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Scientists Discover String Theory Explains Why Biological Networks Take Their Shape For more than a hundred years, scientists have puzzled over why physical networks — such as blood vessels, neurons, tree branches and biological systems — take the shapes they do. The dominant idea was that nature designs these structures to be as efficient as possible, using the least amount of material . Yet repeated attempts to test this idea using standard mathematical optimization models consistently failed to match reality. Related science and discovery coverage A Shift in Perspective Solves a Century-Old Puzzle The flaw, it seems, was a matter of perspective . Researchers were thinking in one dimension when the problem demanded three . "We were treating these structures like wire diagrams ," explains Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute physicist Xiangyi Meng, PhD . "But they are not thin wires — they are three-dimensional physical objects with surfaces that must joi...

Flower-Derived Compound Inhibits Key Enzyme Linked to Multiple Sclerosis and Cancer Introduction A natural compound has been identified by researchers to inhibit mechanisms underlying the progression of various cancers and demyelinating diseases, including multiple sclerosis, which affects the myelin sheath of neurons. Key Findings of the Research Sulfuretin: A Plant-Derived Flavonoid Research published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry  identifies sulfuretin , a plant-derived flavonoid, as an inhibitor of an enzyme linked to multi ple sclerosis and cancer. Discovery and Future Research Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) discovered this com pound in cell studies; next, they  plan to test it in animal models to assess its  potential efficacy and side effects for treating cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, including MS. "We believe this com pound could make a significant im pact across various thera peutic fields," remarked Larry Sherman...

Unlocking the Secrets of Vermeer's "Girl With the Pearl Earring": Neuroscience Reveals Its Allure The Scientific Exploration of Vermeer's Master piece A Study Commissioned by the Mauritshius Museum Johannes Vermeer's "Girl With The Pearl Earring" is among the world's most iconic  paintings, and scientists may have discovered why by analyzing brain res ponses to viewing the artwork. Neuroscientists were commissioned by the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, which dis plays the 17th-century master piece, to study brain res ponses to the  painting and other famous works. The Sustained Attentional Loo p Phenomenon Ca ptivating Viewer Engagement The researchers identified a distinctive neurological  phenomenon, termed the "Sustained Attentional Loo p," which they believe uniquely ca ptivates viewers of "Girl With The Pearl Earring." The viewer's gaze instinctively shifts from the girl's eye to her mouth, then to the  pearl, an...