Surprising Science

Are suicide bombers religious fanatics? Deluded ideologues? New research suggests something more mundane: They just want to commit suicide.

The phrase “missing link” is almost always a sure indicator that the person employing it has only a very superficial understanding of the way evolution works, says Brian Switek.

Only three percent of people who develop Alzheimer’s inherit a rare, genetic early-onset form of the disease. But sussing out its genetic triggers could help to yield treatments for everyone.

In contradiction to most cosmologists’ opinions, two scientists have found evidence that the universe may have existed for ever. One is Oxford’s famous Dr. Roger Penrose.

Can the hypothetical X particle solve unanswered questions about the nature of matter: why is there more matter than antimatter, and where and what is dark matter?

If the transmission rate of HIV is low, then how have so many young women on the continent become infected?

A bacterium found in the arsenic-filled waters of a Californian lake is poised to overturn scientists’ understanding of the biochemistry of living organisms, says Nature.

We ought to make opt-out easy but beware of injuring the model that brings us free content.

We are full of the accumulated baggage of our idiosyncratic histories. From hiccups to wisdom teeth, the evolution of homo sapiens has left behind some glaring imperfections.

In an effort to head off increasing scrutiny of Internet privacy, a group of online tracking rivals is building a service that lets consumers see what those companies know about them.

Ronald Reagan’s tax simplification measures in the 1980s are to blame for America’s high healthcare costs, says The Atlantic’s Megan McArdle. Especially the employer tax credit.

CLARION is a computer program that performs the same way human subjects do in some impressive cognitive tests—not by mimicking what we think, but how we think.

Is lowering the gonorrhea rate worth risking an increase in HIV?

Some AIDS activists and epidemiologists believe that agressive testing and treatment might be enough to stave off the epidemic for good. 

Two years ago, the Swiss Federal commission for HIV/AIDS released a controversial statement indicating that people who are HIV-positive and on regular antiretroviral therapy do not transmit the disease through […]

The world’s largest particle accelerator has produced a primordial state of matter akin to what existed at the dawn of the universe by smashing lead ions together creating small Big Bangs.

Fleeting feelings of heat—such as a warm drink or living in a tropical region—increase our willingness to trust strangers. New research on how bodily cues influence our beliefs.

The former vice president said that corn ethanol was a “mistake.” He went further, saying that he supported ethanol production because the first presidential primary is in Iowa.

A frail mouse with failing organs was restored to vibrant youth when researchers re-activated production of the enzyme telomerase. Discovery News on the recently reported findings.

Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the epidemic. Here is a look back at the successes and disappointments of the past couple decades. [Click timeline to enlarge]

Graphene is in incredibly strong, one-molecule thick layer of carbon atoms that could someday be used to create life-sustaining nanorobots.

Narcissists, much to the surprise of many experts, are in the process of becoming an endangered species. The diagnosis will no longer be officially recognized by 2013.

As the number of allergy sufferers soar, potential cures are getting more radical. Alternative theories abound on why developed countries have such high rates of allergic reactions.

Islamic suicide bombers are motivated by a lack of sex, says evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa. The scientist has put forth some controversial views on popular topics.

Although we might look foolish flailing around the living room, Kinect has managed to excite our flesh, and that means our emotions aren’t far behind, says Jonah Lehrer.

The first effective anti-retroviral treatment for HIV, Azidothymidine (AZT), was approved for treatment in 1987. But HIV is highly prone to mutations and thus likely to develop drug resistance. It […]

The disease seems to develop as beta amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tau tangles gather inside the brain to clog synapses and nerve cells—but what is its root cause?

2010 has been the most exciting year for HIV/AIDS research since the discovery of the antiretroviral “cocktail” 15 years ago.

Evidence shows that the mobile phone is becoming indispensable to us: more people are paying for apps, and they’re more willing to trade privacy for benefits.

Being sociable has its advantages—across more than 500 mammal species, animals that lived in social groups had bigger brains than those that lived by themselves.