Science and technology

Dreaming is a nearly universal human experience: most people dream several times per night, yet the content, clarity, and memory of dreams vary widely. Scientists study dreams to understand memory, emotion, creativity, and brain function. While no single definitive answer explains why we dream, converging evidence from neurobiology, psychology, evolutionary theory, and clinical studies offers a coherent picture of multiple functions and mechanisms.How the brain operates while dreamingDreams are most vivid during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, although dreams also occur in non-REM sleep. Key physiological facts:Sleep cycles generally recur every 90 minutes, and adults usually move through about four…

Dreaming is a nearly universal human experience, with most individuals drifting into several dreams each night, although what they see, how vivid it feels, and what they later remember can differ greatly. Researchers investigate dreams to explore how the brain handles memory, emotion, creativity, and overall activity. Although no single, definitive explanation clarifies why dreaming occurs, a growing body of evidence from neurobiology, psychology, evolutionary perspectives, and clinical research suggests a multifaceted set of purposes and underlying processes.How the brain operates while dreamingDreams are typically most intense during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, yet they can also emerge throughout non-REM…

Earth’s core may contain vast hidden reserves of hydrogen, reshaping theories about planet’s water origins. Beneath our feet lies a hidden reservoir that could dwarf all of Earth’s oceans. The discovery could transform our understanding of how Earth formed and where its water came from.Far below the crust and mantle, at depths unreachable by drilling technology, Earth’s core remains one of the least accessible regions of our planet. Yet new scientific findings suggest that this remote and extreme environment may hold an extraordinary secret: a vast store of hydrogen potentially equivalent to several times the volume contained in all of…

Therapeutic cancer vaccines mark a transition from simple prevention to active intervention: rather than stopping infection or the emergence of disease, they are designed to teach the patient’s immune system to identify and eliminate tumor cells already present. During the last ten years, progress in immunology, genomic sequencing, and delivery platforms has pushed therapeutic vaccines beyond early concepts and small pilot studies, moving them toward practical approvals and large randomized trials. This article outlines the fundamental principles, details major modalities with representative examples, reviews clinical evidence and existing hurdles, and points to the directions the field is poised to take.What…