Health & Medicine
Through the study and use of genetics, we can identify measures that could lead to the improvement of human health and wellness. These methods and procedures aim to prevent years of chronic disease and thousands of dollars in health care costs, and provide families and communities with knowledge of how to live healthier.
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How does our immune system distinguish between friendly gut bacteria and deadly pathogens?
Observations in mice show that certain filamentous microbes use a hooklike appendage to send messages that researchers believe are aimed ...
Why masculinity is in turmoil
The American Psychological Association released new guidelines for men and boys last month. Critics went mad — and they missed the ...
Can genetically engineered bacteria ward off a hangover?
We all know that alcohol is bad for you — like really bad for you — and a night of ...
What explains twins that are ‘somewhere in between’ fraternal and identical?
A few years ago, Michael Gabbett got a call from a very confused ob-gyn. A woman had come in pregnant ...
Can pig-human chimeras meet our growing demand for transplantable organs?
Experiments show pig-human chimeras might be able to farm human organs for transplantation and disease research. But would it be ...
Amidst measles outbreaks, ‘massive’ new study proves again that vaccines don’t cause autism
A massive new study from Denmark found no association between being vaccinated against measles, mumps, and rubella and developing autism. In science ...
Gut bacteria could play key role in patient response to new cancer treatments
Does the quality and diversity of human gut bacteria determine whether people will successfully respond to cancer treatment? “When we ...
How genetically engineered crops can boost Africa’s fight against malnutrition
Engineered crops can provide the long-sought breakthrough in food security for Africa ...
Can a genetic test help you find the right marriage partner?
Does a good marriage depend on having the right genes? ...
Viewpoint: Organic ingredients don’t make junk food less fattening or more nutritious
Our increasingly health-conscious society has created more and more of a demand for organic versions of our favorite junk foods ...
Making the case for potential benefits of microdosing LSD and ‘magic’ mushrooms
[A]necdotal endorsements of [psychedelic] microdosing claim that the routine can lead to a whole variety of benefits, including heightened emotional ...
New blood test for autism criticized as ‘not appropriate’ for clinical use
Doctors can now order a blood test that its makers say may help flag autism, but experts say the test ...
Viewpoint: Why the crusade against ‘toxic masculinity’ ignores ‘real-life conditions’
Over the past several years, toxic masculinity has become a catchall explanation for male violence and sexism. The appeal of ...
Crime scene conundrum: Your DNA can wind up on something you never even touched
A 10-second handshake could transfer a person’s DNA to an object that the person never touched. In handshaking experiments, people ...
Stem cell therapy ‘sold as a miracle cure’ linked to 17 bacterial hospitalizations
Over the past year, at least 17 people have been hospitalized after being injected with products made from umbilical cord ...
Why growing up poor could hurt your brain in old age
In 2004, a study titled “The Long Arm of Childhood” found that whether children were rich or poor could influence their health ...
Dear Anheuser-Busch, stop scaring people about alleged dangers of corn products to sell Bud Light
Anheuser-Busch caused quite a farm controversy with its Bud Light Super Bowl commercials. Remember, Bud Light bragged in those commercials ...
Uganda GMO banana research progresses despite legal uncertainty
The Ugandan researchers who have been working since 2005 to breed more nutritious bananas say their progress won’t be hindered ...
What spider genetics can tell us about evolutionary relationships and cut-throat competition
What’s the most famous — or even the most infamous — spider in the world? The tarantula? The black widow? ...
70% of teens see mental health, depression as a ‘major struggle’ for their generation in Pew survey
In the past decade, young people in the United States have borne the brunt of some of the most highly ...
This small startup wants to change FDA clinical trials by making control groups unnecessary
Could a startup founded by two guys in their 20s change the way medical researchers study patients? The Food and ...
‘Creative misbehavior’: When ingenuity takes a dark turn
Misbehavior is a form of creative thinking ...
What makes something funny? Genetics almost certainly plays a role
What we find funny can differ wildly from person to person. And scientists have found that genetics plays at least ...
Wheat with ‘built‑in defense’ against gluten could make bread safe for people with celiac disease
Researchers at Washington State University have created a new, genetically distinct variety of wheat that’s safer for people with celiac ...
New IQ test for pro athletes promises dynamic assessment of ‘sports-specific’ abilities
[T]he Athletic Intelligence Quotient, a test that measures an athlete’s sports-specific cognitive abilities [took] a while to build. Nearly 15 ...
Brewer’s yeast could be used to produce rare cannabis-derived compounds that treat anxiety, pain
The yeast that people have used for millennia to brew alcoholic drinks has now been engineered to produce cannabinoids — ...
‘Morally appropriate’? Entomologists question effort to eradicate disease-causing tsetse fly in Africa
Sleeping sickness (or trypanosomiasis), endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, is a horribly debilitating disease. … [Why not] end sleeping sickness by ...
