Latest news with #VanderbiltUniversity
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists Identify Possible Link Between Microplastics and Brain Health
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Research points to the potential health repercussions of microplastics. Now, a study seeks to explain how these nanoparticles enter the human brain (of which up to a 'spoonful' may be present!) and the potential impact they may have on our overall health. Microplastics are plastic particles that are smaller than five millimeters in size, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Four papers published in the May issue of the journal Brain Medicine explain how research suggests that microplastics from ultra-processed foods may build up in the brain. Those microplastics could be a factor in rising rates of depression, dementia, and other mental health disorders around the world, the researchers argue. Meet the experts: Clifford Segil, D.O., is a neurologist at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA; Kelly Johnson-Arbor, M.D., is a toxicologist at MedStar Health; Jamie Alan, Ph.D., is an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University; Jo Ellen Wilson, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., is an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center This is considered the most comprehensive analysis so far of how microplastics could impact brain health. Considering that a recent study published in the journal Nature Medicine determined that there's about a plastic spoon's worth of microplastics in the average human brain, all of these papers are worth paying attention to. Here's what the study found, plus what doctors want you to keep in mind going forward to protect against microplastics. The scientific papers dive into recent research surrounding microplastics in the brain, along with the potential impact on mental health. One paper hypothesizes that microplastic exposure from ultra-processed foods is contributing to the growth of a range of mental health issues. It points out that ultra-processed foods make up more than 50% of the calories people in countries like the U.S. eat, noting that these foods contain much higher concentrations of microplastics than whole foods. The papers point to research that links ultra-processed food to poor mental health outcomes, like a review published in The BMJ that found that people who ate ultra-processed foods had a 22% higher risk of depression, 48% higher risk of anxiety, and 41% higher risk of poor sleep outcomes. The researchers suggest that microplastics could be the missing link between these two factors, citing the example of foods like chicken nuggets, which contain 30 times more microplastics per gram than chicken breasts. Another scientific paper breaks down recent research on microplastics accumulating in the brain, noting that studies found that levels were up to five times higher in people who were diagnosed with dementia. In one paper, Ma-Li Wong, Ph.D., M.D., a professor of psychiatry and behavioral services at Upstate Medical University, stresses that finding such a 'spoonful' of microplastics in the brain is a 'reckoning' about environmental contaminants and brain health. 'The boundary between internal and external has failed,' she wrote. 'If microplastics cross the blood-brain barrier, what else do we think remains sacred?" Another paper looked at preliminary evidence to suggest that something known as extracorporeal therapeutic apheresis, which filters blood outside the body, may have the potential to remove microplastic particles from the blood. It's not entirely clear how microplastics make their way into your brain, says Jamie Alan, Ph.D., an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University. However, she points to previous research that suggests these tiny particles get into your blood after you're exposed to them in the environment or your food and then cross the blood-brain barrier because they're so small. It's not entirely clear right now. 'We do not know the long-term consequences of exposure to these,' Alan says. However, there are links being formed, especially when it comes to brain health. 'Some studies have found an association between higher levels of microplastics in the brain and certain brain disorders such as dementia, depression, and anxiety,' says Jo Ellen Wilson, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 'The direction of association of this effect remains unclear.' She points to this debate scientists are currently having about the impact of microplastics on dementia rates: Do higher levels of microplastics in the brain cause brain disorders like dementia, or do people who have conditions like dementia, who already have a more permeable blood-brain barrier, build up more microplastics in their brain because their brains are more permeable? 'This question of causation is an important one and has not yet been answered,' Dr. Wilson says. But the potential impact of microplastics in the brain likely depends on where the microplastics end up, says Clifford Segil, D.O., a neurologist at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. 'If microplastics are truly entering the brain and affecting brain neurotransmitter function, then the effects would correlate for wherever in the brain is accumulating these microplastics,' he says. 'If the front of the brain collects microplastics, they could cause behavioral issues, versus if the temporal lobes or the side of the brain collects microplastics, they could cause cognitive issues.' As of this moment, no. 