This Newly Discovered Coral Is So Big It Can Be Seen From Space

In an exciting discovery, scientists on a National Geographic research vessel found the world's largest coral. The massive Pavona clavus coral measures 34 meters wide and 32 meters long, or as long as a large plane, and is visible from space! Located near the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean, this ancient coral is estimated to be about 300 years old. Despite threats like global warming, runoff pollution and bleaching events affecting corals worldwide, researchers say this resilient giant could help repopulate damaged areas with its genetic wealth.

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Oscar Nominations Announced: 'Sinners' Poised To Make History

Ryan Coogler’s vampire drama Sinners stormed into the Oscar race Thursday with 16 nominations, setting a new Academy Awards record and positioning itself as the frontrunner heading into Hollywood’s biggest night. The Jim Crow-era horror epic, drenched in blues and myth, became the most-nominated film in the 98-year history of the Oscars, surpassing the previous record of 14 held by All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land. It’s a major breakthrough for Coogler, who scored nominations for best picture, director, and screenplay, while lead actor Michael B. Jordan landed his first-ever Oscar nod. One Battle After Another, the long-anticipated father-daughter saga from Paul Thomas Anderson, followed closely with 13 nominations. Despite being considered the early favorite, it now trails Coogler’s genre-defying entry. Four of its stars — Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro, and Sean Penn — earned acting nods, though newcomer Chase Infiniti was a surprise omission from best actress. Both films dig deep into American identity at a time of political and social unrest. Sinners uses horror to explore the horrors of Black life in the segregated South. One Battle After Another sets its rebellion in a dystopian police state. Their nominations signal the Academy’s embrace of urgent, provocative storytelling. They also mark a banner year for Warner Bros., which released both films. The studio — currently in the spotlight amid a pending $72 billion sale to Netflix — just had its most successful Oscar nominations day ever. The industry is watching closely as the proposed acquisition faces a challenge from rival bidder Paramount Skydance, setting the stage for a potential shake-up across Hollywood. Rounding out the best picture category are Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, and Train Dreams. It’s a wide-ranging list, spanning sci-fi, literary adaptations, and intense character studies. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, and Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value each received nine nominations, highlighting the Academy’s preference this year for emotionally complex, stylistically ambitious films. Timothée Chalamet earned his third best actor nomination for Marty Supreme and is considered a strong contender after narrowly missing out last year. He’ll compete against Michael B. Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent). On the best actress side, Jessie Buckley leads the pack for her performance in Hamnet. She’s joined by Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), and Emma Stone, who notched her sixth nomination for Bugonia. In supporting categories, Sentimental Value stood out with four total acting nominations, including dual nods for Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas in supporting actress. They’ll face Amy Madigan (Weapons), Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners), and Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another). Supporting actor nods went to Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein), Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro (both for One Battle After Another), Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value), and Delroy Lindo (Sinners). This year’s Oscars introduced a new category for casting, which helped Sinners and One Battle After Another pad their tallies. Also nominated in that category: Hamnet, Marty Supreme, and The Secret Agent. In original song, Sinners scored again with “I Lied To You.” It competes with “Golden” from Kpop Demon Hunters, “Train Dreams” from the film of the same name, “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless, and “Sweet Dreams Of Joy” from Viva Verdi!. The 98th Academy Awards will be held on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Conan O’Brien returns to host. While YouTube has inked a deal to exclusively stream future ceremonies, that won’t kick in until 2029 — meaning this year’s broadcast still belongs to ABC.

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Aerobic Exercise May Help Keep Your Brain Biologically Younger, New Study Finds

