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Out-of-balance bacteria is linked to multiple sclerosis: The ratio can predict severity of disease

Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Multiple sclerosis is a disease that results when the immune system mistakenly attacks the brain and spinal cord. It affects nearly one million people in the U.S. and over 2.8 million worldwide. While genetics play a role in the risk of developing multiple sclerosis, environmental factors such as diet, infectious disease and gut health are major contributors. The environment plays a key role in determining who develops multiple sclerosis, and this is evident from twin studies. Among identical twins who share 100% of their genes, one twin has a roughly 25% chance of developing MS if the other twin has the disease. For fraternal twins who share 50% of their genes, this rate drops to around 2%.

Why do we twitch in our sleep?

Wednesday, February 19, 2025
A seemingly small question has shifted how scientists understand the relationship between the brain and the body.

How America became so car dependent

Friday, February 14, 2025
To be sure, the size of the U.S., its relatively low density, its wealth, its affordable suburbs, and — to be fair — the appeal of the automobile, are all key factors. But policies and lobbies have played an outsized role in the shift of available transportation options toward cars, said University of Iowa law professor Greg Shill.

Florida bill would legalize UTVs on highways, despite manufacturer warnings

Friday, February 14, 2025
Dr. Charles Jennissen, a pediatric emergency physician and professor at the University of Iowa’s Carver College of Medicine, has made ATV and UTV safety one of his core research areas.

With Drake Lawsuit Looming, Can Kendrick Lamar Play ‘Not Like Us’ at the Super Bowl?

Wednesday, February 5, 2025
The smash hit diss track is at the center of an ugly legal battle filed by Drake. Legal experts say that shouldn't stop Kendrick from performing it on the world's biggest stage.

Medical research depends on government money – even a day’s delay in the intricate funding process throws science off-kilter

Monday, February 3, 2025
In the early days of the second Trump administration, a directive to pause all public communication from the Department of Health and Human Services created uncertainty and anxiety among biomedical researchers in the U.S. This directive halted key operations of numerous federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health, including those critical to advancing science and medicine. Read why this matters.

He went to jail for stealing someone’s identity. But it was his all along

Monday, February 3, 2025
In a courtroom in eastern Iowa on Jan. 31, a man who has been William Woods for his entire life faced a man who had been known as William Woods for much of his. It was not until the real Mr. Woods contacted the University of Iowa, where Matthew Keirans was employed in Mr. Woods’ name, that he found an investigator who took him seriously enough to find the truth. Keirans was sentenced to 12 years in prison, ending a yearlong identity theft ordeal.

Iowa honors Caitlin Clark by retiring her number and hanging it in the rafters

Monday, February 3, 2025
Caitlin Clark returned to Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday to have her number 22 retired in a ceremony after the Hawkeyes’ 76-67 win over No. 4 USC, one season after she completed her historic college career.

Meet phosphine, a gas commonly used for industrial fumigation that can damage your lungs, heart and liver

Monday, January 27, 2025
Researchers know that phosphine, also known as PH₃, is a highly toxic gas connected with deaths. So, are there ways to prevent more of these deaths moving forward?

Earth Sings with Mysterious Chorus Waves—And Deep Space Does, Too

Thursday, January 23, 2025
In this story in Scientific American, UI professor Allison Jaynes, a space weather physicist, describes how the earth's chorus waves were discovered.