Surprising Science

The whole of human behavior is often seen through the singular lens of the brain. We think the brain controls every aspect of life, which is a dangerous illusion says one neuroscientist.

Genome sequencing now costs less than $10,000, but some experts predict the price soon will drop below $1,000. How will this change medicine and how will it affect you?

Scientists have provided the first direct biological evidence for a genetic contribution to intelligence in humans. It will also enhance learning on how to maintain intellectual abilities.

Researchers have stumbled on a potential new treatment for ‘late’ asthma, which can occur several hours after exposure to allergens. Sensory nerve-blocking drugs are the key.

Scientists believe the discovery of fully-formed building blocks of DNA in meteorites suggests an extraterrestrial origin for some of the chemicals deemed necessary for organic life.

How can governments better assess the risks of new technologies? And why was Japan so stringent on earthquake regulations and not on nuclear energy?

CISCO is attracting flak for its strategy and layoffs but could this criticism be misplaced? Here are three reasons why it’s a model for other American companies.

Social networks are just a tool, says Londoner Peter Bright. Like any tool, some will use them for ill ends, but many others will put them to positive uses. Take London, for example.

Developers in Germany have demonstrated “real” augmented reality which uses smartphones to integrate real-time data into a three dimensional urban landscape.

Where biofuels like corn-based ethanol have failed, fuels made from garbage will succeed, says a former federal engineer. But can making usable fuel from waste really be achieved? 

For the next few months, twelve British volunteers will live in a house also populated by domestic robots. Researchers want to the study how robots can better serve humans. 

Despite extensive research, biofuels are still not commercially competitive. The breakthroughs needed may be tougher to realize than previously thought.

A California company has found a way for solar plants to work at night, making solar energy more efficient and more able to compete with traditional forms of making electricity. 

What will it take to build a spaceship capable of traveling to the stars? And what if you wanted it to be ready to launch in just 100 years? The U.S. military wants to find out. 

James Marsh’s new film “Project NIM” is less about finding the humanity in the animal and more about finding the animal in the human.

Social contact manager Gist’s infographic on the relentless rise of the mobile workforce provides an interesting snapshot of this key business trend, which is also fueling tablet use.

If the American economy goes into a double-dip recession, the causes will be vastly different from the crash in 2008. Maudlin irrationality is currently causing investors to panic. 

Research has shown that a happy workplace is a more productive workplace. Shawn Achor details how this discovery should impact the way we think about leadership and management.

Psychologists are trying to level the culinary playing field. They want to improve the experience of eating healthy foods by determining how growers can breed them to taste better.

This week, a group of Japanese researchers from Kyoto University said they had figured out a way to turn embryonic stem cells into the more specific type of stem cell that makes sperm.

Margaret Gatz, a psychologist at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, explains what 25 years of research have taught her about reducing the risk of dementia. 

As gadgets that measure health metrics have come onto the market, often linked to the Internet or a smartphone, a new movement in self-monitoring has been born. 

Dr. Alberto Costa, who devoted his career to researching Down syndrome when his daughter was born with the disorder, believes that treatment is as important as prevention.

New technology for extracting oil from tarry sands could more than double the amount of oil that can be extracted from these abundant deposits while lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Safety regulations have lagged in the relatively new industry of renewable energy. From solar panels to wind turbines, workers can be put in harms way if precautions aren’t taken. 

A new tool interrupts the ‘infinite loops’ that cause computer hang-ups, letting users save data and finish tasks before restarting a stalled program.

A new approach to overcoming state-level Internet censorship relies, ironically enough, on a technique that security experts have frequently associated with government surveillance.

Lack of rain in the hyper-arid regions of Somalia, Ethiopia, and northern Kenya is creating a humanitarian crisis as pastoral communities move in search of food and water. 

Despite what we believe about our powers of introspection, the reality is that we know awfully little about what our conscious experience amounts to.

The bitter political divide over the budget deficit is the result of a trust deficit, says Jonah Lehrer. Trust is about trading favors, but faced with large budget cuts, there are none left to trade.