Why our waistlines expand in middle age—aging stem cells shift into overdrive

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age
Adipogenesis contributes to age-related visceral adipose tissue accumulation. Credit: Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.adj0430

It’s no secret that our waistlines often expand in middle age, but the problem isn’t strictly cosmetic. Belly fat accelerates aging and slows down metabolism, increasing our risk for developing diabetes, heart problems and other chronic diseases. Exactly how age transforms a six pack into a softer stomach, however, is murky.

Now preclinical research by City of Hope has uncovered the cellular culprit behind age-related abdominal fat, providing new insights into why our midsections widen with middle age.

Published today in Science, the findings suggest a novel target for future therapies to prevent belly flab and extend our healthy lifespans.

“Peop...

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A shortcut to AI computation: In-memory computing overcomes data transfer bottlenecks

A schematic representation of in-memory computing using electrochemical memory devices (ECRAMs) arranged in a cross-point array structure, mimicking the way synapses in the brain process information. When voltage is applied to the device, ions move within the channel, enabling simultaneous computation and data storage. This study reveals how ions and electrons behave under applied voltage, uncovering the device’s internal operational dynamics. Credit: POSTECH

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance, researchers at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) have identified a breakthrough that could make AI technologies faster and more efficient.

Professor Seyoung Kim and Dr...

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Disk discovery changes views on star and planet formation

The combination of theoretical models and empirical data provides a new perspective for understanding the complex interactions between young stars and their environments. Credit: Paolo Padoan, Liubin Pan, Veli-Matti Pelkonen, Troels Haugbølle and Ake Nordlund
The combination of theoretical models and empirical data provides a new perspective for understanding the complex interactions between young stars and their environments. Credit: Paolo Padoan, Liubin Pan, Veli-Matti Pelkonen, Troels Haugbølle and Ake Nordlund

A study led by Paolo Padoan, ICREA research professor at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB), is challenging the understanding of planetary disk formation around young stars.

The paper, published in Nature Astronomy, reveals that the environment plays a crucial role in determining the size and lifetime of these planetary disks, which are the sites of planet formation.

When a star forms, it is surrounded by a spinning disk of gas and dust...

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Ferroelectric RAM performs calculations within memory

New ferroelectric device performs calculations within memory
A demonstration of how ferroelectric domain switching is used to perform differential computations. Credit: Prof. Bobo Tian

In a new Nature Communications study, researchers have developed an in-memory ferroelectric differentiator capable of performing calculations directly in the memory without requiring a separate processor.

The proposed differentiator promises energy efficiency, especially for edge devices like smartphones, autonomous vehicles, and security cameras.

Traditional approaches to tasks like image processing and motion detection involve multi-step energy-intensive processes. This begins with recording data, which is transmitted to a memory unit, which further transmits the data to a microcontroller unit to perform differential operations.

Since differential opera...

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