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Researchers design software which they claim prescribes better treatment than doctors

Two researchers from Indiana University have developed a computer model they say can identify significantly better and less-expensive treatments than can doctors acting alone. If true, this research could have a significant impact on the healthcare system, but at the same time, rises some extremely important questions. The idea Casey Bennett and Kris Hauser had […]

Genetically engineered virus kills liver cancer and significantly prolongs life

Researchers have developed a gene engineered vaccinia virus JX-594 – one of the pox viruses – that selectively kills cancer cells and increases immune system response. In a clinical trial of 30 terminally-ill liver cancer participants, where doses were randomized, the researchers found that the median life expectancy significantly prolonged. “For the first time in medical history we […]

Professional athletes learn faster than University students

There’s a common stereotype that depicts athletes as being grunts that are all brawn and no brain. In reality, the truth couldn’t be farther. Athletes, the good ones at least, seemingly posses an above average intelligence, and a recent study by cognitive scientists at University of Montreal adds further weight to this statement. In the study […]

How much coffee is too much? A new study shows 3 cups is maximum

The apparently evergrowing consumption of coffee and caffeinated products continues to worry scientists, and until now, a maximum safety level had not been established. A common story When Matthew Penbross woke on a morning in August 2007, he wanted to be prepared. A natural desire, considering he was competing in the motocross races near Port […]

25-year old loses all his teeth due to soda addiction

William Kennewel wasn’t a big fan of water – drinking soda instead of it pretty much all the time; now, he has become living proof of the damage soft drinks can cause to your teeth. “I’m told a normal person has about 23 teeth, but … I only had 13 left and they had to […]

3D printing stem cells could be used one day to 'manufacture' organs

We’re only in the early days of 3-D printing, but even now the breakthroughs made using such technology are most impressive like the genuine possibility of printing spare parts in space for the ISS, creating objects of great details on the nanoscale or even artificial muscles made using a 3-D printer. What’s fabulous though is […]

The making of a bully - childhood trauma is key

They say that the bully is actually the victim – and studies on adolescent rats seem to support this idea; younger rats subjected to a stressful environment turn out to be aggressive adults, behaviors that may be explained by accompanying epigenetic changes and altered brain activity. Whoa, let’s slow down a little. Much like humans, […]

DNA vaccines could prove to be safer, easier and better than traditional method

Vaccines have become synonymous to needles, and for a lot of people they’re the subject of horror stories since childhood. Typically, a vaccine works by injecting an inactive virus into the body, such that when the real virus reaches the host body, the immune system will be quick to act and destroy it before it gets a […]

Antibiotics of the future might come from the bottom of the oceans

The advent of antibiotics has spared humanity of a great deal of suffering and has saved countless lives through the years. Infectious diseases do not bore too easily and have always put out a fight, though. The bad news is that they’re winning and as the battle rages on, more and more strains become resistant […]

How natural selection helped Siberian natives survive harsh cold

Though Siberia stretches across about 10% of the world’s land surface, it’s only occupied by 0.5% of the world’s population, which isn’t too hard to explain why. Recent temperature measurements read on average -25°C for the month of January, but it’s not unheard of to experience temperatures below -40°C. Extreme weather, temperatures and terrain, however, call […]

How a 15-year-old created the cheapest medical device that might save millions of lives

Jack Andraka is in his sophomore high-school year, but while other kids his age might be preoccupied with fighting puberty, the 15-year-old is fighting cancer. He has devised a pancreatic test kit that costs only three cents, requires only a drop of blood, is non-invasive and has a formidable success rate. Not only this, but […]

Cloned animals aren't identical - we're still far from the perfect clone

It is generally believed that a cloned animal is identical to its host from where cells were initially harvested, however this may be wrong. Researchers at the  National Veterinary Institute at the Technical University of Denmark have provided evidence that suggests cloned pigs are just as genetically varied as normally bred pigs, supporting the idea that […]

Graphene and brain research get biggest research prize ever - $2 billion [shorties]

