Science News

As humans spread out into the cosmos in search of life, the most alien organisms we encounter may be those we bring with us. Researchers at NASA and elsewhere are engineering microbes so they can carry out many of the fu...

(University of Basel) Water molecules exist in two different forms with almost identical physical properties. For the first time, researchers have succeeded in separating the two forms to show that they can exhibit diffe...

Researchers implicate an increased likelihood of smoking and lower levels of physical activity following divorce in elevated risks of early death.

Researchers have developed a new deep brain stimulation device that is able to use feedback from the brain to fine tune its signal. The device could help those with Parkinson's disease.

Math models and computer simulations have helped researchers answer a perplexing question about a biological event that occurred 7,000 years ago.

A new study reveals how neurons in the GI tract coordinate activity to propel waste through the digestive system.

Study reveals the how the brain maintains attention on an object while the eyes make rapid, voluntary movements. The findings could open the door to developing new treatments for a number of neurological disorders.

Any solid surface immersed within a plasma, including those in satellite engines and fusion reactors, is surrounded by a layer of electrical charge that determines the interaction between the surface and the plasma. Unde...

In a pilot study, researchers from North Carolina State University and Haverford College have used naturally arising acoustic vibrations--or sound waves--to monitor the state of granular materials. This passive approach ...

Researchers report that indazole chloride, a synthetic compound that acts on one form of the body's estrogen receptors, is able to remyelinate (add new myelin to) damaged axons and alter the body's immune system -- findi...

Leaning on evolutionary and ecological theory, researchers modeled how a tumor's various cancer cell lineages compete for dominance. Their findings help explain a surprising observation: Most metastatic tumors derive fro...

Just because you stopped smoking years ago doesn't mean you're out of the woods when it comes to developing lung cancer. That's the 'bad' news. The good news is your risk of lung cancer drops substantially within five ye...

Researchers have successfully mapped brain networks that are responsible for perception and movements linked to touch. The findings may provide new insights into the connection between movement and touch.

Researchers investigate the role the BMI1 gene plays in the onset and development of Alzheimer's disease. The study reports the loss of BMI1 triggers and increased production of amyloid beta and decreases neural ability ...

Sometimes, science news coverage can package research a little too neatly--with a clear beginning, middle, and end. In reality, research is a messy process with lots of back-and-forth, frustrations, and surprises. Scient...

Cells from older people have impaired mitochondria, reducing energy production. The findings could open the door to discovering a clear link between mitochondrial dysfunction and age related neurodegeneration, researcher...

Researchers report in areas with greater numbers of Christian fundamentalists, infant mortality rates are higher than in areas with more mainstream Christians. The study reveals external factors such as lack of social su...

The effectiveness of new drugs depends crucially on a fundamental understanding of the complex processes within the cells of the body. Scientists have deciphered an important molecular step of cellular signal transmissio...

Nearsightedness, or myopia, is an increasing problem around the world. There are now twice as many people in the US and Europe with this condition as there were 50 years ago. In East Asia, 70 to 90 percent of teenagers a...

People with disabilities are underrepresented in STEM. When sociologist and broadcaster Tom Shakespeare was a graduate student at King's College, Cambridge in the early 1990s, he sent a request to a physicist who was on ...

High-power lasers are now widely used in additive manufacturing and laser welding systems to precisely cut and weld metal, making all kinds of metal parts for medical devices, aerospace applications, automotive industrie...

The country remains unapologetic for its "scientific research" program in the South Ocean.