Human cells contain 46 strands of DNA that code for all our genes. Certain chemicals and UV light can break these strands into pieces, a process that typically leads to cell death or diseases such as…

Researchers from the University of Illinois say they know how to exploit an unusual chemical reaction mechanism that allows malaria parasites and many disease-causing bacteria to survive. The…

Research published simultaneously in PNAS and Nature details how scientists have successfully transplanted most of the "nose" of the mosquito that spreads malaria into frog eggs and fruit flies and…

A surprising new study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine reveals that sleepiness at the wheel and poor sleep quality significantly increase the risk of motor vehicle accidents for teenage…

Infants averaging six months of age who exhibited positional plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) had lower scores than typical infants in observational tests used to evaluate cognitive and motor…

 A new study of  most of the world's tropical land area indicates that urbanization and globalized agricultural trade have become the primary drivers of tropical deforestation, in stark…

It seems that everything except the causes of childhood obesity receive blame for childhood obesity. While common sense and plenty of research indicate that parents and social setting are the primary…

Previously unrelated disorders which all cause complex defects in brain development and function are linked by a common underlying mechanism. Rett syndrome (RTT), Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS),…

It’s Valentine Day, and children everywhere celebrated friendship and love by giving cards and candy to their friends. In what alien observers must consider one of the most bizarre human customs,…

One of the positive side-effects of preparing a seminar is being forced to get up-to-date with the latest experimental and theoretical developments on the topic. And this is of particular benefit to…

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/15854/sparks_of_life_darwinism_and_... Advocates of Intelligent Design creationism like to play Stump the Scientist by asking evolutionary biologists "what would…

The highest jump ever made was by Joseph Kittinger in 1960--31 km. This year, astronaut Felix Baumgartner will attempt a 36 km jump, and there is talk about Michael Fournier attempting a 40 km jump.…

Oh yeah, and my adivsor was totally on NPR yesterday, check it out. In terms of press coverage, we are so lucky that we work with charismatic, edible megafauna.

The opening sentence of Wikipedia's article on the man seems fairly encompassing: Terence Kemp McKenna (November 16, 1946 – April 3, 2000) was a writer, public speaker, philosopher, psychonaut,…

Rhubarb May, Or May Not, Fight Cancer Current news reports about cancer-fighting chemicals in rhubarb may lead some people to think that eating a lot of rhubarb is a good idea.  Bad move! …

It's now almost Midnight in Moscow, so it's already tomorrow in China.  Therefore may I take this opportunity to wish all readers of Scientific Blogging . . .

Blackboard qualitative proofs of the "existence" of, say, an equilibrium between demand and supply - beloved of economists trained in the maths of the department of mathematics rather than the maths…

Scientific Blogging fave Greg Critser has a new book out, Eternity Soup: Inside The Quest To End Aging(available at fine retailers everywhere, or at that link if you want us to make a nickel) and in…

The Pragma Hypothesis A speculation on the possibility of the accurate prediction of future, hind-sight based, historical worldviews, and the application of such prediction to the current climate…

Energy Policy Should Maximize Benefits of All Renewable Biomass February 12th, 2010 The new rule announced by EPA last week implementing the federal Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) takes a major step…