Research into the new wondermaterial graphene and the neurochemistry of the human brain will be given up to two billion euros ($2.68 billion) in funding – the largest research grant in official, recorded history, the European Commission said on Monday. The two areas are the beneficiaries of the Future Emerging Technology (FET) Flagship programme, described […]

Doctors perform double-arm transplant on Iraq soldier

A former soldier who sadly became a quadruple amputee during his time in Iraq after an explosion three years ago has undergone a very rare double arm transplant at John Hopkins Hospital. Brendan Marrocco, 26, of Staten Island, who underwent the marathon surgery last month has gone through a lot; he was the first first […]

Yoga helps reduce symptoms of most major psychiatric diseases

It’s a well known fact that yoga does good to the mind and body, but the extent of that benefit is something still debated. Now, yoga supporters have just gotten a big hand from a study conducted by psychiatrists. “Yoga has also become such a cultural phenomenon that it has become difficult for physicians and […]

Science ABC: Allergies - how they work, and what works against them

We’ve been getting lots and lots of questions regarding allergies, so here I will try to shed light on the issue as much as possible. Here’s the basics on how things work. How allergies work Your body has a fantastic immune system; the immune system protects you against all sorts of nasty things, identifying and […]

Starchy genes made wolves man's best friend

A genetic change allowed wolves to make the transition from wild beasts to domesticated animals, with a starch-rich diet and less meat. Researchers from Sweden, Norway and the United States compared the DNA code of wolves to that of domesticated dogs. “Our findings show that the digestive system of dogs have adapted to be able […]

New method allows large molecules to get squeezed through cell membranes

A group of researchers at MIT have devised a new method for infiltrating cells with large molecules such as nanoparticles or proteins that is a lot more non-intrusive and doesn’t damage the cell. Imaging target cells or growing more stable stem cells might thus be possible with this method. Every cell has a membrane, which […]

NIH to retire most of its research chimps, report says

Clear and solid steps have been taken in the past few years to cancel research, experiments and drug testing on chimps, a practice which is still legal in only two countries in the world: the US and Ghana. Recently, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) was advised to retire its decade-old, 360 chimpanzee-strong colony to a […]

Obese people more likely to die in car crashes than those of normal weight

Researchers looked at data that described people involved in car accidents and, after balancing factors like airbag and seat belt, found that obese people are at a much greater risk of dying during a collision than people of normal weight. The study holds a rather important significance since it might prompt car manufacturers to rethink […]

Gold nanoparticles show new way to annihilate lymphoma cells without chemotherapy

How do you annihilate lymphoma cells without any chemotherapy or drugs at all? Simply by starving it of the thing it needs most – High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Northwestern Medicine researchers discovered a method of treating lymphoma with a new nanoparticle that works as a double agent – it appears to the cancerous cells as […]

No, people, scientists are not searching for an 'adventurous woman to give birth to a Neanderthal baby'

Just write, don’t check This is again one of those which gets the media all hyped out, without checking the facts; yesterday’s headlines all sounded like this: ‘“Wanted: ‘Adventurous woman’ to give birth to Neanderthal man — Harvard professor seeks mother for cloned cave baby” – newspapers like the Daily Mail were all over it. […]

Quadruple helix DNA proven to exist in human cells

Exactly 50 years ago, Cambridge researchers Watson and Crick published a monumental paper that for the first time described the intertwined double helix DNA structure which carries the fundamental genetic code for life. The discovery led to an explosion of advancements in the fields of genetics and health, but also in chemistry or computing. Now, researchers, […]

Genetics might predict how long you'll live. Trauma might shorten life span

Researchers at Duke University studied the telomeres – the tip of chromosomes that protect them  – in a group of children and found that those who had experienced trauma had their telomeres shorter than those that hadn’t. These chromosome tips, which can be viewed akin to shoelace tips, have been linked by scientists with aging […]

Crabs and other shellfish feel pain. Opens ethical discussion

A new study from researchers at Queen’s University Belfast, UK, found that indeed shellfish, like crabs or lobsters that are typically cooked alive in horrid conditions, feel pain as well. The findings raise significant ethical discussions, warning the food and fish industry of its ill ways of killing live seafood. “On a philosophical point, it […]

