Collagen has become a popular answer to joint pain, but what does the science say? - The South First

Seeing fine lines or wrinkles in the mirror is a stark reminder that your body is growing older, even if you still feel young on the inside. A loss of collagen contributes to some of the first outward signs of aging, and it usually begins in a person's 20s. But guzzling collagen peptides in powders and drinks may do little to reverse that trend – despite what companies, celebrities, and influencers might claim. A fresh appraisal of the evidence suggests that the popularity of collagen supplements is outpacing the rigor of the underlying science. The article is published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, authored by biostatistician David Robert Grimes from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland and UK-based dermatologist Anjali Mahto. It explains why the research on collagen supplements for skin aging is full of cracks. When Grimes and Mahto reviewed two meta-analyses published in 2021 and 2023, they found errors, including confused statistical measures. One meta-analysis even reported a nonsignificant finding as significant. When Grimes and Mahto corrected this data, they found no significant relationship between collagen dose and improvements in hydration or elasticity.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researcher Isaiah Santistevan led the development of three-dimensional simulations exploring how a nuclear device could deflect or disrupt an asteroid threatening Earth. Credit: Blaise Douros/LLNL Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers are developing three-dimensional simulations to examine how a nuclear device could be used to deflect or potentially disrupt an asteroid threatening Earth.

Milky Way’s first microblazar candidate sits 12,000 light-years away, offering a rare ground-level lab for studying relativistic jetsA black hole 12,000 light-years away is firing a jet of plasma almost directly toward Earth. At that distance, no known or expected danger to Earth has been identified by the researchers or the institutions involved. What astronomers have actually found is rarer and more interesting than a threat. Researchers have identified IRAS 18293-0941 as a compelling candidate for the Milky Way’s first microblazar, a class of object that gives astrophysicists a close-up laboratory for studying some of the most violent physics in the galaxy. What Astronomers FoundThe discovery centers on a binary system whose black hole expels plasma jets at close to three-quarters the speed of light, pointed almost directly toward Earth. The system pairs a hot, massive star with a black hole that completes a full orbit roughly every 11.38 days. Material drawn from the companion star feeds the black hole, and some of that matter gets expelled outward as opposing jets traveling at approximately three-quarters the speed of light. Terminology matters here.