Stories by Ferris Jabr

A look at some of the most promising medical devices now in development

Rodents sacrifice sweets to jailbreak their friends

New research suggests that elderly brains are less susceptible to regret than are the brains of the young and depressed

Researchers test the idea that we hunt for memories in our minds the same way some animals search for food

New research suggests that some aspects of reading are not dependent on previous experience with language or speech

A three-year study documenting the male panda's cyclic reproductive behaviors could help researchers expand captive populations

Ants work together to battle a deadly fungus by diluting the infection across the colony

Gene therapy restores human sight

Bacteria are exquisite living machines that could one day deliver medicine to cells in the human body, if scientists overcome the numerous obstacles

Researchers discover the genetic secret behind van Gogh's famous sunflowers

Autistic children's brains may grow too big, too soon. A new study links this unusual growth to abnormal gene activity that fails to prune unnecessary neural connections

Neurologists search for a novel genetic mutation to explain why an Australian boy's brain has been withering since birth

Asymmetrical stimulation of the developing bird brain may be essential for communication between the brain's two hemispheres

A new study suggests that pot makes users forgetful by binding not to neurons but to the brain's supporting glial cells called astrocytes

Books and recommendations from Scientific American

A molecule related to chondroitin supplements alerts fish of nearby danger

New tests could spare soldiers from debilitating sickness at high altitudes--and mitigate cattle deaths in the Rockies