New Scientist
GM yeast grows non-psychoactive marijuana compound for potential epilepsy treatment
A non-psychoactive compound found in marijuana plants called cannabidivarin (CBDV) has shown promise in the treatment of severe cases of epilepsy ...
Glyphosate herbicide ban won’t save anyone from cancer, will harm environment
The widely used weedkiller glyphosate is available in every garden store, but now there are fears it can cause cancer ...
Should you get paid for your genetic data?
Your DNA determines many aspects of who you are, and an increasing number of companies are claiming they can decode ...
Different types of meditations affect your brain in unique ways
We are used to hearing that meditation is good for the brain, but now it seems that not just any kind ...
Unapproved artificial organs implanted in humans
Experimental implants manufactured at University College London were sent abroad and used on patients despite not having approval for human ...
Lee Berger: Paleoanthropologist ‘rewriting’ human evolutionary history
[Lee Berger] is the palaeoanthropologist behind the recent discoveries of not one but two new species of human ancestor. The ...
CRISPR shows promise against a ‘range of disorders’ in animal studies
The race is on to edit the DNA in our body to fight or prevent disease. Promising results from animal ...
CRISPR gene-edited wheat safe for celiac sufferers on horizon
People forced to avoid gluten could soon have their bread (and cake) and eat it. Now there are strains of wheat that ...
Far out: Could psychedelics fight ‘treatment-resistant’ depression?
Given existing antidepressants don’t work for many people, the excitement surrounding the development of a new class of treatments from ...
How, why and when humans became able to talk
How and when did we first become able to speak? A new analysis of our DNA reveals key evolutionary changes ...
Viewpoint: Don’t expect the first CRISPR baby to be born in the US
The media well and truly pricked up its collective ears when US geneticist Shoukhrat Mitalipov last month showed that he ...
Stem cell implants could provide ‘functional cure’ for type 1 diabetes
Last week, two people with type 1 diabetes became the first to receive implants containing cells generated from embryonic stem cells to ...
Junk collecting: As little as 8 percent of our DNA may have functional impact
The code that makes us is at least 75 percent rubbish, according to a study that suggests most of our ...
Fossilized child’s tooth offers rare clue about our Denisovan ancestors
Three becomes four. The extraordinarily sparse fossil record of the Denisovans – an ancient form of human – has gained ...
Hominids in love: Humans and Neanderthals may have mated more than 219,000 years ago
If modern humans didn’t reach Europe until about 60,000 years ago, how has DNA from them turned up in a ...
Controversial CRISPR-causes-unwanted-mutations study possibly tainted by use of closely-related mice
In May 2017, a study claimed that the revolutionary CRISPR gene editing technique can cause thousands of unwanted and potentially ...
Say that again? Drug treatment could help older brains distinguish sounds
Have you noticed that learning languages or musical instruments becomes harder as you get older? It may be because your ...
Virtual reality: Avatars help amputees control their prosthetics
People who have had amputations can control a virtual avatar using their imagination alone, thanks to a system that uses ...
Eye tech: Synthetic iris may revolutionize human eye repair
An artificial iris can open and close in response to sunlight without any other outside control, just like the ones ...
CMV birth defects may be prevented by drug typically used to treat anxiety
An anxiety drug could prevent a common virus from causing birth defects and deafness, a study in newborn mice suggests ...
Spicy foods may speed up bowel movements by triggering taste buds in the gut
Have you ever needed to hurry to the toilet during times of stress or after eating a spicy meal? This ...
Can ‘mindful’ meditation, tai chi lower genetic risks of heart attack, cancer?
Meditation and tai chi don’t just calm the mind – they seem to affect our DNA too. There’s evidence that ...
LSD to lift your mood or performance? Microdosing could become commonplace
Janet Lai Chang is one of many who have added a pinch of psychedelic drugs to their daily routine in ...
Plagued by indecision? Drug may boost confidence, help treat schizophrenia, OCD
Life is full of decisions, and sometimes it’s difficult to know if you’re making the right one. But a drug ...
Medication time-released ‘talking’ nanoparticles could target cancer
Two nanoparticles have communicated with one another to perform a task for the first time, paving the way for more ...
Is ADHD actually a sleep disorder?
Could ADHD [be] a type of sleep disorder? After all, the brain pathways involved in paying attention have also been ...
Blue feces: Modified gut bacteria could indicate colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease
Checking the hue of your feces could soon reveal why you are feeling off-color. Gut bacteria in mice have been ...
Careful, your brain may begin to eat itself if you don’t get enough sleep
Burning the midnight oil may well burn out your brain. The brain cells that destroy and digest worn-out cells and ...