Staying active isn’t just good for your heart and muscles — it could help keep your brain younger too. That’s the takeaway from a year-long clinical trial by the AdventHealth Research Institute, where scientists found that adults who stuck to a regular aerobic exercise routine had brains that looked nearly a year younger than those who didn’t. The findings, published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science, suggest that committing to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity could help preserve memory, boost thinking skills, and support overall brain health. “We found that a simple, guideline-based exercise program can make the brain look measurably younger over just 12 months,” said Dr. Lu Wan, lead author and data scientist at AdventHealth Research Institute. “These absolute changes were modest, but even a one-year shift in brain age could matter over the course of decades.” What does it mean to have a ‘younger’ brain? Researchers used MRI scans to estimate “brain age,” a measure that compares how old someone’s brain appears to be against their actual age. A higher “brain-predicted age difference,” or brain-PAD, means the brain looks older than it should — and that’s not a good sign. Earlier studies have linked higher brain-PAD to slower thinking, weaker memory, and greater risk of death. In this trial, 130 healthy adults between the ages of 26 and 58 were split into two groups. One group stuck to their usual routines. The other followed a structured aerobic program based on public health guidelines: two supervised, 60-minute workouts each week, plus home sessions to reach about 150 minutes of aerobic exercise weekly. After one year, the group that exercised saw their brain-PAD drop by an average of 0.6 years, meaning their brains appeared younger than when they started. In contrast, the control group saw a slight increase in brain-PAD — about 0.35 years older — but this change wasn’t statistically significant. The difference between the groups added up to nearly one full year. “Even though the difference is less than a year, prior studies suggest that each additional ‘year’ of brain age is associated with meaningful differences in later-life health,” said Dr. Kirk I. Erickson, senior author and neuroscientist at AdventHealth and the University of Pittsburgh. “From a lifespan perspective, nudging the brain in a younger direction in midlife could be very important.” The mystery behind the benefit The study also measured changes in fitness levels, body composition, blood pressure, and levels of a brain-boosting protein called BDNF. Researchers hoped these might explain why the brain appeared younger, but none of them did. “That was a surprise,” Wan said. “We expected improvements in fitness or blood pressure to account for the effect, but they didn’t. Exercise may be acting through additional mechanisms we haven’t captured yet, such as subtle changes in brain structure, inflammation, vascular health or other molecular factors.” Midlife might be the sweet spot Most research on brain health tends to focus on older adults, when signs of decline are already visible. This study focused instead on adults in their 30s, 40s, and 50s — a time when the brain is still relatively stable, but when habits may have long-term consequences. “Intervening in the 30s, 40s and 50s gives us a head start,” Erickson said. “If we can slow brain aging before major problems appear, we may be able to delay or reduce the risk of later-life cognitive decline and dementia.” What it means for you The changes seen in the study were small, and the participants were relatively healthy and well-educated, so the findings may not apply to everyone. But the researchers say the results are encouraging — especially for people looking for simple ways to support brain health as they age. “People often ask, ‘Is there anything I can do now to protect my brain later?’” Erickson said. “Our findings support the idea that following current exercise guidelines — 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity — may help keep the brain biologically younger, even in midlife.” The study was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Dr. Wan and Dr. Erickson are both part of the AdventHealth Neuroscience Institute in Florida. Erickson also previously served as a professor at the University of Pittsburgh and has published more than 350 papers on brain health and exercise.

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A 40-Year-Old is Making History After an Epic Five-Set Win at the Australian Open

Stan Wawrinka dug deep, fought cramps, and outlasted a 21-year-old opponent to make tennis history in what may be his final Australian Open. In a gruelling five-set showdown that stretched 4 hours and 33 minutes — the longest match of the 2026 tournament so far — the 40-year-old Swiss veteran defeated French qualifier Arthur Gea 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3) on Thursday to reach the third round. It’s a milestone not seen in nearly half a century. At 40 years and 310 days old, Wawrinka becomes the first man over 40 to reach the third round of a Grand Slam since Ken Rosewall did it at the 1978 Australian Open, aged 44. The match was a test of endurance for both players, with Gea struggling with cramps in the final-set tiebreaker and Wawrinka leaning on decades of experience — and sheer will — to pull through. “I’m exhausted!” Wawrinka said courtside after the win, grinning through the fatigue. “As I told you, it's my last Australian Open, so I'm trying to last as long as possible.” The crowd at Melbourne Park, where he won the title in 2014, gave him the energy to keep going, he said. “Not only I had fun, but you gave me so much energy. I'm not young any more, so I need the extra.” Wawrinka’s win wasn’t just historic for his age. It also marked the 49th five-set match of his Grand Slam career — more than any other male player in the Open Era. Known for his resilience and power, he has long been a fan favorite for his ability to thrive in tennis’ most dramatic moments. As for how he plans to recover before facing ninth seed Taylor Fritz in the next round? “I’ll pick up a beer,” Wawrinka joked, referencing a spectator who spilled one earlier during the match. “I deserve one!” The 2026 season is Wawrinka’s farewell tour, but if Thursday’s match is anything to go by, he’s not going quietly.

