News
- Life
First lipid hormone discovered
An omega-7 fatty acid made by fat and liver cells acts as a hormone, even mimicking the health benefits of insulin.
- Humans
Pain relief to believe in
Religious believers shown pictures that evoke spiritual responses display brain activity that may contribute to feeling relief from physical pain, a new study finds.
- Climate
Heat waves stunt grassland growth
An abnormally hot year can significantly suppress growth in grasslands, a stifling effect that lingers well into the next year even if temperatures return to normal. It can also hinder how well the grasslands absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
- Humans
The presidential candidates on science
The Science Debate 2008 team sent science and technology questions to Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama. Find out how they answered.
- Life
Fastest spores in the West (or anywhere)
SEE THE VIDEO: Researchers film a fungus catapulting its spores with an acceleration greater than what astronauts feel.
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Immune cell plays good cop, bad cop
Immune cells called macrophages aid neuron regeneration in some parts of the nervous system, but hinder regeneration in the brain and spinal cord.
- Life
Fish glowing red
Plenty of reef creatures fluoresce red, even where seawater absorbs red sunlight.
- Health & Medicine
Plastics chemical linked to heart disease, diabetes
Study is based on data collected from human adults and matches urine concentrations of bisphenol A with type 2 diabetes, heart disease and liver enzyme problems
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- Health & Medicine
Late nights and disease
Getting too little sleep may lead to health problems. A new study shows that after only one night of sleep deprivation, women have higher levels of an inflammatory molecule linked to cancer, heart disease and other illnesses.
- Space
Snapshot of a planet beyond the solar system
After years of false alarms, astronomers may finally have recorded the first image of a planet orbiting a sunlike star beyond the solar system.
- Materials Science
A killer paint job
New findings suggest that nanotechnology paints for walls, ceilings and surfaces could one day be used to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals.
