Podcast
Cold weather heart attacks, a new test for ovarian cancer, high-elevation adaptations, what the numbers on a bottle of motor oil mean, and a telephone translator.
Pain Roundup
Researchers have developed a pill from the saliva of venomous sea snails that could be used to treat chronic pain.
Preventing Stroke
Stimulating a rat's whiskers after inducing stroke completely prevented brain damage.
Sunscreen Timing
A listener asks: how long should you wait after applying sunscreen before going outside?
Designing Faces
An engineering design technique can help surgeons reconstruct the delicate bones of the face.
Podcast
ANIMAL UPDATE: Beating aphids at their own game, why some birds bob their tails, ancient terror birds of South America, and more.
Photo licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License:
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MS & Gut Bacteria
Stomach bacteria may play a role in multiple sclerosis, according to an animal study.
Tibetan Adaptation
Tibetans have a unique genetic adaptation that allows them to survive high altitude, low oxygen conditions.
Octopus Venom
Scientists think venom from Antarctic octopi may have pain-killing properties.
Cancer & Fructose
Cancer cells selectively use fructose to divide and proliferate.
Podcast
CUTTING-EDGE MEDICINE: Re-growing joints and re-constructing faces, the link between gut bacteria and multiple sclerosis, and octopus venoms that could treat pain.
Shady Supplements
Over-the-counter weight loss supplements work no better than a placebo.
Podcast
SUNSCREEN & SUPPLEMENTS: Sunscreens from ivy, why tanning oil speeds up skin damage, and when to apply sunscreen. Also: the link between fructose and pancreatic cancer, and over-the-counter weight-loss supplements fail the grade.
Ivy Sunscreen
English ivy produces natural nano-sized particles that could improve sunscreens.
Podcast
SCIENCE OF SOUND: Male penguins attract females by the sound of their voice, tropical wrens sing duets, and there's a new screening test for autism that analyzes speech patterns. Also: exposing "facilitated communication".
*Image originally appeared in: https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0020406
Tanning Oil
Using tanning oil to get a speedier tan can damage skin more quickly.
Re-Engineered Livers
Scientists may someday be able to rebuild a functional liver on the stripped-down blood vessels of an old one.
Deforestation & Malaria
Malaria rates go up after areas of the Amazon rainforest are logged.
Podcast
HEALTH & THE ENVIRONMENT: Cutting down the Amazon rainforest leads to increased rates of malaria, tracking plastic debris in the Atlantic Ocean, choosing between "organic" and synthetic pesticides, and more.
Smoking Vaccine
Researchers are testing a vaccine that could block the pleasurable effects of smoking.
Schizophrenia & Creativity
The brains of healthy creative people share some similarities with those of schizophrenia patients.
Post-Partum Depression in Men
Post-partum depression affects men as well as women.
Podcast
Researchers test a smoking vaccine, the relationship between schizophrenia and creativity, and post-partum depression in men.
Spaceflight & Immunity
Long-term space flight may compromise astronauts' immune systems.