MEDICINE & HEALTH

The Future of Home-Brewed Medicines and How Researchers Are Pushing Past Original Elixirs

TECH & INNOVATION Humans have always sought ways to alter their consciousness. Throughout our history as a species we have created and improved techniques for growing, brewing, processing, and, now, synthesizing mind-altering substances. Now, researchers from Concordia University in Quebec and University of California, Berkeley have detailed the steps needed to morphine from scratch from a simple yeast fungus.

The Importance of Knowing Your Genetic Code—BRCA and Your Link to Breast Cancer

Staci Mishkin was tested for the BRCA breast cancer gene mutation eighteen years ago; at that time she was one of the first women in the US to do so. She had her breasts and ovaries removed to protect herself. Today she is 50 years old-the first woman in her family to live that long, and testing for the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 gene mutations that cause breast cancer are the subject of intense debate.

Lamaze Childbirth Pioneer Dies

Elisabeth Bing, co-founder of Lamaze International who popularized what was known as natural childbirth and changed how women and doctors approached the delivery room, died Friday in her New York apartment at the age of 100. The cause of her death wasn't immediately known.

CDC Map Shows Distinctive Causes of Death for Each State

Have you ever wondered what the most distinctive causes of death were in your state? Now, you can find out with a new map from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC has published a new map showing the most distinctive causes of death in each of the 50 states in the U.S.

Can Ebola Stay Hidden in the Orbits of the Eye?

Dr. Ian Crozier fought Ebola for his life for an extended period of time at Emory University Hospital until, in October, the lengthy, bloody battle seemed to have ended with him the victor. But not even two months later searing pressure and pain in his left eye and failing sight landed him back in the hospital. His terrifying discovery? The Ebola virus was thriving inside his eye.

Fingerprint Test Could Detect Cocaine Use

A highly sophisticated new type of drug test can tell if a person has taken cocaine by analyzing chemical traces left behind by their fingerprint, scientists say.

Mayo Clinic Breakthrough With ALS Treatment In Mice

Researchers at the Jacksonville, Florida Mayo Clinic have gained a mouse model for testing potential amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) treatments. ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease is associated with various behavioral features and neuropathological symptoms as is frontotemporal dementia (FTD); both are caused by a mutation in the C9ORF72 gene. Both result in the death of neurons in the spinal cord and brain, which leads to inability to control muscles, paralysis, and death.

#DressGate Continues-What Researchers Are Saying About the Social Media Phenom

We know, you thought the whole The Dress thing was over-and you were glad. But rather than being a simple Internet meme on the scale of dancing babies and funny cats, The Dress is helping neuroscientists understand the way that the human brain perceives and thinks. Three research papers discussion cognition and perception in light of The Dress have just been published in Current Biology.

California One Step Closer to Abolishing ‘Personal Belief Exemption’ for Immunization

A California bill that abolishes the "personal belief exemption" for vaccinations is one step closer to becoming a law. The bill, SB 277, passed 25-10 in the California Senate on Thursday. Its next stop is clearing the Assembly before being signed into law and if it is, it will make it that much harder for parents to avoid vaccinating their children; good news for the fight against infectious disease.

Universities Are Arguing Over Genome Editing Technology, But What Does The Law Have to Say About It?

Three major universities are now engaged in a patent lawsuit to protect their rights to use genome editing technology called CRISPR-Cas9. The fallout will have far more impact than the simple settling of ownership and intellectual property rights, however; experts believe that CRISPR-Cas9 may be the most efficient route toward a ticking off items on a laundry list of amazing biotechnological discoveries.

Octopus Arm Inspires Future Surgical Tool

A group of scientists in Italy have taken their inspiration from the octopus, creating a robotic arm that can bend, squeeze, and stretch through even cluttered environments. The device was created specifically for surgeons who need to access confined or remote areas of the body more easily.

The Selfie That Goes Beyond Skin Deep

In our increasingly more narcissistic selfie culture, sometimes the right selfie can deliver a powerful message in an unparalleled way. One woman with skin cancer is trying to use social media to change this part of our American tanning habit by sharing a selfie of her face, blistered and scabbed from skin cancer treatments.
733 734 735 736 737 738 739 740 741
Most Popular

Recommended Stories