Catching Criminals BEFORE they Strike Again

April 5, 2013
A researcher gave 96 male prisoners fMRI brain scans just before their release (he could have given them a spit test). Their brains were scanned during computer tasks during which they had to make quick decisions and control their impulses.... continued

Fukushima Fallout Making US Kids Sick

April 5, 2013
Researchers have discovered that the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster has had more drastic and far-reaching health effects more than previously thought: Young children born on the West Coast are 28% more likely to develop hyperthyroidism ("overactive" thyroids). In examining post-Fukushima... continued

Why Your Pills Don’t Work

April 4, 2013
There are lots of ways that men and women are different from each other, and one of these is reactions to the drugs they take. For instance, men metabolize sleeping pills faster than women do, meaning that they knock women... continued

The Blind May See Again

April 4, 2013
"Three Blind Mice" is an old children's tune, but a team of scientists have taken it seriously: they discovered a chemical that temporarily restores some vision to blind mice. This could someday allow people with degenerative blindness to see again.... continued

Wish You Were Taller? Get Educated!

April 4, 2013
Even if you didn't eat your veggies or drink your milk as a child, your eventual height as an adult is still in your hands. Most of us "shrink" a bit as we age, due to an increase in body... continued

How to Stop the Killing: Make it Legal

April 3, 2013
How to stop the illegal poaching that is killing off some horned animals? Make it legal! In the March 25th edition of the Guardian, Edna Molewa reports that South Africa's environmental affairs minister if backing a radical proposal to legalize... continued

Should We Replace Those Old Fillings?

April 3, 2013
Should we get our mercury-amalgam fillings replaced--or would it be easier just to grow new teeth? A common test used to determine mercury exposure from dental amalgam fillings may significantly overestimate the amount of the toxic metal released from fillings.... continued

To Frack–Or NOT to Frack

April 3, 2013
The question is almost Shakespearian: We would hate to give up fracking, since it's making us energy independent. But if this process of injecting water into shale in order to extract natural gas is setting off earthquakes, we have to... continued

Flowers Zap Bees

April 2, 2013
Flowers' methods of communicating are at least as sophisticated as any devised by an advertising agency, but for any advertisement to be successful, it has to reach, and be perceived by, its target audience. Pollinators such as bumblebees are able... continued

Spit!

April 2, 2013
Take a breathalyzer test to find out why you're fat--Take a spit test to find out why you're violent. A new study indicates that a simple saliva test could be an effective tool in predicting violent behavior such as bullying,... continued