Surprising Science

Last month’s report from the National Research Council suggests that some objectives set by the Obama administration should be reevaluated in light of “national consensus” about space research and exploration.

As if astronauts didn’t have enough to worry about: A new study is the first to examine the impact of prolonged exposure on neurodegeneration, which contributes to the development of the disease.

Realizing that constant connectivity isn’t always healthy, some business have begun implementing policies designed to manage employees’ online time.

Patriarch Kirill also advised clergy to choose cars that are “more modest” than the expensive ones they’re used to. 

By selling rechargeable lanterns to people living in areas with little or no access to electricity, San Francisco-based d.light represents increased investor attention to “the junction between development work, renewable energy and profit-driven business.”

Author Robert Wright has found that while Buddhist meditation sets higher goals than achieving what we know as happiness, its effect is often a warm feeling toward others. 

Researchers say the brain seizes on the opportunity of blinking to relax a little, reducing blood flow to regions associated with paying close attention to the surrounding environment.

American and Japanese researchers have created new “nanoionic” devices which more closely mimic the brain’s own processing abilities and it’s short- and long-term memory banks.

The FDA has released documents stating that salmon genetically modified to grow faster are safe to eat and will not harm the environment. Now the public has 60 days to review the information.

A new evolutionary theory is emerging that suggests our most physically active ancestors were able to create offspring with larger and more efficient brains. Feel like a jog now?

Advances in human genome sequencing and brain-computer interface will help medical professional diagnose disease earlier and develop new technology for more direct treatments. 

Armed only with data, we could begin to see the patterns between guns and ammunition purchases and violence, and to flag those people most at risk of killing dozens of their neighbors.

Since 2009, when fMRI scans were introduced into a criminal trial for the first time, doctors and legal scholars have been trying to refine the scope of the medical tool’s usefulness.

Planetary Resources isn’t the first company formed around the mission of extracting valuable metals from the asteroid belt, but it may be the first one with some real investor belief and funding behind it.

Comet ISON was first spotted well beyond Jupiter’s orbit, which makes it fairly large. If it makes it past the sun it could light up the night sky by this time next year.

More should be done towards creating a resource file to help medical professionals evaluate whether the average person can handle space travel, say the authors of a new paper.

A newly published paper reveals that the rate at which temperatures are rising was greatly underestimated, and the results parallel those recently found in Greenland and other northern polar regions.

Launched last week, the game, called Clouds, is the newest addition to the Milky Way Project and to Zooniverse, which is home to some of the largest online citizen science endeavors.

Kathmandu, the country’s capital, suffers from high levels of dust pollution. The army chief, a devoted cyclist, says the move will also encourage a healthier way of living.

Largely out of nostalgia and increased health consciousness, executives are returning to bikes as a means of transport. The ones they’re buying reflect their new status.

Brain-computer interfacing has allowed quadriplegics to move robotic arms and hands with impressive dexterity. Researchers hope the technology will allow them increased autonomy in life. 

Amid rising concerns over post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental illnesses, two MIT startups are developing wrist-worn sensors that can detect physiological signs of stress. 

United States v. Caronia may determine the extent to which FDA regulation also affects how drug makers sell their medicines to clients, and whether they are allowed to overstate drugs’ benefits. 

White blood cells called T-cells tend to attack a wider range of invaders than antibodies. If a vaccine sensitizes them to internal flu proteins, they could potentially kill all types of flu.

The economic growth of the last few decades has made global populations heavier than ever before. The trend carries serious health consequences as well as threatening future growth.

Certain alcoholic drinks, like red wine and whiskey, are worse for hangovers than gin and vodka. The reason is the presence of congeners, a byproduct of the fermentation process. 

A new report from the National Intelligence Community states that in the coming decades, social networks will become anarchic collectives and automated exoskeletons will help granny walk. 

Neuroscientists say we are approaching the day when an electronic implant will augment the natural capacities of our brain, but will we still be human? And will those implants be vulnerable to hacking? 

A piece of medical hardware the size of a business card could allow physicians and patients to quickly take stock of over 50 health metrics, from insulin to cholesterol and bacterial infections.

Scientists at the University of Washington speculate that the goal of a super-intelligent civilization would be to create computer programs simulating other universes—ones such as ours.