'The idea of microplastics being able to get inside of the brain is novel, and if true, the next step would be to determine where in the brain they are accumulating, and then reverse engineer whatever method they are using to find their way into the brain to help find a way to get them out of our brains,' Dr. Segil says. Dr. Wilson says that doing your best to reduce your exposure to microplastics may help. 'We know that by reducing your exposure to plastics, over time, you may be able to decrease microplastic burden in your body,' she says. There is some research to suggest that eating plenty of fiber could help reduce microplastics' impact on your body, but more work is needed, says Kelly Johnson-Arbor, M.D., a toxicologist at MedStar Health. Microplastics are practically everywhere, making them hard to avoid. But there are a few things you can do to try to lower your exposure to these tiny particles. 'Certain water filters, especially those that feature smaller filter pore sizes, may be able to reduce human exposure to microplastics by removing the particles from drinking water,' Dr. Johnson-Arbor says. Avoiding the use of plastic in general—including plastic food containers and water bottles—can be helpful, but Dr. Johnson-Arbor points out that this can be a 'challenge' because plastic products are so common in everyday life. 'Even though many grocery stores don't use plastic bags at checkout, plastic products can still be found in the bags that we put fresh fruits and vegetables in at the grocery store, and the plastic wrap that covers pre-cut meat and produce,' she says. She suggests using bamboo or wood cutting boards, since plastic boards can become damaged over time and transfer microplastics to food that is being cut. Finally, Dr. Johnson-Arbor recommends using bamboo, metal, or glass food storage containers instead of plastic, and to avoid reheating foods in plastic containers. Again, microplastics are all over the place, making it hard to fully cut them from your life. But doing what you can to lessen your exposure may help protect your overall health—and your brain. You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
Fox News
3 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
Blistering report calls for investigation into 5 'woke' hospitals pushing 'radical' agenda with taxpayer money
FIRST ON FOX: After years of advertising campaigns targeting "woke" hospitals for putting politics before patients, a prominent nonprofit consumer advocacy group has compiled a comprehensive report on what it says are the worst offenders and urges President Donald Trump and lawmakers nationwide to take action. The new report, titled "Woke hospitals: Embracing Political Priorities Ahead of Patient Care," was released by Consumers' Research on Tuesday and took aim at five hospital systems across the country: Cleveland Clinic, Vanderbilt University Medical, Henry Ford Health, Memorial Hermann and Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital. "U.S. consumers should be aware that many nonprofit hospital systems have leveraged taxpayer dollars and federal funding to advance controversial political and social causes," the report states. "Instead of lowering costs and passing savings onto patients, hospitals have spent considerable money, time, and manpower pursuing a partisan agenda pertaining to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), radical gender ideology, and climate activism. This report examines five of these 'woke' hospital systems and the specific ways in which they have opted to engage in various forms of political activism unrelated to – and in some cases at odds with – their core missions as healthcare providers," the report continues. "Each of them is a tax-exempt beneficiary receiving numerous funding streams and benefits from the federal government." The report's accusations against Cleveland Clinic, which Fox News Digital previously reported on, highlight a comment from CEO Tom Mihaljevic when he stated that "healthcare is only part of our mission." That mission, according to Consumers' Research, includes promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) which the hospital's chief of diversity of inclusion said in 2023, "has to be embedded in everything we do." In addition to several examples of the hospital system pushing DEI, the report outlines ways that Cleveland Clinic has engaged in "climate activism" while pouring millions into "green initiatives" as well as administering transgender care to children. Vanderbilt University Medical, a hospital system that Fox News Digital previously reported was found to be deleting some of its references to DEI commitments and resources while also keeping some and hiding them from public view, is said in the report to have received $468 million in NIH grants for medical research. While receiving substantial funding from the federal government, the hospital system is also pushing a "woke" agenda, according to the report. "VUMC's Emergency Medicine Department featured a Diversity, Inclusion & Wellness Office co-led by two directors of 'Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism,'" the report states. "In January 2025, VUMC's Psychiatry Department hosted a webinar addressing 'The War on DEI,' identifying racism, sexism, caste systems, and nationalism as significant barriers to DEI objectives." The report also outlines what it says are examples of VUMC promoting climate activism and providing "gender-affirming care" to minors. "According to the nonprofit organization Do No Harm, VUMC has provided sex-change treatments to 33 minors since 2019, with 22 patients receiving irreversible body-altering surgery," the report states. "VUMC even awarded grants to a reproductive