It's getting better all the time: Happiness, well-being increase after 50
Despite weighty concerns such as aging, planning for retirement or caring for older friends and family, people in the U.S. seem to get happier with age.
Stories by Katherine Harmon
New evidence that fMRI experiments are valid measure of neuron activity
Among the more than a quarter of a million published functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies are assays that have purported to locate our mental experiences of religion, love and even the future in the brain...
Genetic ancestry testing is an inexact science, task force says
As store-based distribution of genetic health tests remains stalled pending federal review, genetic ancestry tests are also drawing widespread concern from experts.
Spitting cobras use quick reaction and anticipation to attempt to blind targets with venom
Even cobras need to defend themselves sometimes.
These venomous snakes keep adversaries at bay by spitting a neurotoxin or other substance into their perceived enemy's eyes, causing severe pain and sometimes blindness...
The Proof Is in the Proteins: Test Supports Universal Common Ancestor for All Life
One researcher put the basic biological assumption of a single common ancestor to the test--and found that advanced genetic analysis and sophisticated statistics back up Darwin's age-old proposition...
A phone call from Mom reduces stress as well as a hug
A hug from Mom can help soothe a stressed child, but new research shows that just hearing her voice can initiate the same biochemical responses—even if the mother is speaking over the phone...
Sickle-cell anemia can lead to lower IQ scores, study shows
Symptoms of sickle-cell anemia often include severe pain and other major medical complications, but a new study shows that the disease might also decrease cognitive abilities in young and middle-aged adults...
Schizophrenia shares genetic links with autism, genome study shows
Schizophrenia involves some of the same genetic variations as autism and attention deficit disorders, a new whole-genome study has confirmed.
Schizophrenia, which affects about 1.5 percent of the U.S...
Birth of a Bond: Illustrating a Year of Mother and Baby Development
From embryo to infancy, biologically accurate illustrations from theVisualMD.com illuminate changes in mother and baby as the two grow and develop together
Out, damn'd decision: Hand washing helps us live with our choices
Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth could never wash away the guilt of murder from her hands, but research has shown that the simple act of hand washing—or even using a wipe—can in fact help people clean their conscience of dirty deeds...
How Important Is Physical Contact with Your Infant?
Touch and emotional engagement boost early childhood development, but can children recover from neglectful environments?
Mothers' Depression Can Go Well Beyond Children's Infancy
Many mothers continue to have depressive symptoms well into their child's youth, which can have lasting impacts on their children's development, but new research shows short therapy sessions can improve outlook...
How the immune system's T cells seem to improve learning
The immune system's cells work hard to fight off infections. But new research is uncovering their important role in cognition, and a study published online May 3 in The Journal of Experimental Medicine reveals how the immune system's T cells, which aren't present in the brain, can impact learning and memory...
Charles Darwin's family tree tangled with inbreeding, early death
Charles Darwin's studies of heredity, adaptation and evolution included many experiments into the effects of crossbreeding and inbreeding in both plants and animals.
How Breastfeeding Benefits Mothers' Health
Feeding infants with breast milk has been shown to improve baby health and even IQ, but the benefits of breastfeeding also appear to stay with mothers for years to come, lowering risks of cardiovascular disease and cancer...
Feathers developed differently in dinosaurs' life cycles than in those of modern birds
A rare fossil find of two young feathered theropods has revealed that these animals sprouted a much wider range of plumage as they matured than contemporary birds do.
HPV screening might trump Pap tests in detecting cervical cancer, but false positives remain a concern
The Pap test has been enormously successful at reducing cervical cancer deaths, but it can miss early signs of malignancy, allowing undetected cases to become invasive.
New maps show how 1889 Russian flu rode the rails to circle the globe in months
Many people assume that the 2009 H1N1 pandemic spread rapidly across the globe largely due to the sheer number of people hopping onto planes. But more than 120 years ago, trains and ships alone sped the transmission of the 1889 "Russian" flu so that it reached the U.S...
Do Chimpanzees Understand Death?
Like tool use and self-awareness, distinct grief and mourning might be just one more thing we share with our closest living relatives
To sleep, perchance to dream--and learn
Dreams might be helping your brain do more than express Freudian fixations or practice escapes from prehistoric predators. They are there, in part, to help you learn, according to a new study from Harvard University...
