Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
New technique brings Parkinson’s treatment closer
An efficient technique to make dopamine-producing nerve cells from human embryonic stem cells could mark a step toward devising therapies for Parkinson's disease.
- Health & Medicine
Exercises counteract lazy eye
Amblyopia, or lazy eye, can be reversed in adults with visual task exercises.
- Chemistry
Drugs on Tap
It's finally time to investigate whether pharmaceuticals in water pose a health risk.
- Health & Medicine
Beyond Blood
Bloodless MRI seeks a more direct window into the working brain than conventional techniques.
- Humans
From the March 5, 1938, issue
Shoes that give silent testimony for safety measures, ten moons and counting for Saturn, and finding oil in impossible places.
- Humans
One-Stop Shopping for Every Species
On Feb. 26, the Encyclopedia of Life went live. This site hopes to become the definitive place to find information on every living species—millions and millions of them. The first extensive sets of entries will include fish and members of the potato and tomato families. But more species will be added all the time—offering basic […]
- Health & Medicine
A Way Forward: Releasing the brakes on cancer vaccines
A new way to overcome tumors' defenses against the immune system marks an important step toward effective cancer vaccines.
- Health & Medicine
Cancer Risk: Colon growths might not be so obvious
Some colorectal growths that are precancerous aren't polyps.
- Humans
Calling all clues …
Add flip-open cell phones to the list of crime-scene items that might harbor a suspect's DNA.
- Humans
Encyclopedia of Life starts online—at times
The project to create an online Encyclopedia of Life with a Web page for every species has taken its first, baby steps. The free-access, scientifically vetted encyclopedia, headquartered at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., opened its first portal to preliminary Web pages (www.eol.org) Feb. 26. Some 11 million hits in the first few hours […]
- Health & Medicine
Raising doubts about Crohn’s treatment
The conventional drug regimen prescribed for people with Crohn’s disease might not be the best strategy, a new study shows. Crohn’s disease is marked by inflammation and ulcers in the intestines. It has no cure, but patients often get relief from corticosteroids, such as prednisone, the standard medication for flare-ups. If those don’t work, doctors […]
- Health & Medicine
Fungi aid immune system’s fight
Scientists have discovered that white button mushrooms, the plain Janes of edible fungi, are actually quite stimulating. Their powder seems to jump-start the immune response of cells taken from mice, a new study finds. MUSHROOM MIGHT. Adding white button–mushroom powder to incubating immune system cells from mice revved up the cells’ development and their response […]
