Booze May Not Be as Good For You as Thought
We’ve heard from various studies that drinking a glass of wine a day, or any alcoholic beverage in moderation, can lower risks of serious illness such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and even gallstones. But a new study from the UK’s University of Cambridge is contradicting those findings. The paper, published in The Lancet, […]
Paralyzed Man Wills Robotic Arm to Move
A quadriplegic man can now operate a robotic arm using just his thoughts and imagination. Erik Sorto, who was paralyzed from the neck down after suffering a gunshot wound 13 years ago, became the first person in the world to have a neuroprosthetic device implanted in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), which is an area […]
Woodpeckers Provide Scientists with Clues on Brain Injury Prevention
Sounding like a miniature jackhammer in overdrive, a quiet morning’s peace is suddenly interrupted by bursts of loud, rapid tapping. It doesn’t take long, however, to realize that the intense and precise tapping is actually the sound of a woodpecker using his beak to search for his breakfast – usually insects or tree sap – […]
Developing Countries Inundated with E-waste; Google Street View of Distant Galaxies; Setting Sun Gives Bats Direction
Where Does the World’s E-Waste Go? When you replace a PC, tablet, mobile or any kind of electronic device, do you ever wonder what happens to your old equipment? A new study finds that about 25 percent of all e-waste discarded by developed countries ends up in seven developing nations, posing severe health risks to people […]
Can Power of the Mind Control Chronic Pain?
Utah researchers say they’ve developed a technique that allows patients to use the power of their minds to help treat chronic pain. One in five people worldwide suffers from daily chronic pain, according to a 2004 report. A 2011 paper from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) showed that one in three U.S. adults is affected […]
Fresh Water Once Flowed in Ancient Mars Lake
NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory – Curiosity Rover – was sent to Mars some 16 months ago with a major objective of finding evidence of a past environment that would be well suited to supporting microbial life. Today, a team of mission researchers, writing in a series of papers published in the journal Science, said that […]
Study: Sudden Explosion of Cambrian Period Animal Life Caused by a ‘Cascade of Events’
Last week we told you about an Australian study that suggested that the evolution of life during the Cambrian Explosion took place at five times the rate it occurs today. Now, another group of scientists from Britain, in their newly published study, weigh in on the “Big Bang of Life.” They propose that the explosion […]