanted to say that your Substack on “Why We Need an Immunome” was inspiring for this work. We found it a very compelling perspective and greatly enjoyed reading it.” Just having an assessment of a person’s immune status via a chest CT scan, with millions of these performed per year, might help in guiding the right immunotherapy for cancer (e.g. more intensive, combinations for those with low thymic health scores) and help define people who are increased risk for age-related diseases of cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative. The main theme of Super Agers is that we now have many layers of data (genetics, proteins, biomarkers, organ clocks that can be integrated via multimodal AI) for us to define a person’s specific risk decades before one of these age-related diseases leads to symptoms, enabling prevention. From the new studies this week, we can add thymus health score as yet another way to understand a person’s risk, a window into their adaptive immune system and healthspan. And perhaps someday we will be able to safely rejuvenate the thymus, or maintain its health through one’s life, and use the thymus health score to monitor. NB: I wrote this post (No A.I.) A Quick Poll Loading... ********************************************************************* Thanks to Ground Truths subscribers (now > 200,000) from every US state and 212 countries. Your subscription to these free essays and podcasts makes my work in putting them together worthwhile. Please join! If you found this interesting PLEASE share it! Share Ground Truths Paid subscriptions are voluntary and all proceeds from them go to support Scripps Research. They do allow for posting comments and questions, which I do my best to respond to. Please don’t hesitate to post comments and give me feedback. Let me know topics that you would like to see covered. Leave a comment Many thanks to those who have contributed—they have greatly helped fund our summer internship programs for the past two years. It enabled us to accept and support 47 summer interns in 2025! We aim to accept even more of the several thousand who will apply for summer 2026.
You're Incredibly Smart If You Can Answer Even ONE Question On This Science Quiz
It's time to channel your inner Bill Nye.
Box Office: ‘Project Hail Mary’ blasts off with $80.5 million, a best for Amazon MGM
Studio estimates on Sunday say Amazon MGM's “Project Hail Mary” has topped the North American box office charts with $80.5 million in ticket sales. It's the biggest opening for the studio and the...
Box Office: ‘Project Hail Mary’ blasts off with $80.5 million, a best for Amazon MGM
Studio estimates on Sunday say Amazon MGM's “Project Hail Mary” has topped the North American box office charts with $80.5 million in ticket sales.
Apple iPhone Fold Might Have A Sun Glare Problem
Given the already high reflectance of iPhone displays, Apple's use of a CoE filter on the iPhone Fold can lead to a sun glare problem.
Why Small Process Changes Often Deliver the Biggest Business Results
Founders often overlook small operational frictions that drain productivity. Here is how small process improvements can unlock boost scaling.
If Mike Johnson Goes, Who Runs House GOP?
The possibility of losing the majority in the midterms has put the Republican spotlight back on Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan and Tom Emmer.
Readers Respond to Health Insurance Chaos for Providence Customers
“Only other questions I have is who is starting the class action and where can I sign up?”
American football takes for ever. In which other sports do you spend most of your time not playing the game?
The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts
‘Project Hail Mary’ Author Andy Weir Bases His Blockbusters in Science
The bestselling writer and self-described “dork” explains how he crafts upbeat space-set thrillers from dire scenarios only expertise can solve.
Maine progressive Senate candidate Graham Platner responds to Gov. Janet Mills’ attack on his online past
Purdue vs Miami live updates: Prediction, how to watch March Madness Round 2 game
Braden Smith has the NCAA assists record, now he can focus on his main goal: a championship. Miami stands in Purdue's way in Round 2 of March Madness.
'Saturday Night Live UK' aims to take a comedy hit across the pond. The first verdicts are in
A British version of “Saturday Night Live” has debuted to largely positive reviews. The first episode of “SNL UK” was hosted by Tina Fey, a veteran of the American show, and stuck closely in...
\'Saturday Night Live UK\' aims to take a comedy hit across the pond. The first verdicts are in
A British version of “Saturday Night Live” has debuted to largely positive reviews. The first episode of “SNL UK” was hosted by Tina Fey, a veteran of the American show,
Bucs facing a tough decision with Baker Mayfield in 2026
The Bucs have to get the contract situation with Baker Mayfield solved sooner rather than later.