clinic in Memphis that assists LGBTQ+ youth in acquiring gender-change hormone therapy. Following the implementation of Tennessee's new law, the clinic announced on its website that it now refers minors seeking such services to its affiliated clinic in Carbondale, IL, pending parental consent," the report continued. Henry Ford Health has also been a previous target of Consumers' Research, Fox News Digital reported in April, and is mentioned in the report as a place where the "racist DEI agenda is so egregious that America First Legal, a pro-Trump legal nonprofit, filed an official complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) calling for an investigation." The report outlines several examples of the hospital allegedly pushing "gender ideology" and cites Do No Harm's database, which found that Henry Ford Health "treated at least 63 sex-change patients who were minors, including eight patients who underwent surgery." Memorial Hermann Health System in Texas was also highlighted by the report as an organization rife with examples of DEI, which critics for years have argued puts politics before patients. "Memorial Hermann maintains that 'health equity' is paramount," the report states. "The system has stated its intention of embedding EDI practices at the core of its mission and vision and believes overcoming 'historical and contemporary injustices' is critical." The report adds that "Memorial Hermann publicly claims not to offer gender-transition services to individuals under 18" but, according to Do No Harm, "has reportedly performed 15 sex-change surgeries on minors and prescribed puberty blockers or hormone therapy to three children." The fifth hospital in the report, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, has said that it considers DEI to be part of its founding values and declared racism to be a "public health issue" after the death of George Floyd. The report states that the hospital "was the first hospital in the U.S. to offer transgender surgeries, doing so as early as 1966" and pointed to a 2022 statement from a spokesperson that stated children should have access to transgender care to "improve their mental health." "The Johns Hopkins All Children's website formerly included a page about children's gender and sexual development," the report says. " It referred to the 'emotional and physical foundation for sexuality"' among 'infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and young school-aged kids.'" Fox News Digital reached out to all five hospitals in the report for comment. "Henry Ford Health respects and fully complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws," a Henry Ford Health spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. "For more than a century, Henry Ford Health has been fully committed to serving Michigan's richly diverse communities, providing health care services and employment opportunities to everyone. Our commitment to non-discrimination remains steadfast." In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Cleveland Clinic spokesperson said, "For more than a century, Cleveland Clinic's mission has been to care for life, research for health, and educate those who serve. Cleveland Clinic is a nonpartisan organization and we neither have nor promote any political agenda. We are in full compliance with all state and federal laws and strongly refute the false and misleading assertions made in this report. The report intentionally shares information that is outdated." A VUMC spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "Vanderbilt University Medical Center fully complies with the current federal and state mandates and directives, and any accusations otherwise are simply false." A spokesperson for Memorial Hermann told Fox News Digital the report "reflects information that is outdated, factually inaccurate and intentionally misleading." "As one example of factually inaccurate information, Memorial Hermann does not provide and has never provided any form of pediatric gender transitioning treatment to patients younger than 18 years of age at any of our facilities. Secondly, we are compliant with all state and federal price transparency regulations. As the largest nonprofit health system in Southeast Texas, we are committed to delivering compassionate, patient-centered care that provides high-quality outcomes to all we serve. We do not discriminate based on race, gender or any other characteristics, and we abide by ethical and legal standards of care. We are equally committed to ensuring our policies comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations." One of the top concerns outlined in the report is what Consumers' Research describes as "insult to injury" when it comes to federal tax dollars propping up these hospitals that are pushing "woke" ideologies and shelling out millions in salaries for top leadership. "Nonprofit hospitals highlighted in this report and across the U.S. receive millions of dollars in federal funding, government-mandated savings programs, and tax exemptions," the report states. "This means taxpayers are often left footing the bill for hospitals' political activism. Hospitals receive nonprofit, tax-exempt status on the basis that they provide a broader benefit to the community. These health systems are able to couple their billions of dollars in tax savings with significant federal funding sources and government-mandated savings programs. These avenues for federal funding include Medicare payments, Medicaid payments, and federal grant funding." The report alleges that these hospitals often "leverage their position" to receive "multiple special designations through