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World’s Oldest Known Cave Art Found in Indonesia, Rewriting Timeline of Human Creativity

Scientists in Indonesia have discovered what is now the oldest known cave art on Earth — a faint hand stencil dating back at least 67,800 years. The reddish outline, found deep inside the Liang Metanduno limestone cave on Muna Island, off Sulawesi in eastern Indonesia, was created by a person who pressed their hand against the rock and blew pigment around it, leaving a silhouette. That makes it more than 15,000 years older than the previous record-holder — a 51,200-year-old scene of human-like figures interacting with a pig, found in another Sulawesi cave by the same research team in 2024. “This one image just completely blew that other one away,” said Adam Brumm, professor of archaeology at Griffith University in Australia and co-author of the study, published Wednesday in Nature. “It’s pretty extraordinary, because usually rock art is very difficult to date, and it doesn’t date back to anywhere near that old.” Brumm and his colleagues — a joint team of Australian and Indonesian researchers — determined the stencil’s age by analyzing the mineral crusts that had formed on top of the painting over thousands of years. These crusts contain radioactive elements that decay at predictable rates, allowing scientists to calculate a minimum age. The stencil appears to have been made by a human — possibly an ancestor of the first Australians — with reshaped fingertips that taper to a point. It’s one of several faded stencils the team uncovered after Indonesian rock art expert Adhi Agus Oktaviana noticed ghostly outlines hidden behind more recent cave paintings. “No one had ever observed them before. No one even knew that they were there,” said Brumm. “But Adhi spotted them.” Most of the previously documented art in Liang Metanduno, a site open to tourists, features animals like chickens and is estimated to be around 4,000 years old. The newly found stencils had gone unnoticed for decades, likely because they’re so faint and were partially obscured by later artwork. The discovery marks a significant shift in how scientists view the origins of human creativity. For years, European Ice Age cave art — found in France and Spain and dated between 30,000 and 40,000 years old — was thought to represent the dawn of sophisticated artistic expression. Now, Brumm said, that assumption no longer holds. “It really just shows how long people have been making rock art in that part of the world,” he said. “It’s a very long time.” It also fuels new debate over the migration timeline of early humans into Southeast Asia and Australia. Aboriginal Australians are widely believed to have arrived on the continent at least 50,000 years ago, but one archaeological site in Australia has been dated to 65,000 years ago. Brumm says this new finding strengthens that possibility. “Now that we’re finding rock art dating to 67-68,000 years ago on the island of Sulawesi, which is essentially on Australia’s doorstep, it does make it considerably more likely that modern humans indeed were in Australia at least 65,000 years ago,” he said. Researchers hope to find even older — and more complex — examples of cave art in the region, especially storytelling imagery. Much of Indonesia remains archaeologically unexplored, meaning more discoveries could still be waiting in the shadows. For now, the faded red handprint stands as a reminder that the first sparks of human creativity may have flared much earlier, and in far more places, than once believed.

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Mel Brooks Shares His Secret to Reaching 99 Years Old