'Everybody Loses' author discusses the meteoric rise of sports gambling
Two years ago, Americans bet $120 billion on sports, a 27% increase from the previous year. That figure grew to $150 billion in 2024. Journalist Danny Funt investigates what's considered one of the most consequential — and least scrutinized — shifts in modern American sports in his new book, "Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling."
Oscar-Winning Alumnus Returns to Pasadena’s ArtCenter for Entertainment Design Expo
One week after winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, KPop Demon Hunters co-director Chris Appelhans returns today to ArtCenter College of Design, the Pasadena campus where he studied illustration, for the college’s third annual Entertainment Design Expo. The expo, known as ENTX, opens the Hillside Campus to the public for a full day of gallery exhibitions, game playtesting, animation screenings and interactive experiences featuring work from more than 200 ArtCenter students and alumni. General admission is free with advance registration. Two industry panels — including Appelhans’s talk — require $15 tickets. Appelhans, who graduated from ArtCenter with a bachelor of fine arts in 2002, co-directed KPop Demon Hunters with Maggie Kang. The animated film, produced by Sony Pictures Animation and released on Netflix, became the streaming platform’s most-watched film in history, according to Netflix, and swept awards season with wins at the Golden Globes, the Annie Awards and the Grammys before taking the Oscar on March 15. His talk and audience Q&A is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. in the Ahmanson Auditorium. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. The film’s ArtCenter ties extend beyond its co-director. Art director Angela Sung, cinematographer Gary H. Lee, visual development artist Celine Kim and painter Simon Baek are all ArtCenter graduates who worked on the production, according to the college. The free portions of ENTX include a concept design showcase, a production design gallery, a model gallery, a stop motion studio preview, an alumni gallery and a KPop Demon Hunters fan art gallery. Visitors can also playtest games designed by ArtCenter students. An Animation Shorts Showcase runs from 2 to 3 p.m. and includes “Boy, I’m Scared,” a capstone short by ArtCenter graduate Lindsey Tenaglia that was named a semifinalist for the 2025 Student Academy Awards in the animation category. Also screening
A secret weapon to fight carbon emissions was just discovered: Beavers
A new study in Switzerland finds that beaver-built wetlands can trap and store large amounts of carbon, offering a low-cost boost for restoration and climate resilience.
Colorado lawmakers can pass “Alyssa’s Act” to help coaches and parents monitor mental health (Opinion)
In 2019, we lost Alyssa after she struggled with her mental health following a series of concussions. We later learned that concussions can be linked to serious mental health challenges and an increase in suicide, especially in young people.
In Maine’s marquee Senate primary, Janet Mills reaches out to women by raising Graham Platner’s online past
Janet Mills and her allies are counting on a gender gap to narrow Platner’s wide lead ahead of the June 9 primary to decide who will face incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins. They are betting that the unfiltered style that has brought Platner widespread attention as someone who could help Democrats reach young men will backfire with women.
How to reduce stress
Simple lifestyle habits and professional support can reduce how frequently stress occurs.
Thank God for Wyoming — the un-Colorado
Years ago, I interviewed a Canadian health-care broker whose job was helping his countrymen escape their own failing system. When their “free” health care turned into “free to wait until you die,” he’d save his clients by routing them to doctors in the U.S. who’d accept cash and rescue their lives. I asked him what […]
6 Side Hustle Businesses You Can Start With $0
Looking to start a business on the side or earn extra income? These side hustle ideas have little to no start-up costs.
Girls' basketball coach of the year: Alicia Komaki of Sierra Canyon
She came up with a winning formula to defeat Etiwanda and No. 1 Ontario Christian in the Southern Section Open Division championship.
The Times' final top 25 high school boys' basketball rankings
Sierra Canyon, the state Open Division champion, finishes No. 1 in The Times' final 2025-26 high school boys' basketball rankings.
Trump touted bigger tax refunds this year, but Americans will likely spend them on gas
Spiking gas prices in the U.S. are on track to eat up tax refunds this year, leaving most Americans with little extra to spend.
The case against the Senate filibuster no Republican can make
How to put Congress, not the president, in the U.S. politics driver’s seat: End the 60-vote tradition.
Column: Republicans fearing a midterm rout revive Islamophobia as political strategy
The latest twist on replacement theory is the idea that white Americans are in need of saving from dark-skinned "others."