sunlight

Researchers have long suspected that an ingredient in sunscreen called oxybenzone was harming corals, but no one knew how. A new study shows how corals turn oxybenzone into a sunlight-activated toxin.

Mice with low vitamin D had exaggerated craving for opioids and felt the drugs’ effects more strongly—results supported in part by human medical records—suggesting that supplements should be explored as treatments for opioid use disorders.

Evolution imbued ants with an agriculture strategy that optimizes food rewards.

Most of the genetic alterations are harmless, but some may contribute to cancer.

FDA researchers report that multiple active ingredients wind up in users’ bloodstream and recommend toxicology testing to investigate the clinical significance of the findings.

Researchers have outfitted brewer’s yeast with light-harvesting semiconductors to boost chemical productivity.

Moderate ultraviolet light exposure boosts the brainpower of mice thanks to increased production of the neurotransmitter glutamate.  

Optometrist and eclipse-chaser Ralph Chou describes how even a partially eclipsed sun can damage the eye.

A new study reports which types of corals make the most of the sunlight they receive. 

A new nanoparticle-based sunblock is effective, long-lasting, and may eliminate absorption of potentially harmful chemicals into the skin and bloodstream, a mouse study shows.

UVA exposure reduces human blood pressure by releasing nitric oxide metabolites from storage in the skin.

Shortly after demonstrating dung beetles’ ability to navigate by the stars, researchers in Sweden provide evidence that the insects can also use the sun to find their way.

Humans’ circadian clocks become skewed when they are exposed to electric lights but revert to a schedule more in tune with the sun when they go camping.

For more than 40 years, German gynecologist and legendary science writer Fritz Kahn (1888-1968) captured the imagination of an international audience with hundreds of wildly inventive illustrations and more than a dozen popular science books. 

Around the turn of the 20th century—before sunscreens hit the market and the damaging effects of UV radiation were widely appreciated—physicians saw the sun mostly as a source of healing.