Science & Health News
A strange new eye cell is rewriting how vision works
April 14, 2026 12:02 am
| Chelsea Haney
Researchers have identified a hybrid photoreceptor in the eyes of fish that carries traits of both rods and cones – a combination that doesn’t fit either category. It suggests the retina may be far more flexible than scientists have long assumed.
Welcome to Refractor.io - here's what we're all about!
March 17, 2026 02:03 pm
A new science and health news publication.
Dust is the sky's desaturation filter
April 13, 2026 09:02 am
| Toluwalogo Niji-Olawepo
The explanation is weirder than you might think – in fact, the sky is probably closer to violet. Tiny air molecules and larger particles like dust and pollution scatter sunlight in different ways, painting the sky from deep violet to hazy white.
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April 12, 2026 10:02 am | Jay KakadeFascinating new analysis of fabric samples and other artifacts from a cave in Oregon reveals that humans may have stitched clothing as far back as 12,600 years ago – giving us an understanding of a critical aspect of evolution in that period.
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April 11, 2026 10:02 am | Jay KakadeSome of us get bitten far more often than others – but it seems we each also appear tasty to different species of mosquito. New research illuminates what's making a given individual attractive, and to which mosquitos.
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April 10, 2026 02:04 pm | Michael FrancoIn a triple win for green research, scientists at the University of Cambridge have developed a new sunlight-activated reactor that uses one waste stream to tackle another – all while producing clean hydrogen, and promising to be profitable at scale.
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April 10, 2026 10:11 am | Jay KakadeSometimes, the most important paleontological discoveries may come from the most disgusting materials. A fossilized vomit sample dating back nearly 300 million years revealed how an ancient mammal gorged on all manner of prey.
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April 09, 2026 11:35 am | Michael FrancoA new study has shown that the popular GLP-1 weight loss drug semaglutide has the power to halt, and to some extent restore, cartilage in people suffering from osteoarthritis (OA). The finding hints at a possible use of the drug beyond weight loss.
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March 30, 2026 12:20 pm | Chelsea HaneyWhen escaped domestic pigs bred with wild boar after the Fukushima evacuation, researchers gained a rare chance to observe large-scale hybridization. The result offers a new lens on how fast-breeding traits can quietly reshape wildlife genetics.
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