Nicotine receptor gets blame for Internet addiction
Internet addiction has a physiological basis, according to German researchers who say a variant of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor makes…
Sugar molecules observed in distant planet formation
For the first time, astronomers have identified molecules of glycolaldehyde – a simple form of sugar – in the gas…
Binary star has multiple orbiting planets
Astronomers have found the first multi-planet solar system orbiting a binary star (artist’s impression appears right). Importantly, the discovery shows…
Infant formula found to compromise immune system
Duke University scientists have discovered how breast milk, but not infant formula, fosters colonies of microbiotic flora in a newborn’s…
Tackling obesity by manipulating gut flora
Antibiotics could one day be the standard treatment for regulating weight, suggests a new study inNature Immunology that examines the…
Flat lens focuses without distortion
Physicists at Harvard have created an ultrathin, flat lens that focuses light without imparting the distortions that occur with conventional…
Cause of global throat cancer epidemic a mystery
The “astounding” increase in cases of esophageal cancer around the world seems to have begun in the UK in the…
Semen found to induce ovulation
Previously thought to have no physiological effects, the prostatic fluid component of semen contains a protein that can trigger ovulation…
Bucky ball “cage” imprisons smaller molecules
A quantum parlor trick where smaller molecules are “caged” inside the nano-meter sized cavity of a spherical bucky ball (C60…
Curiosity zaps first Martian rock
The rover Curiosity has zapped a fist-sized Martian rock with its laser, producing a cloud of ionized plasma that will…
Precise sexual orientation revealed in pupil dilation study
For the first time, researchers have used a specialized camera to measure pupillary changes in people watching erotic videos, the…
Neanderthal nookie notion nixed
Hybridization, the idea that modern humans and Neanderthals once interbred is probably wrong, say researchers at the University of Cambridge…
Urbanization wild-card in warming estimates
Scientists studying the impact of urban expansion on climate have found that average summertime temperatures in one US area could…
Banking regulations could create financial chaos, say physicists
Imposing minimal capital levels for banks in an effort to stabilize the banking sector will not prevent insolvency and may…
Hamburger-shaped raindrops creating twin rainbows
Computer simulations have allowed scientists to identify the curiously named “burgeroid” raindrop as being responsible for a rare optical phenomenon…
First 3-D images from Curiosity
On its first Martian day, the rover has been self-checking its health and so far all activities appear to be…
Orbiter captures Curiosity’s descent
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has transmitted to Earth an astounding picture of the rover Curiosity as it descends by parachute…
Live! Curiosity: countdown to Mars landing
Curiosity Transmitting… The first thumbnail pics have been transmitted from its low-res hazcams. The rover’s shadow can be seen in…
Waitresses in red win tips race
Male restaurant customers give consistently higher tips – around 20 percent more – to waitresses wearing red, say hospitality researchers.…