A problem which has defeated mathematicians for almost 140 years has been solved by a researcher at Imperial College London. Professor Darren Crowdy, Chair in Applied Mathematics, has made the…

Throughout the world, amateurs, experts and the media agree that prolonged jogging raises people's spirits. And many believe that the body’s own opioids, so called endorphins, are the cause of this.…

Widespread damage to plants from a sudden freeze that occurred across the Eastern United States from 5 April to 9 April 2007 was made worse because it had been preceded by two weeks of unusual warmth…

After I saw that flaxseed oil probably affected my circle-game performance, I wondered how to make its effect clearer. One possibility was to change the input device. I was using the trackpoint on my…

Although still relatively unknown to the general public, an archaeological method called a regional settlement pattern survey is being practiced at several locations around the world. Rather than…

Two cell proteins that relax the gut and help accommodate a big meal have been identified by UCL (University College London) scientists. The proteins could offer a future drug target against weight…

The "female sex hormone" estradiol is present in both men and women, and is generated from testosterone in men by the protein aromatase. Estradiol plays various roles in addition to its gender…

Coronary heart disease, of which a major contributing factor is high cholesterol, is set to become the biggest killer disease worldwide by 2010. There are several types of cholesterol, some of which…

Ski tourism raises stress levels among capercaillie and could harm the birds’ fitness and ability to breed successfully, write ecologists in the Journal of Applied Ecology. They warn that forests…

Shelley Batts of Retrospectacle fame is calling it a day - sort of - by ending her own column and starting a new one with another person. Good writer, good scientist, good community advocate. So go…

Adult stem cells may provide an explanation for the cause of a Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS), a rare disease that causes premature aging in children, according to researchers at the…

I just noticed there is a new Gene Genie out, hosted by Sciencebase and I am linking to it because Sciencebase does good stuff and this is not the sort of 'same old people' self-promotion we…

Drug addiction, sure. The first pleasurable drugs were probably discovered hundreds of thousands of years ago, if not much earlier. All cultures use drugs. Drugs physically reach the brain. But…

An international team has achieved, by means of a controlled chemical process, that atoms of gold, silver and copper - intrinsically non-magnetic (not attracted to a magnet) - become magnetic.…

The Maya are having a tough 2008. First, the mystery of the cool blue pigment they used in pottery was solved and then we found out that all kinds of Mayans were building temples to do those…

Sometimes scientists won't understand it even after they see it, but at least they'll believe it despite its improbability. Such is the case with bats, the bumblebee and the hummingbird, which…

When you saw 'bio-based lubricants' you thought it was just a way to appeal to that girl wearing a Greenpeace shirt at the bar around 2AM, right? Not so, perv. Aside from being non-petroleum based…

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes people to fall asleep uncontrollably during the day. It also includes features of dreaming that occur while awake. Other common symptoms include sleep…

Low-fat diets are more effective in preserving and promoting a healthy cardiovascular system than low-carbohydrate, Atkins’-like diets, according to a new study by researchers at the Medical College…

The U.S. Army has awarded General Dynamics Robotic Systems an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract with a total potential value of $40 million for production of the robotic Mobile…