Medicare and Medicaid that allow them access to more taxpayer dollars while arguing against federal cuts to current revenue streams." "As outlined in this report, hospitals are taking advantage of their billions of dollars in tax breaks, federal funding, and mandated discount programs to fund frivolous projects outside the scope of patient care," the report alleges. "Instead of passing benefits along to patients and lowering costs – as these programs intended – hospitals use these programs to fund political priorities outside of their core mission of providing high-quality care and benefiting their communities." In addition to the report, Consumers' Research has sent letters to President Trump, Senate and House leadership, and governors of the states where the hospitals are located calling for an investigation into the federal dollar funding streams to the organizations that could be violating anti-DEI rules and running counter to state values. "The content of this Consumer Warning should provide your administration with more than enough justification for initiating a formal investigation into these federally supported hospitals' internal activities and a subsequent review of their tax-exempt privileges and the specific government funding streams which support them," the letter to Trump and officials in his administration states. Additionally, Consumers' Research is running a mobile billboard in Washington, D.C., and launching the website to highlight their warning to consumers. "Consumers need to be aware that hospitals in their own backyards have found ways to use taxpayer dollars to advance a woke agenda, which takes away vital resources that should be going to patient care," Consumers' Research Executive Director Will Hild said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Our Consumer Warning spotlights five nonprofit hospitals that are prioritizing radical causes like DEI, child sex-change procedures, and climate activism, all while receiving millions in taxpayer dollars. Every hospital CEO should read this Consumer Warning and promptly end woke policies in their organizations and refocus on their core mission, which is providing the best quality patient care at affordable prices. Until every hospital in America stops pushing discriminatory DEI policies, mutilating kids' bodies, and promoting climate politics, their federal funding streams and other government benefits like tax-exemptions should be investigated to ensure taxpayers are not supporting any hospital's reckless ideological activism. It is time to stop funding woke hospitals."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Darius Garland Undergoes Toe Surgery Amid Rising Trade Rumors
Darius Garland Undergoes Toe Surgery Amid Rising Trade Rumors originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Cleveland Cavaliers star point guard Darius Garland has undergone surgery to repair a lingering left great toe injury, a procedure that will sideline him for approximately 4 to 5 months, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Advertisement The operation was performed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in consultation with team doctors, and while Garland is expected to make a full recovery, the timeline casts doubt on his availability for the start of the 2025–26 NBA season. Garland's injury troubles began late in the regular season but reached a breaking point in the playoffs. After aggravating the toe during Game 2 of Cleveland's first-round sweep against the Miami Heat, he was forced to miss the start of their second-round series against the Indiana Pacers. Without their floor general, the Cavaliers dropped Games 1 and 2 at home, losing home-court advantage and momentum. Though Garland returned later in the series, he was a shadow of his All-Star self, visibly hobbled and ineffective. The Cavaliers were eliminated in five games, their title dreams dashed despite a 64–18 record. The fallout has been significant. Garland and center Jarrett Allen, both previously considered franchise cornerstones, are no longer viewed as 'untouchable' by the organization. Advertisement According to multiple reports, Cleveland's front office is exploring ways to reshape the roster around All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell and rising star Evan Mobley. While there's been no confirmed traction with any teams, speculation around Garland's future has heated up, especially in light of his injury and the Cavs' early playoff exit. Before the injury, Garland was enjoying a strong season under first-year head coach Kenny Atkinson. He averaged 20.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting 47.2% from the field, 40.1% from beyond the arc, and 87.8% from the free-throw line. He posted the lowest turnover rate of his career (2.5 per game), indicating improved decision-making and efficiency. The 24-year-old guard had also earned his second All-Star selection and helped lead Cleveland to the top seed in the East. However, his postseason struggles and long-term durability concerns have put a cloud over his role in the Cavaliers' future. Advertisement Garland's surgery may also affect the team's offseason decision-making. With backup guard Ty Jerome set to hit free agency following a career year, Cleveland could prioritize re-signing him as insurance. The uncertainty surrounding Garland's recovery and trade value might delay or complicate potential negotiations with other teams. Critics, including ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, were vocal about Garland's absence during the playoffs, calling out his inability to play through injury. a point that now seems harsh in hindsight, given the severity of the issue and need for surgery. As the Cavaliers face a critical offseason, Garland's status looms large. Once seen as a franchise centerpiece, he now finds himself both on the mend and on the trade block. Whether he returns to reclaim his place in Cleveland or headlines a blockbuster trade elsewhere, one thing is certain: the future of the Cavaliers and of Darius Garland hangs in the balance. Related: New Trade Idea Sees Darius Garland Join The Orlando Magic This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Medscape
