Health, features and articles | Educational Science

Dec 31, 2011

1 in 6 Americans Are Binge Drinkers (Infographic)

10 Easy Paths to Self DestructionRaise Your Glass: 10 Intoxicating Beer Facts5 Bad Habits You Should Still Quit ...

Dec 31, 2011

Marriage, Cohabitation Provide Similar Health Benefit

We've heard married people are happier, but that might not be a reason to rush to the altar, according to a new study. In terms of health, self-esteem, and psychological well-being, marriage offers little benefit over simply living together without wedding rings, the study found. It's the relationship itself, rather...

Dec 31, 2011

Routine Scans May Cause Thyroid Problems

People who undergo common procedures, such as CT scans and angiograms, may be at greater risk for thyroid problems, according to a recent study. The study found that people who received intravenous iodinated contrast media, which helps doctors see blood vessels and organs during imaging procedures, had a higher chance...

Dec 31, 2011

Can Blind People See Anything?

Blindness is a somewhat elastic term used to describe a wide range of visual limitations. The functionally blind, for example, can see a little, but not well enough to get by without significantly altering their lives, such as by reading braille or listening to books on tape. Legal blindness is...

Nov 30, 2013

Is Eating DNA Safe? (Op-Ed)

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Eating DNA sounds scary but it’s completely safe. I do it every day. Let me explain. DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. The words “acid” and “nucleic” are in the name...

Nov 30, 2013

Does Age Bring Death? Not For All Species

Humans have a pretty straightforward view of aging: They're born, they mature, they gradually become weaker and lose fertility, and eventually, they die. But in nature, aging is far more diverse, new research finds. In fact, some animals are actually less likely to die the older they get — at...

Nov 30, 2013

Why James Bond Wanted Martinis 'Shaken, Not Stirred'

James Bond's famous catchphrase shaken, not stirred may have stemmed from his inability to stir his drinks due to an alcohol-induced tremor affecting his hands, researchers reveal in a new, tongue-in-cheek medical report. Such a tremor would be likely in a spy who drank more than four times the recommended...

Nov 30, 2013

Flu Vaccine May Work Better in Women

Women have a stronger immune response than men when given the flu vaccine, new research shows. This may mean that vaccinated women are better protected against catching the flu than vaccinated men, although the new study did not look at this directly, the researchers said. In the study, researchers examined...

Nov 30, 2013

Yoga: Benefits, Risks & Different Types

Almost every gym and fitness center nowadays offers at least one class in yoga, a workout that involves performing a series of flexibility- and strength-building poses. But yoga is more than just an exercise. It's also a spiritual discipline with a long history — and aspects that don't involve downward-facing...

Oct 31, 2013

Bisexuality Seen by Some As Illegitimate, Study Finds

Bisexuals are people who are sexually attracted to both men and women. But not everyone believes they exist, new research finds. Nearly 15 percent of adults in a new survey declared bisexuality not a legitimate sexual orientation, according to a study presented Tuesday (Nov. 5) at the annual meeting of...

Oct 31, 2013

Women Act Like Men When They Switch Seats at Speed Dating (Op-Ed)

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. On a TV show or in a movie, if a guy and a girl are at a party and one approaches the other to strike up a conversation, chances are...

Oct 31, 2013

More Kids Treated for Mental Health Conditions

The use of mental health treatments in children has increased in recent years much more than it has among adults, a new study finds. The trend signals a growing attention to mental health problems in children, but could also be a source of concern about unnecessary medication use in children,...

Oct 31, 2013

Frailty Is a Medical Condition, Not an Inevitable Result of Aging (Op-Ed)

Marlene Cimons is a former Washington reporter for the Los Angeles Times who specializes in science and medicine. A freelance writer, she writes regularly for the National Science Foundation, Climate Nexus, Microbe Magazine, and the Washington Post health section, from which this article is adapted. Cimons contributed this article to...

Oct 31, 2013

What the heck is ... Peripheral Artery Disease?

Dr. Michael Go is a vascular surgeon at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. He contributed this article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Peripheral artery disease (PAD), also called peripheral vascular disease, is a narrowing of the peripheral arteries (arteries outside the heart). It is a common...

Sep 30, 2013

Ambience Influences How Whisky Tastes

A whisky sipped in a room smelling of fresh-cut grass with the sound of sheep baa-ing in the background tastes different from having the same drink in a sweet-smelling, red room with piano music playing, research suggests. Many people have noticed that the environment where food or drink is consumed...