Wolverine Fish, Blind Eel and 210 More New Fish Species Found

Conservation organization Shoal announced that scientists have discovered 212 new freshwater fish species in the last year—a remarkable feat not only for the unprecedented number, but also for all the extraordinary creatures it represents. The New Species 2021 report includes the Hopliancistrus wolverine (aka the Wolverine fish), which surprised researchers with a hidden weapon system tucked underneath its gill covers. Other species—like the Mumbai blind …

Eyes Can Express an Individual’s True Biological Age

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers analyzed over 130,000 retinal images from UK BioBank participants between the ages of 40 and 69. As retinas can offer unique insight into the body’s health, researchers set out to compare how one’s biological age—gleaned from eyes—may differ from one’s chronological age. They found a “retinal age gap,” which can work as a biomarker for health risks. If an individual’s biological …

Confirming the Medical Benefits of Marijuana

The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine has released a whopping 400-page study on the clinical benefits of marijuana wherein they support almost 100 conclusions. The report features information from 10,000 scientific studies and notes many positive effects, including cannabinoids’ impact on treating chronic pain. It also states that smoking marijuana is not linked to cancers that arise from smoking tobacco products (though respiratory …