Artificial sweeteners could soon taste just like sugar

Some artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin and acesulfame K, have a bitter aftertaste that affects consumer acceptance of reduced-calorie foods and beverages. New research in FEBS Open Bio reveals the potential of compounds that inhibit bitter taste receptors to make artificial sweeteners more palatable. Saccharin and acesulfame K are detected by two types of bitter…

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Eating meat may protect against cancer, landmark research shows

Eating animal-sourced protein foods is not linked to a higher risk of death and may even offer protective benefits against cancer-related mortality, new research finds. The study, published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, analyzed data from nearly 16,000 adults aged 19 and older using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHAMES III). Researchers…

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Get ready for fracking, Reform UK tells energy firms

Joshua Nevett Political reporter PA Media Trapped in underground rocks, a potential energy resource has eluded generations of British politicians. It’s called shale gas and the method of getting it out of the ground, known as fracking, has proved politically difficult. Fracking, short for hydraulic fracturing, has been banned many times by different prime ministers…

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Scientists unlock nature’s secret to superfast mini robots

A collaborative team of researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Ajou University in South Koreahas revealed that the unique fan-like propellers of Rhagovelia water striders — which allow them to glide across fast-moving streams — open and close passively, like a paintbrush, ten times faster than the blink…

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The Hidden Ingredients Behind AI’s Creativity

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. We were once promised self-driving cars and robot maids. Instead, we’ve seen the rise of artificial intelligence systems that can beat us in chess, analyze huge reams of text, and compose sonnets. This has been one of the great surprises of the modern era: physical…

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