At 99 years old, Mel Brooks isn’t slowing down — he’s still cracking jokes, inspiring generations of comedians, and now, starring in his own documentary. Mel Brooks: The 99-Year-Old Man! premieres January 22 on HBO, offering an intimate, two-part look at the life and legacy of the comedy legend behind The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein. It features fresh interviews with Brooks, his family, longtime friends, and comedy collaborators, along with a deep dive into archival footage from a career that’s spanned nearly eight decades. Brooks believes his longevity isn’t just luck. It’s laughter. “We all laughed a lot,” he told People, reflecting on his tight-knit bond with late comedy icons Carl Reiner and Sid Caesar, both of whom also lived into their 90s. “I think laughing keeps you healthy and happy.” That joy has been the through line of Brooks’ life — from making his fellow soldiers laugh during World War II, to building a career that shaped modern comedy. “Making comedy is a great job,” he said. “It keeps you sane and happy. It gives you a reason to be alive.” Born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn in 1926, Brooks lost his father at age 2. His mother Kate raised four boys on her own, and Brooks credits her strength with shaping his own resilience. “She was an amazing example of courage,” he said. “What an example of a courageous life.” That courage showed up early. At 17, Brooks enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in a combat engineering unit on the European front during the war. “I got through World War II as a soldier because I made my buddies in the Army laugh,” he said. After the war, he turned his gift for humor into a groundbreaking career. He co-created Get Smart, won a screenwriting Oscar for The Producers in 1967, and in 1974 released Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein — two comedies that redefined the genre. His son, author Max Brooks, called Blazing Saddles “the first major anti-racist movie at a time when that was not cool,” adding, “My father had incredible courage; all his movies have incredible courage. My father is a true genius.” Plenty of others agree. “Mel Brooks is the greatest of all time. The Rosetta Stone of comedy,” said Judd Apatow, who co-directed the new documentary. “We need wisdom from people like Mel who’ve lived so much.” His co-director, Michael Bonfiglio, called Brooks “a national treasure.” The HBO film captures that wisdom, while still leaving room for plenty of laughs. In typical Brooks fashion, he jokes about any unfinished items on his bucket list: “I think I’ve done most of it,” he said. “But if I missed anything, it wasn’t my fault.” Mel Brooks: The 99-Year-Old Man! airs Jan. 22 and Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. ET on HBO, with both episodes available to stream on Max starting Jan. 22.

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Orphaned Joey Named Mr Bean Finds a Second Chance with Aussie Ark Ranger

A tiny Rufous Bettong joey named Mr Bean is winning hearts—and bouncing back—after being rescued and hand-raised by conservationists at Aussie Ark. The marsupial was discovered late last year at the Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary in New South Wales after being thrown from his mother’s pouch during a routine macropod trapping and health check. Weighing just 265 grams at the time, the fragile joey was entirely dependent on maternal care and wouldn’t have survived on his own. Aussie Ark quickly stepped in, assigning Wildlife Ranger Riley Tydeman as the joey’s surrogate caregiver. The organization said Tydeman was the “natural choice” for the role, having raised several macropod joeys before—including other Rufous Bettongs. Tydeman fed Mr Bean a specialized macropod milk formula and provided a cloth pouch to mimic his mother’s, offering comfort and warmth. The joey has been thriving ever since. In a statement, Aussie Ark said, “Mr Bean flourished in Mr Tydeman’s care,” sharing that home videos show the growing bettong nibbling on his carer’s hair, trying solid food for the first time, and curling up in a cat bed for naps. Rufous Bettongs, sometimes known as “rat-kangaroos,” are ancient relatives of the kangaroo. While they bounce and carry young in a pouch, they also have unique traits of their own: they emit a low growl when agitated and use their semi-prehensile tails to gather leaf litter for building dens known as dreys. Mr Bean’s story highlights the delicate work of conservation teams caring for lesser-known Australian species. For now, he’s safe, healthy, and in good hands—snacking, snuggling, and living up to his charming name.

