Uncategorized
-
Health & MedicineImaging Parkinson’s
A new brain-imaging technique can supply proof of Parkinson's disease in people whose symptoms fall short of the standard definition of the disease.
By Nathan Seppa -
Health & MedicineZapping bone brings relief from tumor pain
By unleashing radio waves inside bone, researchers have stopped intractable pain in people with cancer that has spread to their skeletons.
By Nathan Seppa -
19166
I read your article about bilirubin protecting cells from free radicals and possibly cancer and heart disease. People with Gilbert’s syndrome, which affects 5 percent of the population, have higher-than-normal amounts of bilirubin in their blood. Has any study been conducted to ascertain whether people with Gilbert’s syndrome have a lower incidence of cancer and […]
By Science News -
Health & MedicineBilirubin: Both villain and hero?
Bilirubin, which causes jaundice in newborns, may protect against cellular damage.
By John Travis -
AstronomySizing up small stars
Astronomers have for the first time measured with high precision the size of a small star, Proxima Centauri, the known star nearest to the solar system.
By Ron Cowen -
PhysicsIcicle waves go with the flow
A new model of icicle growth may explain the strange fact that ripples often found on those icy spikes typically sit about 1 centimeter apart, whether the icicles themselves are big or small.
By Peter Weiss -
19165
“Waves,” or crenulations, occur not only on water icicles, but also in caves on dripstone and flowstone speleothems composed of calcite, epsomite, goethite, and even mud. All of these formations display “wavelengths” of around 1 centimeter. The origin of these crenulations is due not to heat, but to greater evaporation and carbon dioxide loss from […]
By Science News -
Health & MedicineIn Silico Medicine
Medical researchers are increasingly turning to computer simulations to help them understand the complexity of living systems, design better drugs, and treat patients more effectively.
-
AstronomyMilky Way’s Last Major Merger
Astronomers have found new evidence supporting the view that the Milky Way and many other spiral galaxies suffered their last major collision billions of years ago.
By Ron Cowen -
EarthGetting to know carbon
A new research initiative will focus on the complex life of carbon as it cycles through Earth's land, water, and atmosphere.
-
EarthForecast: Heavy winds, plasma showers
A new spacecraft has snapped the first images of a region of ionized gases in Earth's magnetic field.
-
Health & MedicineAn alternate approach to Parkinson’s
While levodopa is the treatment of choice for Parkinson's disease, drugs called dopamine agonists, which mimic the neurotransmitter dopamine, may work as well early in the disease, cause fewer side effects, and preserve levodopa's effectiveness.
By Nathan Seppa