People remember facebook updates better than faces or quotes from books

There are some 30 million facebook updates pushed on the massive social network every hour, so it might seem like common  sense for most of us to dismiss these as trivial. Scientists at University of Warwick and UC San Diego however chose not to ignore these fleeting, yet direct text updates and actually found some interesting […]

Spiders on drugs - see how they web

In 1995, scientists working at NASA took a break from the usual cosmic research to tackle a much different problem: getting spiders stoned. Their experiments have shown that common house spiders spin their webs in different ways according to the psychotropic drug they have been given; the more toxic the drug, the more deformed the […]

Treating Autism with Umbilical Cord Blood

[This is a sponsored post by Sherry Lindbak] When a child is diagnosed with autism, families often embark on a lifelong quest to find answers, to seek treatment, and to maintain hope. Hope may now come in the form of a cure for autism if a new research study proves successful. Dr. Michael Chez, director […]

Parkinson treatment unlocks latent creativity

Many Parkinson experts across the world have been reporting a surprising, remarkable phenomenon: many patients treated with drugs that increase dopamine activity in the brain exhibit new creative talents, including painting, sculpting, writing, and many more. Prof. Rivka Inzelberg of Tel Aviv University‘s Sackler Faculty of Medicine first noticed something was weird when instead of […]

Got the flu? Tweet it!

The flu season has started, and it promises to be one of the worst in years; so far, over 2.200 people have been hospitalized due to influenza related issues just in the US. For example, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino declared a citywide public health emergency, with some 700 declared influenza cases – 10 times more […]

Earth bacteria can withstand extremely harsh Mars-like conditions

The ultimate goal of all current Mars missions and observations is that of finding evidence of life or, on the contrary, collect data that would once and for all flag the planet as barren and devoid of life. Recent findings from scientists at University of Florida both help ease and complicate this quest after it’s […]

As we age learning is hampered because our brains can't filter useless information as before

Children are veritable knowledge sponges that can appropriate an intense amount of skills in a short amount of time. As we age, starting from the end of puberty, people seem to loose their ability of learning new skills as intense as children do. For instance, if a 30 year old French man decided to starting […]

Hearing restored in mice after hair cells were regenerated through drug

Hearing loss is a grave healthcare problem around the world, with 50 million cases in the US alone. The most common type is sensorineural hearing loss caused by the degradation and loss of sensory hair cells in the cochlea (the auditory part of the inner ear). While implants and various other hearing aids can improve hearing […]

Eye color and face shape influence trustworthiness

People with brown eyes appear more trustworthy than those with blue eyes, unless the man has a broad face. What – is this for real? According to a study conducted by Karel Kleisner and colleagues from Charles University in the Czech Republic – the answer is ‘Yes’. The point of the study was to determine […]

Antibiotic resistant gonorrhea arrives in North America too. STD might become "incurable"

Gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually transmitted disease in the world. It’s been a real pest for centuries, however for decades now effective and simple orally administrated antibiotics have quickly turned this dreaded social stigma and healthcare hazard into nothing more than a common trifle, easily dealt with. The bacterium doesn’t give up […]

Drinking hot chocolate from an orange or creme colored cup makes it taste better

A group of researchers from Polytechnic University of Valencia and Oxford University asked study participants to sample hot chocolate contained in variously colored cups. Their results suggest that drinking hot chocolate and other similar brews from orange or creme colored containers enhances its flavor. The scientists asked the 57 participants to taste the same hot chocolate […]

Simulated manned mission to Mars yields valuable information: boredom key problem

In case you didn’t know, there was a big pretend manned mission to Mars going on in 2010 and 2011, organized by the Russian Academy of Science in conjunction with the European and Chinese space agencies. The experiment, Mars500, placed six people in a simulated spaceship en route to Mars for 520 days, in order […]

Punching may have shaped evolution of human hand

University of Utah researchers analyzed the forces and acceleration involved when different martial artists hit a punching bag. They found that the structure of the fist provides additional support for the knuckles to transmit punching force. “We asked the question: ‘can you strike harder with a fist than with an open palm?’,” co-author David Carrier […]

