From chemotherapy revealing unexpected cancer-fighting abilities to physicists overturning centuries-old laws at the atomic scale, today's science news spans the microscopic to the planetary. Plus: major river deltas are sinking far faster than expected, putting hundreds of millions at risk, and an 11-year quest finally reveals how to fight deadly fungi.

Scientists have discovered a hidden effect of chemotherapy that could revolutionize how we prevent cancer metastasis - the deadly spread of cancer to other organs. While chemotherapy is known for killing cancer cells directly, researchers found it also triggers unexpected changes in the body that might be harnessed to block cancer's ability to spread.

The discovery reveals secondary mechanisms beyond chemotherapy's primary tumor-killing action. These effects influence the environment around tumors and how cancer cells interact with the rest of the body, potentially preventing them from establishing new colonies in distant organs.

This matters because metastasis, not the original tumor, causes about 90% of cancer deaths. Understanding these hidden effects could lead to new combination therapies specifically designed to exploit chemotherapy's anti-metastatic properties, potentially transforming cancer treatment strategies and improving survival rates for patients with aggressive cancers.

Major river deltas worldwide are sinking at alarming rates, threatening the homes and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people who depend on these fertile, densely populated regions. New research reveals the crisis is accelerating faster than previously understood, with some deltas subsiding at rates that could make them uninhabitable within decades.

The sinking results from a combination of factors: sediment extraction, groundwater pumping, and the weight of development compressing the land. Meanwhile, rising sea levels compound the problem, creating a dual threat that squeezes delta communities from above and below. Some of the world's most critical agricultural regions and economic centers sit on these vulnerable landscapes.

The implications are staggering. River deltas produce a disproportionate share of global food supplies and host major cities from Bangladesh to Vietnam to the Mississippi Delta. Without intervention - including restoring natural sediment flows, managing groundwater use, and adapting infrastructure - these regions face increased flooding, saltwater intrusion into farmland, and potential mass displacement in coming decades.

In a discovery that challenges fundamental physics, researchers have found that a 200-year-old law of thermodynamics breaks down at the atomic scale. The finding upends assumptions that have guided physics since the early 19th century and could reshape our understanding of how energy and matter behave at quantum scales.

The classical thermodynamic laws, which describe how heat and energy flow, have been cornerstones of physics for two centuries. But when physicists examined systems at atomic dimensions, they observed violations of these supposedly universal principles. At such tiny scales, quantum effects dominate, and the statistical assumptions underlying classical thermodynamics no longer hold.

This isn't just academic - it has profound implications for quantum computing, nanoscale engineering, and our understanding of biological processes that operate at molecular levels. Engineers designing quantum devices and researchers studying cellular mechanics may need to rethink their assumptions. The discovery also raises fascinating questions about the limits of physical laws and whether other foundational principles might also break down at extreme scales.

After 11 years of dedicated research, scientists have finally identified a previously unknown weakness in deadly fungi, opening new avenues for treating life-threatening fungal infections. The discovery comes as drug-resistant fungal diseases pose an growing threat to vulnerable patients worldwide.

The research team uncovered a specific vulnerability in how pathogenic fungi maintain their cellular structures and reproduce. This weakness represents a potential target for new antifungal drugs that could work differently from existing treatments, offering hope for patients infected with resistant strains. The decade-plus investigation required painstaking work to understand fungal biology at molecular levels.

The timing is critical. Fungal infections kill over 1.5 million people annually, and resistance to current antifungal medications is rising. Immunocompromised patients - including those with HIV, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, and organ transplant recipients - are particularly vulnerable. This newly discovered weakness could lead to entirely new classes of antifungal therapies within the next several years.

Researchers have identified hidden brain damage occurring years before multiple sclerosis is diagnosed, potentially revolutionizing early detection and treatment of this debilitating neurological disease. The findings suggest MS begins damaging the brain far earlier than previously recognized.

Using advanced imaging techniques, scientists detected subtle brain changes in people who would later develop MS, even when they showed no symptoms. These early markers include specific patterns of tissue damage and inflammation that precede the classic MS symptoms of vision problems, weakness, and coordination difficulties by months or years.

The discovery could transform MS treatment. Currently, diagnosis happens only after symptoms appear and significant damage has occurred. Earlier detection could enable intervention before irreversible nerve damage, potentially slowing or preventing disease progression. The research may also lead to screening protocols for people with genetic risk factors or early warning signs, giving them the chance to begin protective therapies years earlier than currently possible.

Scientists have discovered that breast milk directly carries key gut bacteria to infants, solving a long-standing mystery about how babies acquire their crucial microbiome. The finding reveals breast milk does far more than provide nutrition - it actively transfers living beneficial bacteria that colonize the infant gut.

Researchers identified specific bacterial strains in breast milk that successfully establish themselves in babies' digestive systems, where they play vital roles in immune system development, nutrient processing, and protection against pathogens. This direct bacterial transfer was previously debated, with some scientists questioning whether bacteria could survive the journey from mother to infant.

The implications extend beyond basic biology. Understanding this bacterial transfer could improve infant formula design, probiotic recommendations, and strategies for babies who cannot breastfeed. It also reinforces the importance of the early microbiome in lifelong health, from allergy prevention to metabolic function. Researchers are now investigating which factors - including maternal diet and health - influence the bacterial content of breast milk.

From the quantum realm to global deltas, from cancer treatments to infant health, today's discoveries remind us that science continues to surprise, challenge, and illuminate. Each finding opens new questions - and new possibilities for understanding and improving our world.