Scientists can't claim to be neutral about their discoveries
There is an enormous gap between the effects and consequences of science, and how much scientists consider these consequences. This is dangerous, but there is something we can do about it.
Antarctic moss lives after 1,500 years under ice
Researchers from the British Antarctic Survey and University of Reading report in Current Biology on March 17 that Antarctic mosses can essentially come back to life after 1,500 completely inactive years under the ice.
New evidence raises questions about the link between fatty acids and heart disease
A new study raises questions about current guidelines which generally restrict the consumption of saturated fats and encourage consumption of polyunsaturated fats to prevent heart disease.
Primary androgen deprivation therapy ineffective for most men with early prostate cancer
A study of more than 15,000 men with early stage prostate cancer finds that those who received androgen deprivation as their primary treatment instead of surgery or radiation did not live any longer than those who received no treatment.
The Lancet: China halves tuberculosis prevalence in just 20 years
Over the last 20 years, China has more than halved its tuberculosis (TB) prevalence, with rates falling from 170 to 59 per 100 000 population.
Voracious Worm Evolves to Eat Biotech Corn Engineered to Kill It
One of agricultural biotechnology's great success stories may become a cautionary tale of how short-sighted mismanagement can squander the benefits of genetic modification.
Chicken bones tell true story of Pacific migration
Did the Polynesians beat Columbus to South America? Not according to the tale of migration uncovered by analysis of ancient DNA from chicken bones recovered in archaeological digs across the Pacific.
A Tumor, the Embryo’s Evil Twin
During her first encounter with cancer, Susan Sontag described a tumor as a "demonic pregnancy." "This lump is alive," she wrote in "Illness as Metaphor," "a fetus with its own will."
His Fertility Advance Draws Ire
Shoukhrat Mitalipov's Mitochrondrial Manipulations
The Narwhal’s Tusk Is Filled With Nerves. But Why?
For centuries, the purpose of a narwhal's tusk has eluded explanation.
Less is more: New theory on why very low nutrient diets can extend lifespan
UNSW scientists have developed a new evolutionary theory on why consuming a diet that is very low in nutrients extends lifespan in laboratory animals - research that could hold clues to promoting healthier ageing in humans.
Sea Anemone: Animal and Plant in One
Sea anemones are classified as being animals, but two new genetic studies have found that these water-dwelling creatures are technically half plant and half animal.
The precise reason for the health benefits of dark chocolate: Mystery solved
The health benefits of eating dark chocolate have been extolled for centuries, but the exact reason has remained a mystery -- until now.
Form of epilepsy in sea lions similar to that in humans, Stanford researchers find
California sea lions exposed to a toxin in algae develop a form of epilepsy that is similar to one in humans, according to a new study led by Stanford University School of Medicine researchers.
Using big data to identify triple-negative breast, oropharyngeal, and lung cancers
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and colleagues used "big data" analytics to predict if a patient is suffering from aggressive triple-negative breast cancer, slower-moving cancers or non-cancerous lesions with 95 percent accuracy.
Strongest evidence yet of 2 distinct human cognitive systems
Cognitive scientists able to isolate implicit from explicit learning processes
Stem cells from muscle can repair nerve damage after injury, Pitt researchers show
Stem cells derived from human muscle tissue were able to repair nerve damage and restore function in an animal model of sciatic nerve injury, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Ancient Earth hammered by double space impact
We've all seen the films where an asteroid hurtles towards our planet, threatening civilisation. What's less well known is that menacing space rocks sometimes come in twos.
Python's homing trick stuns scientists
The Burmese python has a built-in compass that allows it to slither home in a near-straight line even if released dozens of kilometres away, researchers say
Gut bacteria can cause life-threatening infections in preterm babies
Babies born prematurely are surviving in increasing numbers. But many withstand complications of early birth only to suffer late-onset sepsis - life-threatening bloodstream infections that strike after infants reach 72 hours of age.
Can bleach help solve the origin of life in the primordial soup?
A chemical found in hair bleach may help answer questions about the origins of life and explain why new life does not emerge on modern Earth.
Chemo-free treatment a possibility for leukemia/lymphoma
Patients with terminal forms of leukaemia and lymphoma who have run out of treatment options could soon benefit from a new drug, which not only puts an end to chemotherapy and has virtually no side effects but also improves a patient's life expectancy and quality of life.
Smithsonian collaborates with paleontologist team to reveal new large, feathered dinosaur
Fossils present first in-depth look at oviraptorosaurs in North America
The Goldilocks principle: New hypothesis explains earth's continued habitability
Geologic cycles act as a climate control, releasing and absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide in a balance that helps keep the planet not too hot and not too cold
Noninvasive colorectal cancer screening tool shows unprecedented detection rates
Mayo Clinic research results presented in NEJM could change colorectal screening practice
Inflammation mobilizes tumor cells
Researchers of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich have discovered a novel feedback mechanism that provides a mechanistic link between chronic inflammation and carcinogenesis.
Titanium clubs can cause golf course fires, UCI study finds
Sparks fly when head hits rocks in the rough, potentially igniting brush
Protein May Hold the Key to Who Gets Alzheimer’s
It is one of the big scientific mysteries of Alzheimer's disease: Why do some people whose brains accumulate the plaques and tangles so strongly associated with Alzheimer's not develop the disease?
Surgery after major stroke also improves survival odds in elderly patients
In patients over 60, hemicraniectomies save lives but do not prevent severe disability / Clinical study led by Heidelberg University Hospital's Neurology and Neurosurgery published in New England Journal of Medicine
3-D model links facial features and DNA
DNA can already tell us the sex and ancestry of unknown individuals, but now an international team of researchers is beginning to connect genetics with facial features, degrees of femininity and racial admixture.
New approach makes cancer cells explode
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered that a substance called Vacquinol-1 makes cells from glioblastoma, the most aggressive type of brain tumour, literally explode.
Sniff study suggests humans can distinguish more than 1 trillion scents
The human sense of smell does not get the respect it deserves, new research suggests.
The gene family linked to brain evolution is implicated in severity of autism symptoms
New study on DUF1220
Now even more likely that there are particles smaller than Higgs out there
Nobody has seen them yet; particles that are smaller than the Higgs particle.
Drill core evidence adds credence to iron fertilization hypothesis regarding last ice age
Dust in the wind drove iron fertilization during ice age
Rise of robot reporters: when software writes the news
Just three minutes after an earthquake hit California on Monday, the Los Angeles Times broke the story on its website.
Family doctor services 'under threat of extinction'
A funding crisis and increased demand for care means general practice as patients know it in the UK is "under severe threat of extinction", the head of the Royal College of GPs has warned.
HPV eradicated by AHCC supplement, preclinical study suggests
Japanese mushroom extract active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) may have role in prevention HPV-related cancers
Shifting evolution into reverse promises cheaper, greener way to make new drugs
This alternative approach to creating artificial organic molecules, called bioretrosynthesis, was first proposed four years ago by Brian Bachmann, associate professor of chemistry at Vanderbilt University.
Exploding stars prove Newton's gravity unchanged over cosmic time
Australian astronomers have combined all observations of supernovae ever made to determine that the strength of gravity has remained unchanged over the last nine billion years.
Use of mood-stabilizing drug linked with reduced risk of developing head and neck cancer
A new study indicates that a commonly used mood stabilizing drug may help prevent head and neck cancer.