See this at: cnn.com| Added on 10/12/09

Born with only half a brain, Mack can speak normally, graduated from high school and has an uncanny knack for dates. At 27, doctors determined that the right side of her brain had essentially rewired itself to make up for function that was likely... See more

Born with only half a brain, Mack can speak normally, graduated from high school and has an uncanny knack for dates. At 27, doctors determined that the right side of her brain had essentially rewired itself to make up for function that was likely lost during pre-birth stroke. But her childhood and young adult years were fraught with frustration. "It was very hard for me," Mack said. "It was very hard for me growing up. No one knew the truth about my brain." Mack's parents, Carol and Wally, realized shortly after her birth that something was wrong. "There wasn't a group to turn to," said Carol Mack. "Michelle didn't have cerebral palsy, I knew that. She didn't have Down's syndrome, I knew that. I had no place to turn." Ten years ago, Dr. Jordan Grafman, chief of the Cognitive Neuroscience Section at the National Institutes of Health, finally diagnosed the problem. Watch how Mack's brain healed itself » An MRI scan revealed she was missing nearly half of the left side of her brain. While... See less

See this at: howlifeworks.com| Added on 07/29/09

What drives one person into the arms of another? According to recent scientific research the answer may lie partly with chemicals. Scientists have long been aware that the human body produces powerful air-borne chemical hormones called Pheromones.... See more

What drives one person into the arms of another? According to recent scientific research the answer may lie partly with chemicals. Scientists have long been aware that the human body produces powerful air-borne chemical hormones called Pheromones. Until recently the purpose of these Pheromones was a mystery. But now researchers have discovered that the body's production of the of these chemicals stems from our evolutionary need to find a mate and reproduce. It turns out we all have an organ just inside the nasal cavity called the vomeronasal organ (VNO). It appears that the sole function of the VNO is to detect trace amounts of pheromones, and in turn, stimulate the limbic region of the brain, also known as the 'Seat of Emotions'. This area of the brain is responsible for our emotions and sexual attraction. The evidence is now clear that the purpose of Pheromones is to stimulate attraction in members of the opposite sex. This has been borne out in various scientific studies on animals... See less

See this at: scientificamerican.c...| Added on 07/28/09

About one in 4,500 babies show ambiguous genitalia at birth, such as a clitoris that looks like a penis, or vice versa. For the Insights story, "Going Beyond X and Y," appearing in the June 2007 issue of Scientific American, Sally Lehrman talked with... See more

About one in 4,500 babies show ambiguous genitalia at birth, such as a clitoris that looks like a penis, or vice versa. For the Insights story, "Going Beyond X and Y," appearing in the June 2007 issue of Scientific American, Sally Lehrman talked with noted geneticist Eric Vilain of the University of California, Los Angeles, about the biology of sex determination, gender identity and the psychology and politics behind both. Here is an expanded interview. When did you first discover your interest in intersex individuals and the biology of sex development? I started in Paris as a medical student, and my first assignment was to a unit of pediatric endocrinology in a Paris hospital, and it was the center of reference for all of France for babies born with ambiguous genitals. And I was actually literally shocked by the way decisions were made on these patients. I felt it didn't rely on solid scientific evidence. I mean, I'm a scientist, I'm a big believer of you can't just do things without... See less

See this at: news.bbc.co.uk| Added on 07/02/09

The world's largest cat, the Amur tiger, is down to an effective wild population of fewer than 35 individuals, new research has found. Although up to 500 of the big cats actually survive in the wild, the effective population is a measure of their... See more

The world's largest cat, the Amur tiger, is down to an effective wild population of fewer than 35 individuals, new research has found. Although up to 500 of the big cats actually survive in the wild, the effective population is a measure of their genetic diversity. That in turn is a good predictor of the Amur tiger's chances of survival. The results come from the most complete genetic survey yet of wild Amur tigers, the rarest subspecies of tiger. At the start of the 20th Century, nine subspecies of tiger existed, with a total world population of more than 100,000 individuals. Human impacts have since caused the extinction of three subspecies, the Javan tiger, Bali tiger and Caspian tiger, and world tiger numbers could now have fallen to fewer than 3000. The Amur tiger, or Siberian tiger as it is also known, is the largest subspecies which once lived across a large portion of northern China, the Korean peninsula, and the southernmost regions of far east Russia. The Amur tiger most... See less

See this at: monty.st-and.ac.uk| Added on 02/23/09

Participate in an experiment! Transform Yourself!

