Policy
Med School without Cadavers?
Some medical schools are turning to virtual reality instead of dissection
Stories by Bahar Gholipour
Biotech
Zapping Nerves with Ultrasound Could Treat Inflammation
Stimulating nerves in the spleens of mice with ultrasound reduced their inflammatory responses and arthritis symptoms
Neuroscience
How Brain Injuries Deprive People of a Sense of Free Will
Studies of patients with unusual neurological conditions reveal brain networks that contribute to feelings of agency
Neuroscience
Blind Except for Movement: Woman’s Injury Offers Insight into How the Brain Works
Milena Canning can see objects only if they are moving, hinting at the inner workings of our visual system
Neuroscience
Technology from Harry Potter Movies Brings Magic of Brain into Focus
Software lets scientists explore the brain in 3-D and perform “virtual dissections”
Cognition
Fetuses May Respond to Faces While in the Womb
Babies develop a preference for face-like light patterns even before birth
Neurology
Sleep Shrinks the Brain’s Synapses to Make Room for New Learning
The process keeps the attic of your mind well organized
Computing
New AI Tech Can Mimic Any Voice
Emerging technologies in speech generation raise ethics and security concerns
Mind & Brain
Discovery of 18 New Autism-Linked Genes May Point to New Treatments
Most of the candidate genes play roles in cellular processes also implicated in intellectual disability
Neurology
Can You Diagnose Dementia from a Gaming App?
More than two million healthy people played a game that could detect declining navigation skills, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s
Neuroscience
Can We Learn How to Forget?
Neuroscientists begin to understand how the brain controls its own memory center
Technology
World's First "Scent Message" E-Mailed from Paris to New York
A new platform allows users to mix and match 32 aromas and then tag photographs with the result
Health
Lab-Grown Vaginas Implanted Successfully in 4 Teenagers
The organs, grown from the patients' own cells, are showing normal functions for the four young women
Health
Diet High in Meat Proteins Raises Cancer Risk for Middle-Aged People
For people aged 50 to 65, a high-protein diet increased the risk of cancer fourfold, comparable to the risk associated with smoking
Health
Mammograms Fail to Reduce Breast Cancer Deaths, Study Finds
The large, 25-year study suggests that women under 60 do not benefit from yearly breast cancer screening
Biology
Multivitamins Are a Waste of Money, Doctors Say
Most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is not justified and they should be avoided
Health
Real-Time Flu Forecast Predicts Outbreaks in Each U.S. City
A system based on weather forecasting predicts the peak of seasonal flu weeks in advance, enabling health officials to prevent new infections
Mind & Brain
"Love Hormone" Oxytocin May Help Children with Autism
The hormone has the ability to boost activity in the brain area linked to social behavior and could thus lead to more effective treatment
Health
What 11 Billion People Mean for Disease Outbreaks
The explosive growth of the human population—from 2.5 billion to 6 billion since the second half of the 20th century—may have already started changing how infectious diseases emerge
Health
Preterm Birth Linked to Chemicals Found in Personal Products
Women who had the highest levels of phthalate metabolites in their urine had a risk of preterm birth that was two to five times higher compared with women who had the lowest levels
