Humans

Improving Healthcare, One Search At A Time

1:03pm March 15, 2013

By combing through 100 million search queries on Bing, Yahoo and Google, Microsoft Research Lab co-director Eric Horvitz and his colleagues were able to discover a previously unknown interaction between two commonly prescribed drugs. Horvitz says the method might detect dangerous drug interactions earlier than the FDA's warning system.

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Science

Curiosity Hits Paydirt: New Clues To Life On Mars

1:03pm March 15, 2013

Microbes may once have happily existed on the surface of Mars, according to chemical analysis of a sedimentary rock in the Red Planet's Gale crater. NASA geologist and exobiologist David Blake discusses evidence for an ancient freshwater lake in the crater, and describes the mineral-chomping microbes that may have thrived there.

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These drawings by Santiago Ramon y Cajal, published in 1899, show cortex neurons.

To Make Mice Smarter, Add A Few Human Brain Cells

6:13pm March 07, 2013

by Adam Cole

For more than a century, neurons have been the superstars of the brain. Now researchers say that when they placed human versions of another type of brain cell into mice brains, the mice grew up to be faster learners. This supports the hypothesis that these glial cells — and not just better-known neurons — play an important role in learning.

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A promo image depicting a bee at a coffee flower.

If Caffeine Can Boost The Memory Of Bees, Can It Help Us, Too?

6:13pm March 07, 2013

by Allison Aubrey

Feeding on flowers with caffeinated nectars gives bees a memory boost, new research shows. Turns out, other studies have found humans can get a similar boost in short-term memory with caffeine — if they're exhausted.

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Scientists say that understanding how the cocktail party effect works could help people who have trouble deciphering sounds in a noisy environment. Guests make it look easy at a Dolce and Gabbana Lounge party in London in 2010.

Hear That? In A Din Of Voices, Our Brains Can Tune In To One

11:49am March 07, 2013

by Jon Hamilton

Scientists are beginning to understand how people focus on a single voice in a crowded, noisy room. This ability, known as the "cocktail party effect," appears to rely on areas of the brain that have completely filtered out unwanted sounds.

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Mapping The Effects Of The Sequester On Science

1:03pm March 01, 2013

On Friday March 1, automatic cuts known as the 'sequester' go into effect across the federal budget. Michael Lubell of the American Physical Society discusses what scientific programs will likely be affected, in fields from medical research to renewable energy development.

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Science

Robert Langer, Father Of Invention

1:03pm March 01, 2013

Biotech pioneer Robert Langer has over 800 patents to his name and has launched two dozen companies, which develop everything from tumor-fighting nanoparticles to anti-frizz hair products. Yet Langer says his proudest accomplishment is teaching some 500 students and post-docs, now professors and start-up leaders themselves.

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Science

A Natural Particle Accelerator, Far Above The Planet

1:03pm March 01, 2013

In 1958, James Van Allen described two belts of radiation that surround Earth. Daniel Baker says that when a satellite was launched to study the belts in 2012, it saw a third belt form, which lasted for about a month before being blasted away by an interplanetary shock wave.

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Younger Women Have Rising Rate Of Advanced Breast Cancer, Study Says

8:19am February 27, 2013

by Richard Knox

Only about 800 women younger than 40 get the kind of breast cancer that has spread to bones or other organs by the time it's diagnosed. But that number tripled in a generation, and scientists are left wondering what's the cause.

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For some kids who grow up in poverty, the bond developed with Mom is especially important in dealing with stress.

To Spot Kids Who Will Overcome Poverty, Look At Babies

6:25am February 27, 2013

by Alix Spiegel

Researchers say that the heartbeats and breathing of babies may help identify the kids most likely to struggle with poverty later on. Biology matters, the scientists say, but so does baby's relationship with Mom.

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