4 Years After Going Missing, This Cat With a ‘Moustache’ Reunited With Its Owner in Vermont

Maggie DeGreenia thought she’d lost her beloved cat forever. But nearly four years after Tinsel disappeared, a chance sighting on a shelter’s website led to an emotional reunion — and proof that sometimes, lost pets do come home. Tinsel, a black-and-white cat with a distinctive little “moustache,” went missing in December 2021 after she was accidentally let out of DeGreenia’s home in Vermont. What followed were weeks of searching on foot and by car, calls to local shelters, posters, and Facebook posts. But nothing turned up. “We called local shelters for weeks, searched for her by car and by foot,” DeGreenia recalled. Eventually, she had to accept that Tinsel was gone. “I just hoped she had found a new, loving home.” Tinsel had been with DeGreenia since 2017, adopted from a shelter in Lunenburg. They’d spent four years together before the disappearance. Then, this past December, DeGreenia’s cousin sent her a message: she’d seen a photo of a cat on the website of Riverside Rescue, a local shelter — and it looked exactly like Tinsel. “She texted me, ‘Hey important, I think I found Tinsel,’” DeGreenia told SWNS. “I was in disbelief when I saw the photo and immediately broke down in tears. I called the shelter as fast as I could, still in tears as I told them our story.” The shelter confirmed that the cat had recently been surrendered by people who had been caring for her since picking her up some time earlier. When DeGreenia arrived at the shelter, there was no doubt. Tinsel recognized her immediately, pressing her forehead against DeGreenia’s in a moment she called “the most incredible feeling.” After nearly four years apart, the two are now back where they belong — together. “She’s home, and I still can’t believe it,” DeGreenia said. Tinsel’s story is the latest in a string of unlikely reunions between pets and their owners, with other cases involving cats found after months — or even 16 years — away. This one, like the others, was made possible thanks to a sharp eye, a shelter doing the right thing, and a family that never forgot.

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TikToker’s Homemade Jingle Lands Her a Dr. Pepper Commercial During College Football Championship

A TikTok jingle that started as a spontaneous upload has now landed in front of millions of TV viewers — and the creator behind it is soaking up the win. Back on December 23, TikToker Romeo shared a short, playful jingle she made up for Dr. Pepper, singing: “Dr. Pepper baby. It’s good and nice. Doo. Doo. Doo.” In her caption, she jokingly pitched the soda company: “please get back to me with a proposition we can make thousands together.” The internet listened. The video racked up more than 42 million views, five million likes, and over 300,000 bookmarks in less than a month. Dr. Pepper took notice too, replying directly: “hold on.... you might be onto something.” Turns out, they meant it. On January 19, during the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship game, Dr. Pepper aired a brand-new commercial — and Romeo’s jingle was the star of it. Titled “Dr. Pepper Baby (Good & Nice Jingle) by @Romeosshow”, the 15-second spot featured her vocals over an upbeat track, while cans of original, diet, and zero sugar Dr. Pepper appeared on screen alongside the lyrics. The ad included a slow-motion shot of Dr. Pepper being poured into a glass, highlighting its signature fizz. The brand captioned the spot: “A song written by @Romeosshow about the 23 flavors of Dr Pepper? It’s a Pepper thing.” Romeo celebrated the commercial’s debut with a follow-up TikTok posted the same day. Using a green screen backdrop of a theatre, she mimicked an award show acceptance speech, lifting a Dr. Pepper bottle like a trophy and thanking “all of the Dr. Pepper fans” who “rallied together to make this moment happen.” “This is a big win,” she said, smiling. “Thank you to all my supporters.” Dr. Pepper chimed in again, commenting: “this speech gets a 23 hour standing ovation from us 👏.” The moment drew praise from across the platform. TikTok itself commented, “all of TikTok knew that jingle was special the second you posted it 😭🥹,” while other brands had joined in the fun earlier on. Indeed commented “You’re hired,” the Philadelphia Eagles said “I like the do do do part,” and Buffalo Wild Wings joked, “yea imma need one of these theme songs right now.” Supporters also shared screenshots of the commercial airing live, congratulating Romeo with messages like “Girl you famous famous!!!🥰🥰🥰.” While Dr. Pepper hasn't revealed if there’s more collaboration planned, Romeo's viral win has become the latest example of how a catchy tune and a smartphone can take someone from social media to prime time — one “doo doo doo” at a time.

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Kentucky Schools Are Serving Up Fajitas — and a New Food Philosophy

