Science News

FOR years, the motor industry lived by the mantra, "bigger is better". The number of litres that a car's pistons displaced within its engine's cylinders was a matter of pride for its owner. This was because displacement ...

The "Mona Lisa" may be hiding the real Lisa Gherardini beneath its surface, one scientist claims, but other experts in the field are skeptical.

NASA's probe to Pluto, New Horizons, spent mere minutes skimming past that celestial body's surface on the morning of July 14th. As it did so, though, its camera was snapping at full pelt and storing pictures in the craf...

Astronauts already skip ahead in time, but the laws of physics seem to forbid going backward—or do they? --

A record-breaking number of furious storms rocked the Pacific Ocean during the 2015 hurricane season, while the Atlantic Ocean stayed relatively quiet, likely because of El Niño, new research shows.

TrCel7a is a cellulase: a special enzyme that breaks down cellulose, the most plentiful natural polymer on the planet.

Purifying water and greening nanotechnology could be as simple as shaking a vial of water and oil. At least that's the case for a new method to clean contaminated water full of unwanted nanomaterials.

There are several parts of California where, in a high percentage of people with thyroid cancer, the disease is already at an advanced stage by the time it is diagnosed, researchers report.

Apigenin, a substance found in parsley, thyme, chamomile and red pepper, improves neuron formation and strengthens the connections between brain cells, new lab research demonstrates.

Chagas disease is caused by a parasitic protozoan (Trypanosoma cruzi) and transmitted via triatomine insects known locally in Texas as 'kissing bugs.' Due to the success of community based triatomine surveillance and col...

A new study sheds light on the significance of a potential genetic risk factor for drug addiction and possibly other neuropsychiatric disorders. Both genetic and environmental factors are known to influence susceptibilit...

The expression of about three-quarters of active genes in a cell is controlled by a process in which the DNA-transcribing enzyme hesitates before going to work. Experiments have identified the complex of proteins that he...

A common, inexpensive and safe chemical called methylene blue could be used to treat progeria -- and possibly the symptoms of normal aging as well. A new study shows for the first time that small doses of methylene blue ...

A new 'periodic table' provides a unified way to classify and visualize protein complexes. The study provides insights into evolutionary distribution of different types of existing protein complexes. The table provides a...

Traveling during the holidays with little kids can be fraught with safety issues. Here are some tips for parents.

Color-image based systems are excellent at locating people in aerial search and rescue operations, but fall short when it comes to discerning between actual human skin and objects with similar hues. To remedy this, resea...

The annual delivery of influenza vaccine to the American public is hardly a straight shot from federal health officials to vaccine manufacturers to physicians to patients. A recurring and vexing part of the process is a ...

One out of every four dollars employers pay for health care is tied to unhealthy lifestyle choices or conditions like smoking, stress and obesity, despite the fact that most large employers have workplace wellness progra...

Research shows how smallpox, a feared bioterrorism agent, and other poxviruses overcome the defenses of their hosts. Implications of the findings extend to cancer therapy, researchers say.

Nano implies small -- and that's great for use in medical devices, beauty products and smartphones -- but it's also a problem. All these tiny particles get into our water and are difficult to remove. Now, researchers hav...

A novel two-dimensional feature space that uses the spectral absorption characteristics of melanin, hemoglobin and water to better characterize human skin has been uncovered by researchers.

PET/CT and whole-body MRI detect extraskeletal disease that may change the management of high-risk breast and prostate cancer patients, according to a recent study. In addition, the combined administration of F-18 sodium...