Massive database of of 1,500 stem cell lines derived from diseased cells set to aid drug development

The StemBANCC project, developed as a joint effort between the European Union and Europe’s pharmaceutical industry, is set to culture 1,500 pluripotent stem cell lines derived from the cells of diseased individuals like Alzheimer’s patients is currently planned. Using this massive database, researchers will be able to achieve much smoother and faster drug screening process in order to […]

Detecting biomarkers in urine could allow for earlier cancer diagnosis

By detecting specific biomarkers (proteins) produced by cancer cells, physicians can diagnose a tumor, however these are so diluted in the bloodstream that only after they’re sufficiently present can they be observed. Usually this happens many years after the tumor had already the chance to develop. Now, scientists at MIT have proposed a novel method […]

Magic mushroom drugs show promise in treating addiction and cancer anxiety

Labeled as a hallucinogenic drug and banned for decades after highly controversial results, research on the hallucinogen psilocybin is showing early promise in a new series of small, medicinal studies. Magic mushrooms There is significant evidence which suggests that psychoactive mushrooms have been used by humans in religious ceremonies for thousands of years; murals as […]

Learn to play the piano - no attention required

If learning to play the piano while watching television sounds like your thing – this is definitely something you should tune in to. Furthermore, if you already find your tutor helpful, this additional technology can make you a master musician. A computer scientist at Georgia Tech, Thad Starner, and his team, invented Mobile Music Touch […]

NASA to test sleep-aid coloured light bulbs

Space flight insomnia is quite a common issue, one for which space agencies don’t have a definite answer yet – but they’re working on it; one thing NASA plans to do is swap a fluorescent panel with a solid-state lighting module (SSLM) containing LEDs which produces a blue, whitish or red-coloured light depending on the […]

Mind over matter: paralyzed woman controls robotic arm with her thoughts

Doctors in Pittsburg are stunned by the ability of a patient who reached a never seen before mental control level of a robotic arm. The human part Jan Scheuermann, 53, who is paralyzed neck down, was able to move, grasp and release a variety of common household items with the same ability as with a […]

Popular weight loss may cause fatal liver problems

Popular weight loss aid Alli has been available since 2009; you take it three times a week for 12 weeks, and if everything goes according to plan, you lose 10 percent of your body fat. Over 12 million people worldwide use it, because, as it turns out, it’s actually quite good. But according to a […]

Algae produce 3-D, complex proteins used for cheap, yet effective anti-cancer treatment

Scientists at UC San Diego have finally collected the fruits of their decade-long labor after they managed to genetically engineered algae that can produce complex antibiotics that prevent cancer, otherwise extremely expensive to develop in laboratories. Cheaper treatment would thus be possible, that’s not only limited to cancer, but a slew of other afflictions otherwise treatable would expensive designer-drugs. […]

Overweight moms risk having children with lower IQs

Women who go into pregnancy overweight risk giving birth to children with lower IQs, a new study published in the journal Pediatrics claims. While the findings don’t necessarily suggest that maternal weight affects children’s mental abilities, researchers stand by their conclusions, which is that heavy mothers tend to have a somewhat lower IQ than their […]

Cyber-crime turns frightening real: hacking pacemakers and other medical devices

It seems like a scenario from a bad spy movie: someone hacking a medical device like an insulin pump or pacemaker and control it at his will. Unfortunately, this is all but possible. There are currently millions of people fitted with various electronic devices, some of which we’ve featured here on ZME Science. These range […]

Visual impairments on the rise in the US linked to diabetes

Nonrefractive visual impairments, the kind that can’t be corrected by glasses, have reportedly increased 21% overall and 40% among non-Hispanic whites aged 20 to 39 years compared to a decade ago. The researchers who conducted the study claim that their results show a link between loss of vision and rising diabetes among the US populace. Visual impairment diseases […]

Light smoking doubles the risk of sudden heart failure in women

If you’re a woman who just can’t give up smoking, but you’ve toned it down, even to just one cigarette per day, then don’t think you’ve eliminated the risks; according to a new research published in the Journal of American Heart Association, even very light smoking doubles the risk of heart failure in women, while […]