Medicine
Was Yasser Arafat Poisoned by Polonium?
In November, the body of Yasser Arafat was exhumed from beneath several feet of concrete to determine whether or not the leader had been poisoned by polonium 210
December 24, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Why Do Placebos Work?
Researchers are trying to figure out just why the placebo effect works, and when doctors should use it
December 24, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
With Commercial Spaceflight Just Around the Corner, Are You Healthy Enough to Fly?
The price of a ride to space is dropping, but is your body ready?
December 21, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Instead of Dieting After the Holidays, Take the Bus
Driving just 1 mile less per day is more effective at reducing weight than cutting back on 100 calories per day
December 21, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Food Can Give You a Hangover
The connection between specific foods and migraines is tough to prove, scientifically, but those with migraines often switch their diets to avoid foods that trigger the pain
December 20, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Even NASA Doesn’t Know Exactly What Causes Motion Sickness (But There Is a Way to Avoid It)
Under the right conditions, motion sickness can cripple just about anyone (trust NASA, they've tried). But while don't know much about why it happens, advances in curing it are progressing steadily
December 20, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Giving Breast Cells a Little Squeeze Can Stop Cancerous Growth
Good news for breasts: simply giving would-be malignant mammary cells a little squeeze helps guide them back to a normal growth pattern
December 19, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Soon There Should Be Fewer Microscopic Soot Particles in the Air
The Obama administration just set new limits on soot from smoke stacks and diesel engines, a type of air pollution linked to early death and higher rates of heart attacks, strokes and lung diseases
December 17, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Even Mummy Doctors Forgot Tools in Their Patients Sometimes
Researchers examining the brains of mummies have found a small tool that was used during embalming, left behind after the procedure
December 17, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
To Treat Drug Dependency, Doctors Are Burning Off Chunks of Addicts’ Brains
Through surgical means, doctors burn away the parts of the brain that deal with pleasure and motivation.
December 14, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
A New Way to Generate Brain Cells from Pee
This trick could help supply cells for studying the mechanisms of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
December 11, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Can Tattoos Be Medicinal?
In his travels around the world, anthropologist Lars Krutak has seen many tribal tattoos, including some applied to relieve specific ailments
December 10, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
This Weird Map Visualizes Air Pollution as Nose Hair Length
If there's one thing nobody wants, it's really long nose hairs. Which is perhaps why Clean Air Asia has decided to start visualizing each person's air pollution as super-long, disgusting nose hairs
December 10, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
What Would It Be Like To See Infrared Light?
Scientists have engineered some proteins to "see" infrared
December 07, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Middle School Jocks Actually Get the Best Grades
The fittest kids on the playground are also the ones who excel in the classroom at standardized tests and good grades
December 07, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Extroverted Gorillas Live Longer Than Shy Ones
For gorillas, it pays to have personality. Extroverted gorillas in captivity outlive their shy friends, according to a new study of the animals in North American zoos and sanctuaries, reports LiveScience. To arrive at this conclusion, researchers used methods adapted from studying human personality. They analyzed data from 298 gorillas over 18 years of the [...]
December 06, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Does Blood Doping Even Work?
A recent study found no evidence that using blood doping drugs gives elite athletes any advantage
December 06, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Why Senior Citizens May Be Overly Trusting
Out ability to judge the trustworthiness of faces diminishes with age, a new study shows
December 05, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Blame Napoleon for Our Addiction to Sugar
Prior to 1850, sugar was a hot commodity that only society's most wealthy could afford
December 04, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Grandpa Jetson is Way Cooler Than Grandpa Simpson
Montague Jetson is 110 years old--and loving it
December 04, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
