The International Astronomical Union is holding a competition to assign common names.Astronomy clubs  and other public groups may submit names.   The general public will then get to  …

We don't need any more Internet off-switches, thanks. deadhorse, CC BY-NC By Bill Buchanan, Edinburgh Napier University Prime Minister David Cameron has stated that the UK government will look at “…

A new paper says that human civilization has crossed four of nine so-called planetary boundaries as the result of human activity that put humanity in a "safe operating space."  The…

If Campi Flegrei ever goes off, you won't want to be in Naples - or Europe, for that matter. Emanuele Nicastro, CC BY-SA By Luca de Siena, University of Aberdeen Ever heard of Campi Flegrei? It is a…

Brownbanded bamboo sharks take the term "resourceful" to a whole new level. Biologists have found that a shark egg case dropped by an adult bamboo shark showed signs of healthy development. What…

Everyone who has lived in snow knows it is not as white as it looks - it's rarely white at all. Mixed in with the reflective flakes are tiny, dark particles of pollution. University of Washington…

A team of researchers has demonstrated the therapeutic potential of triheptanoin in ten patients with Huntington's disease. Derivatives of this triglyceride, with its unique composition, might be…

NASA’s Dawn mission is closing in on a mysterious, unknown world in the asteroid belt. The dwarf planet Ceres named after the Roman goddess of agriculture awaits to unlock its secrets. So far, we’…

Credit: International Space Station By Monica Grady, The Open University As a headline, “No gas leak on the International Space Station” ranks alongside recent news stories, such as “Mild earthquake…

A new paper believes that planets outside our solar system - exoplanets - may be a lot more agreeable to life than assumed. The astrophysicists suggest that exoplanets are more likely to have liquid…

Poverty causes more deaths than climate change. Otis Historical Archives, CC BY By Andrew Papworth, University College London Climate change will cause all sorts of problems for humans in the future…

The picture is awesome but are you risking your health? Steve Marcus/Reuter By Andrew Maynard, University of Michigan Earlier this week, The Conversation reported that, “The future is bright, the…

The simple training exercise of catching a weighted medicine ball can improve balance and may help prevent falls in the elderly - and if you have a grandkid that wants to go out in the yard and toss…

Sepsis is a leading cause of death for patients in intensive care units. The excessive systemic inflammation in individuals with sepsis damages organs and can lead to death. Therapeutic options for…

Shutterstock By Justin Lewis, Cardiff University David Cameron’s decision to champion the Green Party’s inclusion in the general election debates has, regardless of his motives, considerably raised…

No one in the United States or foreign governments like that the Obama administration was caught spying on everyone at unprecedented levels - it was always a 'gentleman's agreement' to use some…

When mass murders happen in a place like the US, despite the fact that they are no more prevalent than most countries and murders have plummeted as gun ownership rose, the simplistic answer is 'guns…

Air Force reservists based in the U.S. who worked after the Vietnam War in C-123 aircraft that sprayed Agent Orange during the war could have experienced adverse health effects from exposure to the…

Gine Roll Skjaervoe at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's (NTNU) Department of Biology has studied church records from the period 1750-1900 and looked at life history variables: how…

A man-made form of insulin delivered by nasal spray may improve working memory and other mental capabilities in adults with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease dementia, according to a…