
Does red-light therapy work? Here’s what the science says
People are buying helmets, face masks, vests and beds that emit long-wavelength light. Beneath the hype, there is some interesting biology
Lynne Peeples is a science journalist in Seattle, Washington.

Does red-light therapy work? Here’s what the science says
People are buying helmets, face masks, vests and beds that emit long-wavelength light. Beneath the hype, there is some interesting biology

What Falling Global Birth Rates Really Mean for the Future
Steep population declines in most countries are expected to have negative effects over the next several generations, but adaptation is possible

Combatting Toxic Stress with Science
Better assessment of stress and tailored approaches to combat it could give clinicians the tools they need to fend off lasting damage to health

What Researchers Know about Gun Policies’ Effectiveness
Studies are “decades behind,” owing to a lack of funding, but research is picking up

Rethinking Herd Immunity
The global rise of “vaccine hesitancy” is changing the landscape of disease transmission

What the Data Say about Police Shootings
How do racial biases play into deadly encounters with the police? Researchers wrestle with incomplete data to reach answers

How the Next Recession Could Save Lives
Death rates have dropped during past economic downturns, even as many health trends have worsened. Researchers are scrambling to decipher lessons before the next big recession

Rings and Worms Tell the Tale of a Shipwreck Found at Ground Zero [Slide Show]
Researchers were stunned to find an 18th-century ship that had been unearthed by construction workers at the World Trade Center where the Twin Towers once stood. With great care they followed clues in the well-preserved wood to trace the craft's history to the era of the American Revolution

Staying Negative: How an Unexpected Antiretroviral Result Is Reshaping the Battle Against AIDS
Success of a vaginal microbicide gel reveals how HIV-prevention strategies can emerge from progress in treatment

11 Surprising Natural Lessons from Mount St. Helens
What have scientists learned from 30 years of research and rebirth in the blast zone?

Thin Wallets, Thick Waistlines: New USDA Effort Targets Link between Obesity and Food Stamps
Could added incentives and other changes to the federal food stamp program trim rampant obesity rates among low-income groups?

Making Scents of Sounds: Noises May Alter How We Perceive Odors
The neural basis for "smound" may have been uncovered

Are Coyotes or Humans the Perpetrators of Suburban Animal Attacks?
Research into both coyote and human behavior informs strategies to reduce urban-nature clashes and make peace with animal neighbors

The Bigger Kahuna: Are More Frequent and Higher Extreme Ocean Waves a By-Product of Global Warming?
Increasing maximum wave heights off the Pacific Northwest coast may pose a greater threat than rising sea levels

Baked Australia: Water Management Lessons for the World from Down Under
Australia is at the forefront of a global water crisis. Some of the management lessons learned there could help bail out California and other parched regions before they meet the same fate

Greenhouse Rock: Stone-Cold Data from Ancient Glacial Deposits May Help Reveal Future Climate Change
Scientists are developing sophisticated tools to trace the paths of glaciers, unearthing previously unknown pieces of the climate record

iSniff: Pocket-Size Pollution Sensors Promise Big Improvement in Monitoring Personal Environment
Scientists are employing improved monitors in efforts to pinpoint air pollutants that cause childhood disease

Going the 'last mile' to deliver better health to villages in the developing world

Can fearful memories be erased?

The Real Sea Monsters: On the Hunt for Rogue Waves
Scientists hope a better understanding of when, where and how mammoth oceanic waves form can someday help ships steer clear of danger

Music to Monkeys' Ears? Try Metallica, or the Metro

Faster, harder, louder: Are primitive grunts and futuristic gear changing the game of tennis?

Did Lactose Tolerance First Evolve in Central, Rather Than Northern Europe?
Tolerance for cow's milk may have arisen in the Neolithic period among the Linearbandkeramik culture of central Europe, not with the Lutefisk-lovers of Scandinavia

Death of the directory: When was the last time you opened a phone book?