Studies slam DIY genetic tests
The direct-to-consumer genetic tests offered by deCODEme and 23andMe give inaccurate predictions of disease risks and regulatory authorities should consider…
Missing Enzyme Responsible For SIDS?
A missing enzyme may be one possible explanation for sudden infant death syndrome, according to a report by a Wake…
The secret lives of cats
Cats are secretive creatures and their nocturnal adventures are largely a mystery, but a new study by researchers at the…
Stoned On Money
Using money as an incentive, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and two other institutions found that human neural responses…
Radiation exposure impacting gender ratio
Analyzing data from population centers around normally functioning nuclear power stations, German researchers have found an increased percentage of male…
Happy men not sexually attractive to women
The notion that women find “bad boys” sexually attractive gets reinforcement from a new study published in Emotion showing that…
Bacteria make rain, bioprecipitation researchers say
Bioprecipitation researchers say that most precipitation events could depend on a type of bacterium whose outer membrane binds water molecules…
Viagra touted as MS treatment
Pharma giant Pfizer may soon may be cranking out even more little blue pills if the results from a recent…
Wildlife extinction rates hugely over-reported
Calculating species extinction rates is a tricky business at the best of times, but a new research paper in Nature…
Clone Problems Identified
Despite technological advances, two major problems continue to plague the field of animal cloning: few clones survive to term and…
Dairy intake, heart attack risk not statistically linked
Dairy products may be high in saturated fats but high levels of dairy intake do not statistically increase the risk…
Two legs good, four legs bad – for beating the crap out of each other
Men can punch much harder when they stand on two legs and hit downward rather than when they are on…
Twin-study findings conflict with sex ed dogma
Current sex education curricula recommend abstinence as a way of reducing sexual risk-taking, but a new study appearing inPsychological Science…
Much simpler catalyst could fast-track hydrogen economy
The black mineral stain commonly found on rocks turns out to be a very simple and effective catalyst for replicating…
Light Computer Runs At Quantum Speeds
A simple computer that marries the mind-boggling computing power of quantum mechanics with the ease of manipulating light has been…
Alzheimer’s risk gene begins disrupting brain 50 years before disease hits
Degeneration of myelin in the brain’s white-matter fiber pathways is increasingly considered to be a key component of Alzheimer’s disease…
How Did We Get So Smart?
Princeton and Bell Labs scientists have devised a simple but powerful method for analyzing brain anatomy, providing the first reliable…
High incidence of placebo use in psychiatry
Doctors may not like talking about it, but it’s becoming much more prevalent. A recent McGill University survey found that…
Biofuels’ “green” credentials questioned
Biofuels might not be so “green” after all, say researchers at MIT, who have been doing some calculations based on…
Study reveals how cops spot liars
The ability to effectively detect deception is a cornerstone of successful law enforcement, and now, the investigative interviewing techniques used…
Doctors at Guantánamo Bay get cryptic ethical advice
Medical involvement with torture is prohibited by law and the fundamental tenets of the medical professional, and yet sometimes it…
“Bad” cholesterol not so evil
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) – popularly known as bad cholesterol – turns out to be critical for building muscle mass, and…
Musical Training Boosts Brain Growth
Research has revealed significant differences in the gray matter distribution between professional musicians trained at an early age and non-musicians,…
Schizophrenic computer models mental illness
A computer network that emulates schizophrenia is providing University of Texas at Austin researchers with important insights into the inner…
“Paperphone” prototype demonstrates bend gesture interface
Researchers from Queen’s University in Canada have developed a prototype flexible smartphone interface that allows users to interact with applications…
Mirror neuron development reversed in autistic brain
The brain’s mirror neuron system enables us to better understand and anticipate the actions of others, leading researchers to posit…
Experiments reveal aggression to be a “manhood-restoring tactic”
Manhood is difficult to earn and easy to lose; suggest experiments by University of South Florida psychologists that also showed…