The medicine in our minds
They are the miracle pills that shouldn't really do anything. Placebos come in all shapes and sizes, but they contain no active ingredient. And yet, mysteriously, they often seem to work.
How evolution shapes the geometries of life
University of Maryland physicist and colleagues solve a longstanding biological puzzle
Theory on origin of animals challenged: Animals needs only extremely little oxygen
Studies of a small sea sponge shows that complex life does not need high levels of oxygen
'Prostate cancer test has been misused for money'
Pathologist Richard Ablin discovered the PSA antigen 40 years ago. He says it should never have been used as a cancer screening tool for all men
Research in Japan suggests that a 'relationship-based' police interviewing style gets the best results
Research in Japan suggests that a 'relationship-based' police interviewing style gets the best results
Spit test could allow depression screening at school
A few globs of spit and a questionnaire could be all that's needed to identify some teenagers who have a high risk of developing depression.
Intracranial Atherosclerosis a Major Stroke Risk in Whites
Although intracranial carotid artery calcification (ICAC) is a recognized risk factor for stroke in African Americans and Asians, a new study shows that it is also an important cause of strokes among whites.
From India, Proof That a Trip to Mars Doesn’t Have to Break the Bank
While India's recent launch of a spacecraft to Mars was a remarkable feat in its own right, it is the $75 million mission's thrifty approach to time, money and materials that is getting attention.
Scientists pinpoint the exact source of many of the rocks used to build Stonehenge
Scientists pinpoint the exact source of many of the rocks used to build Stonehenge
A Reassuring Trunk: Evidence of Consolation in Elephants
Asian elephants console others who are in distress with vocalizations and gentle touches, according to a new report published in the journal PeerJ.
HIV drug used to reverse effects of virus that causes cervical cancer
A commonly-used HIV drug has been shown to kill-off the human papilloma virus that leads to cervical cancer in a world-first clinical trial led by The University of Manchester with Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi
Artificial leaf jumps developmental hurdle
In a recent early online edition of Nature Chemistry, ASU scientists, along with colleagues at Argonne National Laboratory, have reported advances toward perfecting a functional artificial leaf.
Referrals and Word of Mouth Trump Online Doctor Ratings
Word-of-mouth recommendations and referrals from other physicians nevertheless matter more to Americans when they select a clinician
Medicare beneficiaries return to emergency rooms after nursing home discharge
High percentage of Medicare patients discharged from nursing homes return to the emergency room within 30 days
Evolution stuck in slime for a billion years
Tasmanian researchers have revealed ancient conditions that almost ended life on Earth, using a new technique they developed to hunt for mineral deposits
Researchers Develop Graphene Membrane Water Filters
Scientists at the University of Manchester have developed graphene membrane water filters that offer precise and fast sieving of salts and organic molecules.
Monkey's brain moves sedated avatar
The brain of one monkey has been used to control the movements of another, "avatar", monkey, US scientists report.
Acid-bath stem cell results called into question
Was it all too good to be true? Concerns have been raised over a paper that claims to have turned adult cells into stem cells with just a 30-minute dip in acid.
Opposition Growing Against Azithromycin for Infections
Treatment guidelines increasingly recommend that certain antibiotics, particularly the macrolide azithromycin, no longer be used to treat many common infections.
Tokyo prosecutors raid Novartis Pharma over drug ads
Tokyo prosecutors raid Novartis Pharma over drug ads
This Woman Invented a Way to Run 30 Lab Tests on Only One Drop of Blood
Phlebotomy. Even the word sounds archaic-and that's nothing compared to the slow, expensive, and inefficient reality of drawing blood and having it tested.
The ups and downs of early atmospheric oxygen
UC Riverside research team challenges conventional view of a simple two-step rise in early oxygen on Earth; study suggests instead dynamic oxygen concentrations that rose and fell over billions of years
UNH research: Most of us have made best memories by age 25
By the time most people are 25, they have made the most important memories of their lives, according to new research from the University of New Hampshire.
Cell therapy shows remarkable ability to eradicate cancer in clinical study
Genetically modified T cells induced complete remissions in 88 percent of advanced leukemia patients treated
New sitting risk: Disability after 60
Regardless of exercise, too much sedentary time is linked to major disability after 60
Neutron star spotted moving 5 million mph, trailing particle jet
Jet is the longest collection of high energy particles in the Milky Way.
Screens replace windows on fast jet
A company building a supersonic jet says it plans to replace cabin windows with thin display screens embedded in the wall.
New Type of Fuel Cell Produces Electricity Directly from Biomass
A new solar-induced direct biomass-to-electricity hybrid fuel cell can operate on fuels as varied as powdered wood.
Human and dog brains both have dedicated 'voice areas'
The first study to compare brain function between humans and any nonprimate animal shows that dogs have dedicated voice areas in their brains, just as people do.
MD Anderson researcher uncovers some of the ancient mysteries of leprosy
Research at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is finally unearthing some of the ancient mysteries behind leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, which has plagued mankind throughout history.
Dismantling pancreas cancer's armor
Immunotherapy against pancreas cancer gains ground as Fred Hutch researchers discover a method that allows native immune cells to launch an attack
With friends like these, who needs democracy?
From Ethiopia to Nicaragua, countries that go through civil war are much less likely to become democratic if the winning side gets help from rival nations, a Michigan State University political scientist argues.
New cache of fresh neurons found in human brains
Brain cell regeneration has been discovered in a new location in human brains.
If you think you have Alzheimer's, you just might be right, study suggests
A recent study suggests that self-reported memory complaints might predict clinical memory impairment later in life.
Antibody may be detectable in blood years before MS symptoms appear
Antibody found in the blood of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be present long before the onset of the disease and its symptoms
Oldest bit of crust firms up idea of a cool early Earth
With the help of a tiny fragment of zircon extracted from a remote rock outcrop in Australia, the picture of how our planet became habitable to life about 4.4 billion years ago is coming into sharper focus.
Mysterious polio-like illness found in 5 California children
Researchers have identified a polio-like syndrome in a cluster of children from California over a one-year period
New insights into the origin of birds
The key characteristics of birds which allow them to fly -- their wings and their small size -- arose much earlier than previously thought - the first birds and their closest dinosaurian relatives which lived 160 to 120 million years ago.
Researchers pinpoint brain region essential for social memory
Potential target for treating autism, schizophrenia, and other brain disorders
How do we really make decisions?
With every decision you take, every judgement you make, there is a battle in your mind - a battle between intuition and logic.
Researcher creates cooking-oil-based 'bioasphalt'
A Washington State University researcher has developed a way to use restaurant cooking oil in a type of asphalt that looks and handles just like its petroleum-based counterpart.