Scientists have only recently begun to speculate that what’s referred to as “junk” DNA – the 96 percent of the human genome that doesn’t encode for proteins and previously seemed to have no useful…

An international team of researchers has documented a remarkable example of natural selection in a tropical butterfly species that fought back - genetically speaking - against a highly invasive, male…

NASCAR guys may be on to something. It turns out that drafting, even on busy highways, could cut congestion, save fuel and cut greenhouse gas emissions, according to research published today in the…

In their study,A first-principles model of early evolution: Emergence of gene families, species, and preferred protein folds, Shakhnovich et al present a new model of early biological evolution – the…

A Cornell study of genome sequences in African-Americans, European-Americans and Chinese suggests that natural selection has caused as much as 10 percent of the human genome to change in some…

Using plastics to harvest the energy of the sun just got a significant boost in efficiency thanks to a discovery made at the Center for Polymers and Organic Solids at the University of California,…

A team of researchers at Umeå University in Sweden have discovered a unique mechanism by which the same signal molecule determines the formation of the both the lens of the eye and the olfactory…

Estrogen, which binds estrogen receptor alpha (ER-alpha), is a risk factor for breast cancer development. However, one-third of new breast cancers lack detectable ER-alpha. These ER-alpha–negative…

It's no secret that Europeans enjoy new ways to tax people - if they can tell you they are doing it for your own good, so much the better. I often hear arguments that start with phrases like "If we…

That title alone should get this article on the front page of technology papers everywhere, but the comparisons are valid. Though people feel they have rich visual experiences, researchers have…

Scientists studying one of nature’s simplest organisms have helped to unravel the structure of a key molecule that controls pain in humans. Chronic pain, unlike the acute pain associated with trauma,…

Dr. Giovanna Tinetti ( read her interview with Scientific Blogging's Douglas Blane here ) of the European Space Agency and UCL’s Department of Physics & Astronomy has discovered that a planet…

Indonesia’s Mount Gamkonora volcano is spewing hot ash and smoke into the air, as seen in this image taken by the MERIS instrument aboard ESA’s satellite Envisat, causing more than 8000 people to be…

A startling discovery on the development of human embryonic stem cells by scientists at McMaster University will change how future research in the area is done. A study this week reports on a new…

One year after the beginning of its scientific operations, the high-capability infrared satellite AKARI continues to produce stunning views of the infrared Universe. Launched in February 2006, AKARI…

Neutrophils are biological killers. These white blood cells patrol the body and guard against infection by bacteria and fungi, identifying and destroying any invaders that cross their path. But new…

Organic farming can yield up to three times as much food as conventional farming on the same amount of land---according to new findings which refute the long-standing assumption that organic farming…

Scientists at the University of Minnesota have been evaluating the impact of antibiotic feeding in livestock production on the environment. This particular study, funded by the United States…

The Da Vinci Codex In 3D!

Scientists have made significant advances towards the development of a technique that could be used to confirm whether someone is infected with variant CJD. The technique, which has so far been used…