Science News

In the world of quantum, infinitesimally small particles, weird and often logic-defying behaviors abound. Perhaps the strangest of these is the idea of superposition, in which objects can exist simultaneously in two or m...

Research could transform how scientists study molecules and cells at sub-microscopic (nanoscale) levels. An electrical and computer engineer and her team has published studies outlining a new, relatively inexpensive imag...

Scientists have shown that the most common genetic cause of Parkinson's disease -- a mutant LRRK2 kinase enzyme -- contributes to the formation of inclusions in neurons, resembling one of the hallmark pathologies seen in...

A recent study concludes that a substantial number of people with a history of the most frequent kind of nonmelanoma skin cancers still get sunburned at the same rate as those without previous history, probably because t...

Materials scientists have created a new material that performs like a cell membrane found in nature. Such a material has long been sought for applications as varied as water purification and drug delivery.

Illuminating traditional wisdom with chemistry and biophysics, a research team has characterized the role of compounds in cranberry juice that block the critical first step in bacterial infections, the ability of bacteri...

Experiment hints we sense light’s tiniest specks “at the threshold of imagination”   --

In 80 percent of cases, pregnant women who used nicotine patches or the drug Zyban successively quit smoking, a new study has shown. Even after stopping the use of these products, 60 percent of Zyban users and 68 percent...

Tom Lehrer sang about poisoning them, but those pigeons in the park might be a good way to detect lead and other toxic compounds in cities. A new study of pigeons in New York City shows that levels of lead in the birds t...

Eating more unsaturated fats in place of either dietary carbohydrate or saturated fat reduces blood sugar, insulin levels, and other metrics related to type 2 diabetes, according to a new meta-analysis of data from 102 r...

Researchers have demonstrated how to control the "electron spin" of a nanodiamond while it is levitated with lasers in a vacuum, an advance that could find applications in quantum information processing, sensors and stud...

When scaling down robots to the micrometer scale for tiny tasks such as incising tissue and puncturing retinal veins, minimalism is key. To make smaller, simpler microrobots, researchers at Drexel University have develop...

Disease ecologists working in the Amazonian city of Iquitos, Peru, have quantified for the first time how a fever affects human mobility during the outbreak of a mosquito-borne pathogen.

In recent years, measures have been introduced to reduce the rate of 'antipsychotic polypharmacy' -- taking more than one antipsychotic drug -- among patients with schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses. But at...

The sun's spin isn't totally upright compared with the orbits of the planets. Could this be because a jealous, distant world shoved its siblings?

A new study suggests that sporadic bursts of gene activity may be important features of genetic regulation rather than just occasional mishaps. The researchers found that snippets of DNA called enhancers can boost the fr...

Demographic characteristics and in-hospital formula feeding explain breastfeeding gaps between black and white mothers, whereas demographic characteristics and family history of breastfeeding help explain higher rates of...

Researchers have demonstrated that electrical conductivity can be an effective means to precisely measure the amount of blood present in dry blood spot analysis, providing a new alternative to the current preferred appro...

Abnormalities in brain regions involved in forming insight may help explain why some people with anorexia nervosa have trouble recognizing their dangerous, dysfunctional eating habits.

In cooperation with colleagues of the University of Rostock, the University of Luxembourg, the Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the University of Eastern Finland, the...

It looks like a small piece of transparent film with tiny engravings on it, and is flexible enough to be bent into a tube. Yet, this piece of "smart" plastic demonstrates excellent performance in terms of data storage an...

While buprenorphine has long been used to treat adults with opioid dependence, its efficacy can be hindered by lack of adherence to daily, sublingual (beneath the tongue) doses of the medication. New research shows that ...