Polymorphisms are variations in genes which can result in changes in the way a particular gene functions and thus may be associated with susceptibility to common diseases. In a new study in…

It seems that cherries are the new ‘super food’ to strike a craze in the US. Citing the effects of cherries to slow aging due to antioxidants, they contain a class of free-radical fighting agents…

There is no question that humans are unique among living things in possessing a rich communications vehicle like language. However, by itself, this is insufficient to explain why such a thing should…

In this installment I would like to extend the concepts of belief systems into other areas that we are all familiar with but haven’t necessarily explored. The data organization capability of the…

The term “computer” was first used by Sir Thomas Browne in 1646 AD, or 329 BB (Before Bill) according to the Gatesian calendar. Coincidentally (perhaps?), the year zero of the Gatesian calendar, or…

Animals have an astonishing ability to develop reliably, in spite of variable conditions during embryogenesis. New research published this week  addresses how living things can develop into…

You might think that predicting eye color is easy because we all learned in high school about recessive genes and eye color is a great example of those.    But it isn't easy.  In fact,…

There's no question that employees at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory have watched with some concern as the LHC got all the press about being the future of physics despite the fact it hadn't…

India, the largest and most prosperous nation in south Asia, raised the legal age for marriage to 18 in 1978.   In the past 15 years, national policy efforts have been developed to increase…

New data published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggest that relatively healthy women with severe depression are at increased risk of cardiac events, including sudden cardiac…

Terminally ill patients and their family caregivers often feel abandoned by their doctors and feel a sense of "unfinished business" with them, according to a new study by an oncologist at the Seattle…

The theory that a higher metabolism means a shorter lifespan may have reached the end of its own life, according to a study published in the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. The study,…

Colorful poison frogs in the Amazon owe their great diversity to ancestors that leapt into the region from the Andes Mountains several times during the last 10 million years, a new study from The…

Having a bad 2009?  It's only going to get worse when those printing presses they use to make more money finally break down.   But there is always a bright spot on dark days; babies.…

Each year some 1,500 Swedes decide to end their lives.   No one can be sure what the reasons are but they often include mental and sometimes physical issues. It could also be surroundings, say…

Researchers say they have found the first unambiguous evidence that an animal other than humans can make spontaneous plans for future events. The report in Current Biology highlights a decade of…

Good eating habits can result when families eat together, say researchers from the School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, who report on one of the first studies to examine the long-term…

Ecstasy may help suffers of post-traumatic stress learn to deal with their memories more effectively by encouraging a feeling of safety, says new research. Studies have shown that a type of…

This is a three part series that will explore the nature of belief systems, or worldviews and offer some perspectives on how they are formed and function. Belief systems are fundamental to human…

Natural burial is not just a 'green' option for eco-fixated non-religious people, according to researchers at the University of Sheffield.  They'll be holding an event called "Natural Burial: Do…