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Health

Miracle fruit, or Synsepalum dulcificum, grows on bushy trees native to West Africa.

Can This Berry Solve Both Obesity and World Hunger?

At a playful café in Chicago, chef Homaro Cantu is experimenting with miracle fruit, a West African berry that makes everything a little sweeter

New Research

Public Bathroom Bacteria: Not as Gross as You’d Think

Public restrooms are of no more of a health risk than your own home

This Plant-Based Gel Stops Bleeding in Seconds

A salve that seals severe wounds is making its way to veterinary clinics. Military and trauma testing may soon follow

This relatives and friends of this 30-something-year-old woman suspected she might come back from the grave as a vampire, as indicated by the sickle placed directly across her neck, and meant to keep her in the ground.

New Research

The 17th-Century Polish Vampire Next Door

In 17th century Poland, people pegged as vampires weren’t weirdo foreigners but locals who freaked their neighbors out

Cool Finds

Heroin Use Is on the Rise Again, Thanks to Suburban White Users

OxyContin is heroin’s new gateway drug, experts say

New Research

We Weigh the Most on Mondays

The weekend’s excesses can pack on a few extra pounds, but routine during the week tends to strip them away again

New Research

A Simple Way to Reduce Car Crashes: Start the High School Day Later

A later roll-call time for teens also means improved health, mood, and grades

Trending Today

Light Therapy May Work on Chronic Mood Disorders, Too

Sitting under fake sun could help heal chronic depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety, too

The worm's progression through the man's brain, over a four year period.

New Research

A Tapeworm Crawled Around In This Man’s Brain for Years

Studying the extracted parasite might help others avoid a similar infestation

Cool Finds

Outfitting Football Helmets With Magnets Could Reduce Concussions

Strong magnets can repel at least 300 lbs of force, preventing heads from colliding

A bed bug surrounded by potentially parasite-laden feces.

New Research

Bed Bugs Can Transmit the Chagas Disease Parasite

The parasite is usually associated with Latin and South America, but was recently found throughout Louisiana, too

New Research

Lack of Sleep Seems to Be More Deadly for Firefighters Than Fire

Sleep disorders are rampant among firefighters, and the majority do not seek treatment

New Research

Playing With Smartphones Isn’t Going to Damage Toddlers

Tablets and TVs can be both good and bad for your child

A scanning electron micrograph of Escherichia coli, one of the most common species of gut bacteria.

New Research

More Evidence That There’s a Connection Between a Person’s Gut Bacteria And Brain

Bacteria can affect your brain, but it’s still too early to do much with the information

The nonprofit SkyTruth enlisted more than 200 volunteers to scan aerial imagery and pinpoint the locations of fracking wastewater ponds in Pennsylvania.

Tracking Frackers From the Sky

Citizen scientists eyeing Pennsylvania’s natural gas drillers in aerial images may help determine if there is a link between fracking and certain illnesses

Using the Automatic Link and License+ app, parents can coach their teens to have safer driving habits.

Parents, Give Your Teens Driving Lessons Without Even Being in the Car

A six-month training program gives parents of new drivers a training tool—and a little extra peace of mind

Cool Finds

Humans Outnumber Rats in NYC

There’s actually about one rat for every four people

Rub the label to see if the food inside is still good to eat.

A Label You Rub To See If Food Has Expired and Other Finalists for the Dyson Award

There’s also a pen that lets you know when you should reapply your sunscreen and a device called Luke Stairwalker

Cool Finds

What Happens When Western And Traditional Chinese Medicine Merge

These two treatment philosophies were previously seen as being diametrically opposed, but some experts think the systems can complement each another

MicroCHIPS, a startup formed by MIT researchers, has developed a drug delivery chip that is implanted under the skin.

Turn Your Birth Control On and Off With a Remote

Bill Gates is backing MicroCHIPS, a Massachusetts-based startup developing an implantable chip that releases birth control hormones on demand

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