Health, features and articles | Educational Science

Oct 31, 2007

What's in Your Genes? Ancient Parasites

You may not know it, but you're part virus. At least, some of your genes come from viruses that slipped their DNA into the genes of our primate ancestors millions of years ago. The DNA remnants of these ancient retroviruses, distant relatives of today's HIV, account for an estimated 8...

Oct 31, 2007

The Big Holiday Depression Myth

At some point during this holiday season—maybe as you're rushing to the corner store for more turkey stuffing, or while at a Christmas Eve sale wrestling the last Xbox 360 away from a middle-aged mom—you will be tired, stressed and depressed. Most people have heard the bit of folk wisdom...

Oct 31, 2007

Couples Emphasize Career of Man over Woman

When working couples move, the husband's career often gets a boost and the wife's career suffers. A new study suggests what's behind that typical outcome. Couples tend to put more emphasis on the man's career, even if the wife works full-time and is college-educated. This is bad news for people...

Sep 30, 2007

Incan Kids Fattened Before Sacrifice

Incan children as young as 6 were “fattened up” prior to their sacrificial deaths, a new study shows. Researchers made the startling discovery by sampling the hair of frozen child mummies found high in the Andes mountains, near the summit of Mount Llullaillaco—a 22,100-foot (6,739-meter) active volcano on the border...

Sep 30, 2007

Computerized Pillow Reduces Snoring

A computerized pillow reduces snoring according to German scientist Daryoush Bazargani. The pillow is attached to a computer, which is the size of a book, rests on a bedside table, and analyzes snoring noises, said Bazargani. The computer then reduces or enlarges air compartments within the pillow to facilitate nasal...

Sep 30, 2007

Abused Workers Fight Back by Slacking Off

Employees toiling under an abusive supervisor often rebel quietly and indirectly by slacking off on the job and handing in sloppy work. Researchers at Florida State University surveyed more than 180 employees from a wide variety of professions, asking whether they had endured a history of abuse from their bosses,...

Sep 30, 2007

Brain Fast to Recognize Fearful Faces

People recognize a fearful expression faster than any other, a new study finds. Researchers at Vanderbilt University set out to test how quickly people become aware of fearful, neutral and happy expressions. Because human brains can process facial expressions with astonishing speed—in fewer than 40 milliseconds—the psychologists devised a way...

Sep 30, 2007

Scientist: Blood Helps Us Think

As it is pumped through blood vessels and delivers oxygen to brain cells, blood may actually help us think. Research done by scientists at MIT suggests that in addition to providing nutrients and oxygen to the body's cells, blood may affect the activity of neurons in the brain as it...

Sep 30, 2007

Study Reveals Why Flu Thrives in Winter

For the first time, scientists have solid evidence of why the flu is so common in winter. A new animal study suggests that the influenza virus' success hinges on low relative humidity and cold temperatures. Such conditions keep the virus more stable and in the air longer than warm, humid...

Sep 30, 2007

Hottest Chile Pepper Shatters Record

It's hot. Scorching hot. Guinness World Records hot. Researchers at New Mexico State University have discovered the world’s hottest chili pepper. It's called the Bhut Jolokia, a variety originating in Assam, India. In tests that yield Scoville heat units (SHUs), the Bhut Jolokia reached 1 million SHUs, almost double the...

Aug 31, 2007

Neanderthals' Disappearance Gets More Mysterious

Stocky and well-suited for the cold, Neanderthals once dotted the plains of Europe and western Asia before vanishing from Earth more than 20,000 years ago. The mystery of what caused their demise has baffled scientists for decades, with one theory stating our hominid cousins failed to survive a big ice...

Aug 31, 2007

Scientists Invent Gum That Won't Stick to Your Shoe

Stepping in gum on the sidewalk won't be such a sticky situation anymore—scientists have invented nonstick gum. Clean Gum, as it is called, supposedly can be easily removed from shoes and pavement (as well as from hair, skin, and clothes). So walk down the street without fear of ruining your...

Aug 31, 2007

Men's Scent Depends on Women's Perceptions

If the sweaty guy standing in line next to you smells like vanilla—or urine—you may have whiffed a steroid in his body odor called androstenone. The chemical can take on either a vanilla or woodsy urine scent, depending on which version of a mutated odor gene carried by you, the...

Aug 31, 2007

Evidence in Hand That 'Hobbit' Was Not a Modern Human

A smoking gun that could snuff out a hot debate over skeletal remains dubbed the hobbit is in hand, literally, according to a group of scientists. Three wrist bones provide key evidence supporting the argument that fossil remains of an ancient, undersized individual represent a new hominin species that walked...

Aug 31, 2007

Modern Humans Retain Caveman's Survival Instincts

Like hunter-gatherers in the jungle, modern humans are still experts at spotting predators and prey, despite the developed world's safe suburbs and indoor lifestyle, a new study suggests. The research, published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals that humans today are hard-wired to...