Why We’re So Different From Our Brothers, the Chimps

November 30, 2011
Researchers were surprised to learn that the DNA sequences of human and chimpanzee genes are nearly identical, so what is responsible for the many differences between the two species? Here's why we want to find out: Chimps get MUCH LESS... continued

More Evidence That 2012 is For Real

November 29, 2011
Mexico's archeologists don't put much credence in the ancient Mayan prediction that the world will end in December of 2012, but at a recent press conference they admitted that a second reference to that date has been found on a... continued

What the FIRST Language Sounded Like

November 29, 2011
Where do languages come from? Many linguists think that all human languages came from a single one that was spoken in East Africa around 50,000 years ago. But how would it have sounded--would it have been mainly grunts? New research... continued

Still Searching for ET

November 28, 2011
When we're looking for extraterrestrial life, other moons may be our best bet. Among the most habitable alien worlds is Saturn's moon Titan. In recent years, the search for potentially habitable planets outside our solar system has increased. NASA's Kepler... continued

Did You Drink Too Much?

November 27, 2011
(If you did, we hope you used your Dreamland Festival mug!) Why do some people get drunk after only a few drinks, while others seem to be able to put away much more alcohol? It turns out that immune cells... continued

Did You Eat Too Much?

November 27, 2011
If you're fat, it might be because of the way your mother ate when she was pregnant. A high-fat diet during pregnancy can lead to obese children. And mothers who were mistreated as children have an increased risk of giving... continued

Why Some People Never Get Embarrassed

November 23, 2011
Thanksgiving dinner is the time when many of us say the wrong thing to friends and relatives we haven't seen for a long time. Are you easily embarrassed? People who AREN'T (certain politicians and actors, for instance) have a smaller... continued

Our Evolution was Electric

November 23, 2011
Humans are here thanks to electricity. Evolutionary biologists have discovered that just about every vertebrate on Earth--including us--descended from an ancient ancestor with the ability to detect electrical fields in water. 500 million years ago, two types of fish diverged.... continued

How to Find Out if Cancer is in Your Future

November 23, 2011
Is breast cancer in your future? Puberty is a time in a girl's life considered highly sensitive to stimulation by the hormone estrogen and a critical window during which estrogen exposure could greatly influence the risk of breast cancer later... continued

Fat? It’s all in your BRAIN!

November 22, 2011
Traditional diet and exercise advice is all wrong. The best of diet intentions fail in late afternoon and evening because dieters fall for certain traps that sabotage success. For instance, you come home from work and turn on the TV... continued