Female brain frazzled by mild dehydration
Mild dehydration – which occurs when the body has lost just 1.5 percent of its normal water content – can…
Energy poverty killing more people than malaria
A lack of clean energy for cooking is causing severe respiratory diseases that kill around two million people each year,…
Is texting stunting our reading skills?
The general assumption that text messaging encourages unconstrained language is a myth, says Canadian linguist Joan Lee, who contends that…
Tiny new reptile species discovered
Four new species of miniaturized lizards have been identified in extreme northern Madagascar. The zoologists responsible for the discovery suggest…
“Cloaked” buildings could withstand earthquakes, say UK scientists
While much media attention has been paid to the development of an invisibility “cloak” that works with electromagnetic waves such…
How to spot Internet dating liars
A linguistic analysis carried out by US communications experts has revealed a list of tell-tale language traits that liars use…
Calorie intake linked to cognitive impairment
Consuming more than 2,100 calories per day appears to double the risk of cognitive impairment in the elderly, according to…
Cancer drug reverses Alzheimer’s
In a discovery the researchers describe as “unprecedented,” a cancer drug (bexarotene) already approved by the FDA has been shown…
Milky Way’s black hole in asteroid feeding frenzy
The X-ray flares that are observed on a daily basis from the giant black hole at the center of the…
Missing tree rings invalidate climate reconstructions
Penn State researchers have called into question the common practice of using tree rings to reconstruct past climate events, showing…
Gender behaviors directly manipulated
Uncovering the individual genes that are directly influenced by testosterone and estrogen has allowed University of California, San Francisco scientists…
Wireless charging proposed for electric cars
An innovative wireless system that charges electric cars while they are on the road could also be used to control…
Brain waves reveal mind’s internal voice
Eavesdropping on the brain’s internal monologs or communicating with locked-in patients may one day be a reality, as scientists learn…
Size matters: evolutionary changes in body size measured
For the first time, scientists have measured how quickly large-scale evolutionary changes in body size occur. Intriguingly, while it takes…
Magic mushrooms get MRI treatment
Two new studies published this week look into how psilocybin – the active ingredient in magic mushrooms – affects brain…
Racehorse “speed gene” traced to 18th century British mare
Irish researchers writing in the journal Nature Communications say that the original “speed gene” variant entered the equine Thoroughbred line…
Rising CO2 levels creating crazy fish
Rising oceanic carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are disrupting a key brain receptor in fish, causing dramatic changes in their brain…
IQ plummets for women in social settings
A new Virginia Tech study highlights the unexpected and dramatic consequences subtle social signals in group settings can have on…
Say what? Ambiguity makes language more efficient
To avoid conversational confusion and optimize language, linguists have traditionally argued that every word should have just one meaning, but…
Why gossip is good for you
Gossip has traditionally had a bad reputation, but a convoluted series of experiments carried out in the US have demonstrated…
La Niña cooking up mutated viruses?
The La Niña weather pattern is altering the migratory patterns of birds and possibly triggering the development of dangerous new…
Funding for artificial testicle project will get ball rolling
A joint venture between two US companies to develop an artificial testicle has been awarded funding from the National Institute…
Researchers mull bacterium’s link to autism
The bacterium Sutterella was found to be present at remarkably high levels in the gastrointestinal tracts of children with autism…
Milky Way has “billions” of habitable planets
Working with data from telescopes located around the world, an international team of astronomers have shown that planets around stars…
Disrupted biological clock damages brain
For the first time, scientists at Oregon State University have shown that disrupting the biological clocks found in many animals…
Nicotine patches reduce senior moments
Older people may benefit from the regular use of nicotine patches, according to a study that showed improvements in memory…
Insect cyborgs get onboard power source
Attaching tiny sensors, recording devices and control mechanisms to insects is now a more realistic prospect after the discovery that…
Monkeys feel the love on oxytocin
Duke University researchers evaluating the effectiveness of oxytocin – the “love” hormone – in treating autism and schizophrenia say that…