5 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
AHA: Effects of Modest Alcohol Use on the Heart Unclear
Several medical groups have concluded regular consumption of alcohol in any amount poses a health risk, but a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) offered more qualified guidance. The premise that moderate alcohol use reduces cardiovascular risk has been widely accepted for decades. The authors of a 1993 editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine concluded 'there now seems little doubt' that such a benefit exists. However, a review of the evidence in 2025 produced a more cautious summary. 'Considering the level of evidence, it remains unknown whether drinking is part of a healthy lifestyle, and therefore, clinicians should reinforce healthy lifestyle behaviors such as regularly engaging in physical activity, avoiding tobacco use, and maintaining healthy body weight,' the AHA document stated. Complex Mix 'Data from recent studies using new methodologies (eg, individual participant-level data meta-analysis and mendelian randomization [MR]) have challenged the idea that any level of alcohol consumption has positive health effects,' according to authors of the new statement, led by Mariann R. Piano, RN, PhD, senior associate dean for research at the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, in Nashville, Tennessee. Prior to the new methodologies, protection against coronary artery disease from moderate alcohol use was derived from many observational studies. These studies used a variety of definitions of moderate drinking but typically considered that threshold to be two or fewer drinks per day for men and one or fewer drinks per day for women. In pooled analyses cited in the AHA statement, reductions in risks of 10%-15% relative to no drinking were common. Yet analyses of alcohol consumption are complex, even leaving aside how a standard drink is defined or whether the risk calculations are needed for every type of alcohol, according to Piano and her colleagues. In addition, any potential benefit is eliminated by moderate drinkers who binge intermittently, according to several examples in the AHA statement. The new methodologies for addressing the question of the safety of moderate drinking do not fully reverse conclusions that it is beneficial. They suggest little or no protection rather than harm. In one pooled analysis of MR studies, the finding was a 'weak association' for benefit, which differs markedly from assertions that moderate drinking might be justified for a benefit to cardiovascular health. Following a detailed review of the evidence for both moderate and heavy alcohol use on cardiovascular risks and risk factors, the AHA statement summarized messages clinicians can deliver to patients, but strict conclusions were limited to the harm of heavy drinking. The messages on moderate drinking largely consisted of talking points. For coronary artery disease specifically, the AHA statement acknowledged that moderate drinking 'may provide some risk reduction' for the condition even if this reduction has been rendered less clear by studies using analyses designed to apply more rigor for evaluating observational data. For heart failure, the statement concluded that low-to-moderate alcohol consumption has not been associated with any beneficial or detrimental effect, although this statement is qualified with a citation suggesting five or more drinks per week may contribute to left ventricular dysfunction. Moderate Alcohol and Hypertension For patients who already have hypertension, the statement cautioned even moderate consumption of alcohol can contribute to elevated blood pressure — one of the few statements to link moderate alcohol use to a specific adverse effect on a cardiovascular risk factor. The authors characterized alcohol abstention as a reasonable part of lowering blood pressure in hypertensive patients. For stroke, moderate alcohol use has produced mixed results, according to the AHA statement. One possible explanation for the increased risk for stroke in some studies might relate to the association of moderate alcohol with elevations in blood pressure among those who already have hypertension. For arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies, low alcohol intake or abstention might be better than moderate or heavier drinking, even if data supporting this contention are limited, according to the AHA statement. For example, although a prospective study associated abstinence with a reduction in the burden of atrial fibrillation, the analysis, like the vast majority of studies cited in the AHA statement, was not a randomized comparison. The focus of the new document was on cardiovascular health, but several health organizations taking a broader view of health risks have recently cautioned against alcohol use in general. Among them are the World Health Organization, which issued a statement in 2023 that 'no level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health,' and the CDC, which earlier this year called for warning labels on alcoholic beverages