There is discussion of a U.S. manned mission to Mars but if recent history is any indication, the next president will undo the space program of the current one, just as the current one undid the…

As yesterday in Italy was the equivalent of Labor Day, and today is a Saturday, with people around me exploiting the three-day rest for a recreational trip, I do not feel in a very productive mood,…

Antarctica's massive ice sheet has recently lost twice the amount of ice in the west as what it  accumulated in the east, and the southern continent's ice cap is melting ever faster, according…

Detecting ionizing radiation does not mean that a disaster has or will occur.  Detecting radiation is generally a good thing if the radiation is expected, intended or natural.  We and all…

Everyone loves vampire squid, right? Their monstrous name belies their gentle nature as graceful underwater flyers who eat poop. Still, I was surprised--and delighted!--when a new study about the sex…

A protein that normally fosters tissue repair instead acts to inhibit healing when sugar levels are high, according to a new study, and that role reversal helps explain why wounds heal slowly in…

When educating medical students or residents, there is always a need to balance quality results and optimal patient care with the educational mission - and when it comes to cardiac surgery residents,…

Detecting an earthquake on Venus is no trivial task. For one thing, it is not a surface like we think of surface. It is under crushing pressure and the temperate is almost 900 degrees. Ordinary…

The ability to move in water is key to existence for many species so it may not be a surprise that so many species have converged on swimming. What is intriguing is how diverse creatures have evolved…

A hacked Microsoft Kinect games controller has been used to relieve one of the most distressing symptoms of Parkinson's - freezing of gait. Many patients are afflicted by 'freezing of gait' where…

We know that everyone has influences and inspirations and collaborations, but they often go unmentioned. How do classical music composers collaborate with and influence one another? We have…

The big concern about the latest Vitamin D fad is the potential for toxicity.  Some people have low vitamin D levels and we have been told to avoid the sun so vitamin D supplement use has…

Coffee has been enjoying a health resurgence. It was once considered a bad thing because of caffeine but now it is lauded for its antioxidants.  A new paper details how free radicals and…

Olive oil, canola oil, and vegetable oil largely consist of unsaturated fatty acids, whereas animal fat is richer in the saturated ones. After a meal, carbohydrates are the primary source of energy…

Metformin, a medication commonly taken for Type II diabetes, is being found in freshwater systems worldwide, and a new study says that it causes physical changes in male fish exposed to doses similar…

A new study concludes that most U.S. clinical registries that collect data on patient outcomes are substandard and lack critical features necessary to render the information they collect useful. A…

Citizen science, where the public pitches in to make large-scale analyses of data possible, has successfully predicted the path of a deadly plant disease, Sudden Oak Death, over a six-year period.…

By Lisa Marie Potter, Inside Science — A group of doctors clad in white lab coats smiles beneath the heading: "Standing behind your cancer care with nationally recognized excellence." The…

Recently on Real Clear Science, Ross Pomeroy published an article Why Nothing Can Be Truly ‘Unnatural’, in which he denounces attempts to oppose homosexuality on scientific grounds.  However,…

Top image: Chandler Collins, CC BY-SAAlcoholic drinks should all carry calorie counts according to a leading UK public health doctor writing in the BMJ today, because of their contribution to obesity…