Research

Plain-language summaries of health and wellness research, studies, and
scientific findings. These pieces explain what studies show and what
they do not — written for general understanding, not as a substitute
for professional medical guidance.

Why Bloodletting Lasted So Long in Medicine

For centuries, one of the most common medical treatments performed by physicians involved deliberately cutting open a patient's veins or…

Editor's Top Picks

Microplastic-Binding Bacteria Research Is Still Preclinical

Laboratory research on bacterial material that binds microplastics is intriguing, but it does not yet support a supplement for removing…

More form Research

Why We Yawn Is Still an Open Scientific Question

Yawning is common and contagious in many people, but proposed explanations involving brain temperature, arousal…

Microplastic-Binding Bacteria Research Is Still Preclinical

Laboratory research on bacterial material that binds microplastics is intriguing, but it does not yet…

How a Cholera Outbreak in London Shaped Modern Epidemiology

In the mid-19th century, London was a city grappling with rapid industrialisation and the profound…

Sleep Restriction Can Affect Activity and Weight — but the Evidence Needs Context

Controlled sleep-restriction studies can reveal short-term metabolic and activity changes, but they do not prove…

Why Sleep Has Many Functions Rather Than One Simple Purpose

Sleep supports memory, physiology and brain function, but scientists do not reduce its purpose to…