Poop mining for precious metals may be viable, say sewage scientists
Poop could be a goldmine – literally. Surprisingly, human biosolids contain gold, silver, and other metals, as well as rare…
High-fat intake could trigger psychiatric disorders
High-fat diets have long been known to increase the risk for heart disease and stroke, but there is new evidence…
Opossum-based antidote to snake venom could save thousands of lives
A peptide found in opossums that can be manufactured easily could provide a novel and inexpensive antidote for venomous snake…
How evolution shaped our idea of the perfect butt
New research from The University of Texas at Austin sheds light on today’s standards of beauty, attributing modern men’s preferences…
The longer a mother breastfeeds, the higher the IQ and salary
Published in The Lancet Global Healthjournal, a study that tracked more than 3,000 newborns for 30 years has concluded that…
Chance discovery changes human leukemia cells into harmless immune cells
After a chance observation in the lab, Stanford researchers have identified a method that forces human leukemia cells to mature…
Male genetic diversity strangled by wealth and power
Genetic researchers have discovered an extremely dramatic decline in male genetic diversity between 4,000 and 8,000 years ago, while in…
“Quantum jitter” mechanism behind the random mutations that drive evolution and cancer
The molecular machines that copy DNA in a living cell are fast and accurate at pairing up the correct bases…
Instead of raising self esteem, we’re raising a generation of narcissists
While the dangers of narcissism are well documented, its origins are not. Now, a new study from Ohio State University…
New research suggests smartphone use associated with lowered intelligence
New University of Waterloo research that examined people’s smartphone habits as well as their analytical, verbal, and numeracy skills found…
Image captures light as both a particle and a wave
Quantum mechanics tells us that light can behave simultaneously as a particle or a wave, but it’s only possible to…
DNA of bacteria that live in the body passed from mother to child
Traits such as eye color and height are passed from one generation to the next through the parents’ DNA, right?…
Dark matter could be the wild card in extinction events
Our planet’s long path around and through the Milky Way means that dark matter could be the ultimate wild card…
Medicos find altered gene expression in anorexia nervosa patients
A new report in the International Journal of Eating Disorders is the first to show that the longer someone suffers…
Rare spectacle of three moons transiting Jupiter’s face captured by Hubble
New images from the Hubble Space Telescope have captured a rare occurrence as three of the Jupiter’s largest moons –…
Study questions whether lab-grown cells are a faithful model for human disease
Studies of human diseases such as cancer rely on the use of laboratory-grown cell cultures that have often been grown…
Selfie shots used to monitor mental health
University of Rochester computer scientists have developed innovative software that turns smartphones into mental health monitoring devices. Describing the project…
Evolutionary biology could reveal a universal basis for morality
Recent developments in science appear to indicate that the emergence of life in general and perhaps even rational life, with…
Psychedelic use associated with decreased suicidal thinking, say researchers behind new study
Previous studies have found that psychedelic use may occasion lasting improvements in mental health, but the effects of psychedelic use…
Scientists discover “idiosyncratic” brain patterns in autism
Recent studies into Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have found a lack of synchronization (“connectivity”) between different parts of the brain…
Link found between circumcision and autism
Research published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine suggests that regardless of cultural background, circumcised boys may…
Tiny vibrations could reveal extraterrestrial life
Looking for life on other planets is not straightforward. Usually, chemical detection is used, but such tests are limited in…
Gut flora link to Parkinson’s disease
Medical researchers in Finland hope that their discovery of a significant variation in the gut microbiota of Parkinson’s sufferers could…
Table-top particle accelerator sets world record
Using a small, inches-long device, researchers have accelerated subatomic particles to the highest energies ever recorded from a compact particle…
Mysterious “action at a distance” between liquids may be commonplace
Back in 2010, researchers found that superfluid helium reservoirs stored in separate containers could behave collectively. Now, a new theoretical…
Hand dryers worse than paper towels for spreading germs
Scientists from the University of Leeds (UK) have discovered that airborne germ counts are 27 times higher around air dryers…
Lightning increasing with global warming
A new analysis of climate change models predicts a 50 percent increase in lightning strikes across the United States during…
Marijuana’s long-term effects on the brain: do you want the good news or the bad news?
A study by University of Texas scientists has found that chronic marijuana users have a smaller orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), but…
How long can our technological civilization last?
By combining the Earth-based science of sustainability with the space-oriented field of astrobiology, two astrophysicists are attempting to answer questions…