Participate in an experiment! Transform Yourself! See less

See this at: cnn.com| Added on 02/19/09

CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- It may seem obvious that men perceive women in sexy bathing suits as objects, but now there's science to back it up. New research shows that, in men, the brain areas associated with handling tools and the intention to... See more

CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- It may seem obvious that men perceive women in sexy bathing suits as objects, but now there's science to back it up. New research shows that, in men, the brain areas associated with handling tools and the intention to perform actions light up when viewing images of women in bikinis. The research was presented this week by Susan Fiske, professor of psychology at Princeton University, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. "This is just the first study which was focused on the idea that men of a certain age view sex as a highly desirable goal, and if you present them with a provocative woman, then that will tend to prime goal-related responses," she told CNN. Although consistent with conventional wisdom, the way that men may depersonalize sexual images of women is not entirely something they control. In fact, it's a byproduct of human evolution, experts say. The first male humans had an incentive to seek fertile women... See less

Highlights: The participants, 21 heterosexual male undergraduates at Princeton, took questionnaires to determine whether they harbor "benevolent" sexism, which includes the belief that a woman's place is in the home, or hostile sexism, a more adversarial viewpoint which includes the belief that women...

See this at: cnn.com| Added on 01/04/09

* Story Highlights * Scientists have discovered that people can have a love that lasts a lifetime * About 10 percent of couples appear to feel young love's first blush permanently * Research has suggested first stages of romantic love fade within 15... See more

* Story Highlights * Scientists have discovered that people can have a love that lasts a lifetime * About 10 percent of couples appear to feel young love's first blush permanently * Research has suggested first stages of romantic love fade within 15 months * See less

See this at: news.bbc.co.uk| Added on 04/11/07

Scientists have come closer to working out what makes breast cancer deadly. Four genes have been found to work together to drive the spread of breast cancer to the lungs. Turning off all four genes at once dramatically reduces the ability of breast... See more

Scientists have come closer to working out what makes breast cancer deadly. Four genes have been found to work together to drive the spread of breast cancer to the lungs. Turning off all four genes at once dramatically reduces the ability of breast tumours to spread - or metastasise - a study in mice showed. Reporting the results in Nature, the US team said they were planning clinical trials of drugs known to target two of the genes in the set. Tumours spread when cancer cells break away and travel through the bloodstream to a different site in the body - a process called metastasis. It is the ability to spread to other tissues and organs that makes cancer potentially deadly and metastases are very common in the late stages of cancer. In a series of experiments, Dr Massague found that four of those genes which produce proteins which combine to enable cancer cells to escape into the bloodstream and get into the lungs. Knocking out each of the genes individually in human cancer cells... See less

See this at: news.bbc.co.uk| Added on 02/22/07

Chimpanzees in Senegal have been observed making and using wooden spears to hunt other primates, according to a study in the journal Current Biology. Researchers documented 22 cases of chimps fashioning tools to jab at smaller primates sheltering in... See more

Chimpanzees in Senegal have been observed making and using wooden spears to hunt other primates, according to a study in the journal Current Biology. Researchers documented 22 cases of chimps fashioning tools to jab at smaller primates sheltering in cavities of hollow branches or tree trunks. The report's authors, Jill Pruetz and Paco Bertolani, said the finding could have implications for human evolution. Chimps had not been previously observed hunting other animals with tools. Pruetz and Bertolani made the discovery at their research site in Fongoli, Senegal, between March 2005 and July 2006. "There were hints that this behavior might occur, but it was one time at a different site," said Jill Pruetz, assistant professor of anthropology at Iowa State University, US. "While in Senegal for the spring semester, I saw about 13 different hunting bouts. So it really is habitual." See less

See this at: nytimes.com| Added on 12/13/06

An animal the size of a small squirrel experimented with aerial life about the same time as birds, scientists said.

An animal the size of a small squirrel experimented with aerial life about the same time as birds, scientists said. See less

See this at: sflorg.com| Added on 10/20/06

Scientists have demonstrated the first ever working 'invisibility cloak. The team of researchers from Duke University, USA, worked with Professor Sir John Pendry of Imperial College London to create a prototype 'cloak' based on a new design theory... See more

Scientists have demonstrated the first ever working 'invisibility cloak. The team of researchers from Duke University, USA, worked with Professor Sir John Pendry of Imperial College London to create a prototype 'cloak' based on a new design theory proposed by the same team earlier this year. The cloak deflects microwave beams as they flow around an object hidden inside it, in the same way that water in a river flows around a stick. The Duke scientists have proven that the object inside the cloak is rendered invisible to microwaves, which could, in the long run, have a variety of applications for radar and communications technologies. The researchers at Duke University used theoretical designs published in an earlier Science paper to build a small cloak, less than five inches across, which would provide invisibility in two dimensions. The cloak was built using specially-manufactured 'metamaterials' which 'grab' light heading towards the cloak and make it flow smoothly around the cloak... See less

See this at: news.bbc.co.uk| Added on 10/17/06

By Roger Harrabin of BBC Radio 4's Today programme A British scientist has come up with a new theory on how the ancient Chinese medical art of acupuncture might be explained by modern science. At the moment it is impossible to explain scientifically... See more

By Roger Harrabin of BBC Radio 4's Today programme A British scientist has come up with a new theory on how the ancient Chinese medical art of acupuncture might be explained by modern science. At the moment it is impossible to explain scientifically how sticking fine needles into the arms or legs could effect the body's vital organs. But a paper by Dr Mae Won Ho, Reader in Biology at the Open University, speculates that the needles may be creating tiny bio-electrical disturbances. These are then transmitted by the water that surrounds collagen proteins in the skin and muscles. She believes it may explain what Chinese doctors call the body's invisible energy force of chi. Conduction by collagen Collagen is the most commonly found protein in our skin, muscles and tendons. The collagen molecules are aligned into long fibres which twist round each other like to work like a three-core electrical flex, according to Dr Ho. "The alignment of the fibres is especially suited to the mechanical... See less

See this at: news.yahoo.com| Added on 10/05/06

THURSDAY, Oct. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Civil society may hinge on a tiny piece of tissue at the front of the human brain, a new study suggests.