linking consumption to cancer. A 2023 report from the Canada called the Guidance on Alcohol and Health also called for drinking less as a general step to better health. In the US, where a 2023 governmental survey found more than 50% of adults reported drinking alcohol within the past month, the US Department of Agriculture did not make definitive claims about the relationship between low-level alcohol use and health risks in its recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Despite the recommendations the AHA listed for clinicians when advising patients, an urgent call was made for prospective studies that can confirm benefit, or at least the absence of risk, regarding moderate drinking. The list of gaps in knowledge in the statement was long. The orientation regarding moderate alcohol use in relation to cardiovascular disease has shifted, according to Jamal S. Rana, MD, PhD, a clinical cardiologist and adjunct investigator in the Division of Research at Permanente Medical Group, Oakland, California. At this point, 'I think we should move away from the overarching public messaging that one should drink because it is good for heart health,' said Rana, who has been involved in several studies regarding alcohol use and cardiovascular risk. For moderate use, he suggested the caution about potential risks should not exceed the evidence. Even if newer evidence is challenging the long-held belief that moderate alcohol offers some degree of cardioprotection, significant harm has been most closely associated with heavy alcohol use. As for advising patients, he said he agrees in general with the AHA statement summary of the evidence: Risks should be emphasized to patients who drink more than moderately, but 'drinking socially with low amounts of alcohol is okay.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
The Universe's Missing Black Holes May Have Been Located
For decades, astronomers have theorized that black holes fall into three broad categories. There are the stellar-mass black holes, which range from five to 50 times the mass of our Sun. Then, there are supermassive black holes (SMBHs), which are millions to billions of times more massive than the Sun. Finally, there are intermediate black holes (IMBHs), with masses that fall somewhere in between. Whereas scientists have observed plenty of stellar mass black holes and SMBHs, evidence of IMBHs has been a lot harder to come by. That has posed a problem: IMBHs are thought to be the transitional bridge between stellar black holes and SMBHs as they grow, a glaring 'missing link' in black hole evolution. In a series of new studies, an international team led by researchers from Vanderbilt University's Lunar Labs Initiative (LLI) has announced that it may have found evidence of these elusive objects. In one of the papers, a team led by astronomers Krystal Ruiz-Rocha and Anjali Yolkier describes how the researchers reanalyzed data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and the Virgo Collaboration to search for possible indications of IMBH mergers. The results indicate that these observatories recorded gravitational wave events that correspond to mergers between black holes that were 100 to 300 solar masses. This makes these events the largest black hole collisions recorded by astronomers, and places them in the range where they expect lightweight IMBHs to be. "Black holes are the ultimate cosmic fossils," says astronomer and senior author Karan Jani. "The masses of black holes reported in this new analysis have remained highly speculative in astronomy. This new population of black holes opens an unprecedented window into the very first stars that lit up our Universe." In related research, scientists showed how the upcoming Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, which is scheduled to launch in the late 2030s, could help verify these results. Whereas detectors like LIGO and Virgo can capture the final stages of a black hole collision, LISA will be able to track them for years before they merge as they spiral in towards each other, generating ripples in space-time. This extended observational timeframe will allow astronomers to learn more about the black holes' origin, evolution, and what will become of them. "We hope this research strengthens the case for intermediate-mass black holes as the most exciting source across the network of gravitational-wave detectors from Earth to space," says Ruiz-Rocha. "Each new detection brings us closer to understanding the origin of these black holes and why they fall into this mysterious mass range." Looking ahead, the team plans to explore how IMBH could be observed using gravitational wave observatories on the Moon. NASA is exploring the possibility of building just such an observatory on the Moon as part of the Artemis program's long-term objectives. This plan has existed since the Apollo Era and would build on the Lunar Surface Gravimeter experiment left behind by the Apollo 17 astronauts. "This is an exciting moment in history – not just to study black holes, but to bring scientific frontiers together with the new era of space and lunar exploration," says Jani. "We have a rare opportunity to train the next generation of students whose discoveries will be shaped by, and made from, the Moon." The findings are reported in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, with supporting research published in The Astrophysical Journal, here, here, and here. Mysteriously Magnetic Moon Rocks Might Have an Explosive Origin Story Fiery Orange Gems From The Moon Reveal Secrets of Its Violent Past A Giant Hole Just Opened in The Sun – And It's Blasting Earth With Solar Wind
