Alcohol

Everyone knows that ALS is a very bad disease, an awareness underscored by the recent Ice Bucket Challenge. The death of neurons that results in paralysis can be caused by specific genetic mutations.  But in most cases, single genes are not the culprit.

A single genetic mutation 10 million years ago endowed human ancestors with an enhanced ability to break down ethanol, likely as they shifted to a terrestrial lifestyle

A solution that protects rat livers from freezing could extend the transplant window for human organs

In 1995, Ivan Goldberg, a New York psychiatrist, published one of the first diagnostic tests for Internet Addiction Disorder. The criteria appeared on psycom.net, a psychiatry bulletin board, and began with an air of earnest authenticity: "A maladaptive pattern of Internet use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress as manifested by three (or more) [...]

The historic home of champagne is France but climate change may make growing conditions for the grapes more favorable in England

Books and recommendations from Scientific American

As global population continues to grow, managing the relationships between water, food and energy is becoming increasingly critical. Businesses need to react to the challenge and be mindful of the important role they play in implementing solutions.

Palcohol could give new meaning to the phrase “dry martini"

Can science help defeat the physical aftereffects of drinking too much alcohol—if not the regrets?

Developing a hangover doesn't prevent or even significantly delay the next drinking bout. Sophie Bushwick reports 

 

Superstar wine critic Robert Parker’s legacy—a zinfandel with 17 percent alcohol?

I’m doing a monthly series here at Food Matters that I’m calling “Friday* Happy Hour,” in which I’ll delve into the science of alcohol production.