In the cafeteria at Boyle County High School, lunchtime sounds more like a neighborhood taco stand than a typical American school. Students line up for locally raised beef fajitas, stacked high with guacamole, queso, fresh tomatoes, and crisp lettuce—all wrapped in warm corn tortillas. Several gave them a solid “9.5 out of 10.” But this isn’t just about better lunch. It’s about a broader shift in how schools across Kentucky think about food—and where it comes from. The change took root during the pandemic, when Kentucky received $3.2 million in federal funds to support local food programs. The result: about 150 Kentucky farms now supply produce and meat to roughly 90 school districts across the state. The impact, says Boyle County School District Food Service Director Cheyenne Barsotti, goes far beyond what ends up on students' plates. “We do prioritize those center-of-the-plate items, so items like beef that are going to feature as an entree,” Barsotti told Lex 18 News. “As a director, I prioritize that because I know the quality is noticeable when you buy the local product, and I think our kids notice that as well.” She’s not just guessing. When students rave about the food, she knows they’re not just being polite—they’re genuinely enjoying it. And that feedback has given cafeteria staff the confidence to cook more from scratch, get creative with recipes, and try new things based on whatever produce is available. The shift is also changing how food workers think about their jobs. As trust grows between the kitchen and the student body, so does a sense of pride in preparing meals that feel more like home cooking and less like mass production. That change in culture has made its way to the farms, too. Just a few kilometers down the road from Boyle High, Circle G Farms pasture-raises cattle on feed grown on-site. The farm operates on a closed-loop system, using cattle manure to fertilize crops that go back into feeding the animals. The operation is rooted in sustainability and tight-knit community ties. “That’s the origin of Circle G Farms,” co-owner Carly Guinn explained. “We try to utilize every division of our farm to its highest potential and keep it sustainable.” Circle G has been working with local schools for years now. Even though the original pandemic-era grant has expired, Guinn and others say the program has changed expectations—for what farmers can provide, and what students should be eating. National nutrition guidelines are starting to catch up. The USDA’s most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans prioritize protein over carbs for the first time, and stress the importance of "real food"—meaning food that doesn’t come in a box and actually spoils over time. That direction aligns closely with what schools like Boyle are already doing. Barsotti believes the difference is noticeable—and meaningful. It’s not just about fajitas, she says. It’s about giving kids a meal that makes them feel cared for, about connecting farms to schools in a way that benefits both, and about rewriting the playbook on what school lunch should be. And if that happens to include a few second helpings, all the better.

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Shingles Vaccine May Help Slow Biological Ageing, Study Suggests

A routine vaccine designed to protect older adults from shingles may also help keep them biologically younger, according to new research. Scientists at the University of Southern California analysed data from nearly 4,000 Americans aged 70 and older and found that those who had received the shingles vaccine showed signs of slower biological ageing compared to those who hadn’t. The findings, published in The Journals of Gerontology, suggest the vaccine may do more than prevent a painful rash—it could also support healthier ageing overall. “This study adds to emerging evidence that vaccines could play a role in promoting healthy ageing by modulating biological systems beyond infection prevention,” said Jung Ki Kim, the study’s lead author. The research found that vaccinated individuals had lower levels of chronic inflammation, slower genetic ageing, and stronger biological ageing scores. The team measured two types of molecular ageing: epigenetic ageing, which looks at how chemical tags alter DNA activity over time, and transcriptomic ageing, which tracks how genes are converted into the proteins needed to keep cells functioning. Chronic low-level inflammation, often called “inflammageing,” is linked to a wide range of age-related diseases, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and frailty. According to Kim, the vaccine may reduce this background inflammation, possibly by preventing the reactivation of the virus that causes shingles. Shingles, or herpes zoster, is a reawakening of the dormant chickenpox virus. It causes a painful blistering rash and can lead to long-term nerve pain, especially in older adults with weakened immune systems. The shingles vaccine is already widely recommended in several countries, including the UK, where it's offered through the NHS to people turning 65, those aged 70 to 79, and anyone over 18 with a severely weakened immune system. Although the study is observational—meaning it cannot prove the vaccine directly slows ageing—it does show a strong association. And importantly, those who received the vaccine four or more years before their blood was tested still showed signs of slower biological ageing compared to those who had never been vaccinated. This helps to reduce concerns that the findings might simply reflect the “healthy user effect,” where people who get vaccinated are already more health-conscious. The results echo findings from another large review published last year in Age and Ageing, which looked at more than 100 million people aged 50 and older. That study found shingles vaccination was associated with a 24 percent lower risk of dementia and a 47 percent lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. While more research is needed to fully understand the link between vaccination and ageing, the evidence so far suggests that routine immunizations might have benefits that go well beyond their original purpose.

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