Articles tagged as Health | Smithsonian Magazine

New Research

A Deadly Fungus Is Wiping Out Frogs and Toads—But Some Can Develop Resistance

Scientists hope it might be possible to develop a vaccine to the fungus, based on the frog and toad’s immunity

July 10, 2014

Dried bushmeat is displayed near a road of the Yamoussoukro highway. Experts who have studied the Ebola virus from its discovery in 1976 in Democratic Republic of Congo, then Zaire, say its suspected origin is forest bats. Links have also been made to the carcasses of freshly slaughtered animals consumed as bushmeat.

Habitat loss brings humans and animals into closer contact, increases the spread of disease

July 9, 2014

The clip-on Bluetooth device guides you through less-stressful days by keeping tabs on how you're breathing.

Tech Watch

Stressed? The Latest In Wearables Could Help Keep You Calm

Spire, a clip-on Bluetooth device available this fall, keeps tabs on stress by monitoring how you breathe

July 9, 2014

Cool Finds

A Quarter of Americans Are Stressed Out—And That’s Probably a Massive Underestimate

Health, family and monetary problems are top causes of stress, as are raising a teenager or being a single parent

July 9, 2014

The FDA found mysterious old vials labeled “variola” and determined that they did indeed contain the smallpox virus

July 9, 2014

Patients at an internet addiction boot camp in Guangzhou practice gardening.

Cool Finds

China Now Has Up to 250 Boot Camps to Cure Teens of Internet Addiction

One of these facilities recently opened in the US, too

July 3, 2014

A scientist separates blood cells from plasma cells to isolate any Ebola RNA in order to test for the virus at the European Mobile Laboratory in Gueckedou, Guinea.

Since February there have been 544 laboratory-confirmed cases of the disease in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia

July 2, 2014

New Research

Malaria Parasites Might Make Their Infected Hosts Smell Tastier for Mosquitoes

So far, the finding has only been shown in mice

July 2, 2014

The Airman's Coin Ceremony during the final week of Air Force Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, April 4, 2013. After this event, individuals are no longer called a ''trainee.'' They've earned the right to be called ''Airman.'' Many Airman consider this to be one of the most significant events in their career.

Cool Finds

More Than Two Thirds of American Youth Aren’t Good Enough for the Military, Says the Military

The military won’t accept people prescribed ADHD medications—but that doesn’t mean soldiers aren’t using Adderall

July 1, 2014

New Research

Here’s How You Should Actually Go About Comforting a Depressed Friend

Optimism and well-wishes are not necessarily the best way to show a suffering friend that you care

July 1, 2014

The Scoop works like a mini sound mixer.

Tech Watch

Having Trouble Hearing? There’s An App For That

Called the Scoop, this earpiece is a mini-mixer, allowing the wearer to adjust to his or her environment.

June 30, 2014

Whether or not a woman's health insurance will cover the emergency pill now depends in some cases on her employer's religious beliefs

Americans might support and use birth control, but the Hobby Lobby decision did not

June 30, 2014

Cool Finds

Some World Cup Teams Ban Sex Before Games, Even Though Science Says It May Help Performance on the Field

Other teams, however, are all in favor of pre-game sex

June 19, 2014

New Research

Just Let Detroit’s Vacant Lots Run Wild

Neglected and overgrown lots are, it turns out, a boon to Detroit’s allergy sufferers

June 18, 2014

Sure it's a lot of fun, if you don't like your fingernails.

New Research

Spending Too Much Time in Space Basically Sets You Up for Type 2 Diabetes

Being an astronaut is not a healthy lifestyle choice

June 17, 2014

New Research

Here’s an Idea for Preventing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Free Pregnancy Tests in Bars

The tests are meant to catch unexpected pregnancies early on and to discourage pregnant women from drinking

June 17, 2014

Cool Finds

Tweaking the Banana’s Genome Could Save the Lives of Thousands of Children in Uganda

But not everyone agrees that GMO crops should be used to solve food and nutrition problems

June 16, 2014

Nursing isn't all smiles and candy stripes, in fact it's a very stressful job

New Research

Stressed Nurses Dehumanize Patients to Cope, Says New Research

Italian study analyzes what it takes for nurses to remain committed to their job

June 6, 2014

Computer illustration of red blood cells in a blood vessel.

Your Blood Type is a Lot More Complicated Than You Think

There are millions of varieties—and a global network to help share them

June 5, 2014

The victim likely picked up the disease while traveling abroad

June 4, 2014