Physicists are closing in on the origin of matter: An elusive quantity called baryon number may be responsible for the cosmic mismatch between matter and antimatter
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/physicists-find-major-clue-to-matters-biggest-mystery/

https://redd.it/1vo84r5
@rnerds

Coffee consumption linked to healthier body composition and metabolic markers. People with higher coffee consumption had lower total and visceral fat and greater skeletal muscle mass. In men, it is linked to a more favourable glucose–insulin profile, and higher bioavailable testosterone.
https://www.oulu.fi/en/news/study-links-coffee-consumption-metabolic-health-and-sex-hormones

https://redd.it/1voa0n2
@rnerds

Many restaurant workers report drinking on the job, despite formal zero-tolerance policies
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00952990.2026.2707638

https://redd.it/1vo7y61
@rnerds

RETRACTED: Excess mortality across countries in the Western World since the COVID-19 pandemic: ‘Our World in Data’ estimates of January 2020 to December 2022

We wish to inform the r/science community of an article submitted to the subreddit that has since been retracted by the journal. The submission garnered broad exposure on r/science and significant media coverage elsewhere, including being featured in a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing. Per [our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/science/wiki/rules/#wiki_retractions), the flair on this submission has been updated with "RETRACTED". The submission has also been added to our [wiki of retracted submissions](https://www.reddit.com/r/science/wiki/retractions/#wiki_retractions).

\--

Reddit Submission: [Excess death rates have remained high in the West for three years running since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, finds a data analysis of 47 countries published in the open access journal BMJ Public Health.](https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/1feicau/excess_death_rates_have_remained_high_in_the_west/)

The article ["Excess mortality across countries in the Western World since the COVID-19 pandemic: ‘Our World in Data’ estimates of January 2020 to December 2022"](https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2023-000282) has been [retracted](https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2023-000282ret) from *BMJ Public Health* as of August 11, 2026. Concerns [were raised](https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/commentary-misleading-bmj-public-health-paper-covid-19-excess-mortality-needs-be-retracted) following publication about the originality of the work and the messaging of its results with regards to COVID-19 vaccination and mortality. Widespread media coverage misrepresenting the work prompted the journal to publish an [expression of concern](https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2023-000282eoc) explaining that the research does not investigate or establish a causal link between COVID-19 vaccination and mortality. The notice also announced an internal investigation by the Princess Máxima Center in the Netherlands, where three of the four authors worked.

The lead author, Saskia Mostert, resigned following the investigation announcement and was "not able to cooperate with the investigation" by her former institution. *BMJ* also had difficulty contacting her, as the corresponding author, for their own investigation. She went on to appear before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee subcommittee on investigations on "Plausible Mechanisms of COVID-19 Injections Causing Cancer and Attacks on Scientific Publications and Research" where she testified on the results of the study.

The article was ultimately retracted by the journal "for misinformation in the discussion regarding the possible causes of excess mortality, and because the limited nature of the original work by the authors was not sufficiently described." Two of the four authors, along with the Princess Máxima Center, requested the retraction but disputed the journal's determination the paper contained misinformation. Mostert and the journal's fourth author, disagreed with the retraction.

* Retraction Watch: [BMJ Group retracts paper on COVID-19 vaccines and mortality featured in Senate hearing](https://retractionwatch.com/2026/08/11/bmj-public-health-retraction-covid-19-vaccines-death-senate-hearing/)

\--

Should you encounter a submission on r/science that has been retracted, please notify the moderators [via Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fscience&subject=Retraction).

https://redd.it/1voci60
@rnerds

Breathing exercises blunt the body’s physical reaction to acute stress
https://www.psypost.org/brief-breathing-exercises-blunt-the-body-s-physical-reaction-to-acute-stress/

https://redd.it/1vo949n
@rnerds

Liver injuries linked to drugs and other substances have risen more than 400% in the U.S. since 2000, with acetaminophen (Tylenol) emerging as a leading contributor—surpassing alcohol in reported cases.
https://gizmodo.com/liver-injuries-are-up-400-and-alcohol-isnt-the-main-reason-why-2000798328

https://redd.it/1voaxi9
@rnerds

Abdominal Fat Predicts Heart Disease Risk Better Than BMI
https://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2026/08/11/14/59/abdominal-fat-predicts-heart-disease-risk-better-than-bmi