THURSDAY, Oct. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Civil society may hinge on a tiny piece of tissue at the front of the human brain, a new study suggests. See less

See this at: news.bbc.co.uk| Added on 09/20/06

The cream contains a small molecule that essentially mimics the process that occurs when skin cells are struck by ultraviolet light from the sun. It is thought people with fair skin and red hair cannot tan properly because of a defect in a pouch-like... See more

The cream contains a small molecule that essentially mimics the process that occurs when skin cells are struck by ultraviolet light from the sun. It is thought people with fair skin and red hair cannot tan properly because of a defect in a pouch-like receptor called MC1R on the surface of the pigment-producing melanocyte skin cells. This leads to reduced production of a chemical called cAMP, which stimulates the melanocytes to produce pigment. As a result, fair-skinned people tend to burn, rather than tan in the sun, increasing the risk of DNA damage to skin cells which can lead to cancer. The World Health Organization has estimated that as many as 60,000 people a year worldwide die from skin cancer as a result of too much exposure to the sun. Fair-skinned mice The researchers genetically engineered fair-skinned, red-haired mice who did not tan when exposed to low levels of UV radiation, but did burn when the dose was cranked up. They then treated the skin of the animals with a... See less

See this at: nytimes.com| Added on 09/02/06

Not, at least, with the inherited form of colon cancer that has devastated his family, killing his mother, her father and her two brothers, and that he too may face because of a genetic mutation that makes him unusually susceptible. By subjecting... See more

Not, at least, with the inherited form of colon cancer that has devastated his family, killing his mother, her father and her two brothers, and that he too may face because of a genetic mutation that makes him unusually susceptible. By subjecting Chloe to a genetic test when she was an eight-cell embryo in a petri dish, Mr. Kingsbury and his wife, Colby, were able to determine that she did not harbor the defective gene. That was the reason they selected her, from among the other embryos they had conceived through elective in vitro fertilization, to implant in her mother’s uterus. Prospective parents have been using the procedure, known as preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or P.G.D., for more than a decade to screen for genes certain to cause childhood diseases that are severe and largely untreatable. Now a growing number of couples like the Kingsburys are crossing a new threshold for parental intervention in the genetic makeup of their offspring: They are using P.G.D. to detect a... See less

See this at: en.wikipedia.org| Added on 08/31/06

In complex dynamics, the Julia set of a holomorphic function informally consists of those points whose long-time behavior under repeated iteration of can change drastically under arbitrarily small perturbations. The Fatou set of is the complement of... See more

In complex dynamics, the Julia set of a holomorphic function informally consists of those points whose long-time behavior under repeated iteration of can change drastically under arbitrarily small perturbations. The Fatou set of is the complement of the Julia set: that is, the set of points which exhibit 'stable' behavior. Thus on , the behavior of is 'regular', while on , it is 'chaotic'. These sets are named in honor of the French mathematicians Gaston Julia and Pierre Fatou, who initiated the theory of complex dynamics in the early 20th century. See less

See this at: livescience.com| Added on 08/29/06

When used properly, sunscreens are proven to prevent skin damage. But if not applied often enough, a sunscreen can actually enhance skin damage, according to a new study. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is absorbed by skin molecules and... See more

When used properly, sunscreens are proven to prevent skin damage. But if not applied often enough, a sunscreen can actually enhance skin damage, according to a new study. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is absorbed by skin molecules and generates reactive oxygen species, or ROS molecules, which cause visible signs of aging by damaging cell walls and the DNA inside them. Too much sun, especially in childhood, increases the risk of skin cancer. Sunscreens contain UV filters that block radiation from penetrating below the outer skin later, called the epidermis. But over time, the filters themselves penetrate deeper into the skin, allowing more UV radiation in. Then things get worse. In the new study, scientists found that three widely used, FDA-approved UV filters (octylmethoxycinnamate, benzophenone-3 and octocrylene) actually generate ROS in skin when exposed to ultraviolet radiation. So the sun's damaging effect is multiplied when the sunscreen has been on too long. [Graphic]... See less

See this at: livescience.com| Added on 08/29/06

LiveScience.com explains the latest research on the planet, from human biology to the animal world and the forces of Nature.

LiveScience.com explains the latest research on the planet, from human biology to the animal world and the forces of Nature. See less