Health
What is aortic valve replacement surgery?
Former first lady Barbara Bush just had it--and now comedian Robin Williams is getting the procedure. The question is: Why?
Stories by Brendan Borrell
Sustainability
Why study pig odor?
Pig manure research may not smell like roses, but it's definitely not just pork in the latest federal spending bill, says one Iowa researcher
Health
Supreme Court strikes down "preemption" argument for drugmaker Wyeth
In one of the most eagerly awaited decisions of this Supreme Court session, the justices today ruled that drug companies are not shielded from personal injury claims even if the feds approved their products and packaging...
The Sciences
Are octopuses smart?
The mischievous mollusk that flooded a Santa Monica aquarium is not the first MENSA-worthy octopus
Health
What are bedbugs? Are they dangerous?
The blood-sucking insects are the bane of most city-dwellers, but one entomologist proudly keeps a colony at the American Museum of Natural History. Is there any way for the rest of us to steer clear of them?...
The Sciences
James Watson disses today's high school teachers
Last night in a room with a double helix woven in the carpet, the cantankerous geneticist James Watson, Nobel Prize winner and provocateur—made clear his opinion of today's high school teachers: They're not too bright...
Mind
Oedipus Wrecked: Study Supporting the Mother of All Psychological Complexes Withdrawn
A journal retracts a paper that supported the idea that your wife is likely to look like your mother, but others say that Freud's theory may still hold water
The Sciences
How does ice cause a plane to crash?
Continental Express flight 3407 crashed into a home outside of Buffalo, possibly due to ice buildup on the plane's wings and/or tail
Health
Why are octuplet births so rare in humans?
An evolutionary expert explains why Homo sapiens is not equipped to handle eight kids, and why they invest so much energy in a single offspring
Sustainability
Why does Sarah Palin support shooting wolves in Alaska?
If we really want more moose, we should be shooting bears instead, says a Vermont wildlife biologist
The Sciences
Where does blue food dye come from?
The same colorants that are in your blue jeans may also be in your M&Ms
Tech
What is a bird strike? How can we keep planes safe from them in the future?
US Airways Flight 1549 crash-landed in the Hudson River after likely colliding with a flock of Canada geese
Health
What is pneumothorax?
TV actress Mariska Hargitay this week was hospitalized for a partially collapsed lung, her second this year. What causes such a condition--and how is it treated?
Health
How does salmonella get into peanut butter? And can you kill it once it's there?
The bacterium that sickened more than 400 across the U.S. and killed three is resistant to many sterilization techniques
Health
What Is Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Disorder?
An unauthorized biographer claims that pop star Michael Jackson is suffering from this debilitating genetic disease and needs a lung transplant
Health
Did a Drug Company "Buy" One of This Year's Nobel Prizes?
Rumors swirl, but a Swedish prosecutor will only confirm a "preliminary investigation" into allegations that pharma giant AstraZeneca fixed the Nobels for financial gain
The Sciences
Will a New Vatican Document Affect Science and Reproductive Health?
Mischaracterizations of science lurk in the Vatican's latest instructions on bioethics, but Catholics probably won't follow them anyway
The Sciences
How Zoos Kill Elephants
Animal welfare experts say zoos cut short an elephant's life span, but can their evidence be trusted?
The Sciences
How Would You Grow the World's Biggest Potato?
Reports of a record-breaking spud from Lebanon may turn out to be half-baked
Sustainability
Back from the Brink: Global Financial Meltdown Relieves Food Crisis
But to feed the world's growing population, long-term challenges remain