https://redd.it/1vomehl
@rnerds

Similar to the US, colorectal cancer has become the leading cause of cancer death among people younger than 50 years in Norway. However, this is not accompanied by increased mortality. Norway has a publicly funded health system and this may contribute to differences in mortality relative to the US.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2852819?guestAccessKey=def825f6-0dd3-4708-a89b-8b5c9e5a7438&utm_source=for_the_media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_term=081426

https://redd.it/1voo3tx
@rnerds

Historical slavery predicts contemporary disparities in mortality between Black and White Americans
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2508037123

https://redd.it/1vot9vs
@rnerds

Researchers tested standardized oral THC in 171 adults with PTSD-related nightmares. THC reduced nightmare frequency and intensity remission rates vs placebo.
https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/news/thc-reduces-nightmares-in-ptsd-study-415531

https://redd.it/1vo9vuk
@rnerds

Research shows that the entire website of Reddit has become more negative over time. Moreover, the longer a given community exists, the more negative it becomes — and the longer a comment thread continues, the more negative the thread becomes
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2026/08/does-vitriol-make-you-feel-special/

https://redd.it/1vozcib
@rnerds

Study of Reddit posts since 2022 shows persistent tension between trust and distrust in generative AI. Trust outweighed distrust among business leaders, academics, software developers and tech professionals. Distrust was more frequent among general public, AI ethicists and media and journalists.
https://drexel.edu/news/archive/2026/August/generative-AI-trust

https://redd.it/1voz3ml
@rnerds

COVID-19 vaccination have prevented more than 16,000 hospitalizations and 4,000 deaths in one Washington county during the first 8 months of the vaccine rollout, according to a new modeling study
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-28801-3

https://redd.it/1vp08i6
@rnerds

Study found a significant “wealth gap” among older people in England, with poorer people showing signs of reduced physical function up to 15 years earlier than richer people of the same age. This was still significant even when chronic illness, weight and smoking and alcohol were taken into account.
https://www.nursingtimes.net/research-and-innovation/latest-research-and-innovation-news/stark-wealth-gap-in-physical-ageing-revealed-13-08-2026/

https://redd.it/1vp2eg5
@rnerds

Surprise triggers pupil dilation and brain-wave changes that signal the brain’s transition into a new mode, instantly changing how a person perceives and learns from what is happening around them
https://www.brown.edu/news/2026-08-05/pupil-dilation-surprise

https://redd.it/1vp00ka
@rnerds

14 week, Phase 4, Open Label, Decentralized Study finds that Viloxazine ER reduced ADHD symptoms by 45.3% in adults with comorbid depression/anxiety. 71.8% achieved ≥30% symptom reduction. Depression and anxiety also improved.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42207988/

https://redd.it/1vp1xbq
@rnerds

Live sports synchronize spectator heart rates and elevate oxytocin
https://www.psypost.org/the-biology-of-fandom-live-sports-synchronize-spectator-heart-rates-and-elevate-oxytocin/

https://redd.it/1vp5ws4
@rnerds

Scientists increasingly dependent on ‘black-box’ tools they do not understand | Scientists are increasingly relying on powerful data sources and tools that they often cannot fully understand, inspect or verify, according to a new study.
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1139630

https://redd.it/1vpadco
@rnerds

Unexpected Findings Add New Insight on Cannabis and Heart Health—UCSF trial found fewer premature heartbeats after cannabis inhalation, with potential implications for atrial fibrillation risk.
https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2026/08/432341/unexpected-findings-add-new-insight-cannabis-and-heart-health

https://redd.it/1vpcwcm
@rnerds

AI agents spontaneously reach consensus and choose the same random option without memory of past rounds or prompts. They seem to follow “majority force”, mathematical pattern also seen in physics model for a ferromagnet where atomic spins align in the same direction. This may be useful or dangerous.
https://www.sciencealert.com/1000-ai-agents-started-agreeing-without-anyone-telling-them-to

https://redd.it/1vpg83t
@rnerds

Diamond melts at about 7,300 K when compressed to three times the pressure at Earth’s core, a lower temperature than earlier experiments found and one that finally agrees with quantum-mechanical predictions
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-026-03413-1

https://redd.it/1vpffwf
@rnerds