Surprising Science

Feversham Academy in Bradford, England has profoundly improved its students’ performance by adding a lot more music to their curriculum.

Researchers at MIT and Harvard Medical School have developed a tattoo ink that could potentially be used to monitor medical conditions, with ink that changes in response to physical conditions.     

This behavior was witnessed in boys but not girls.

Chemists are surprised to find that berkelium electrons seem to live outside of quantum mechanics.

“We are at least as dream-deprived as we are sleep-deprived.” Dr. Naiman said.

A new study examines how and why the world’s cultures identify and name colors.

Early childhood science education can have significant positive effects on the achievement gap and on students’ educational outcomes later on.

 Stories of a giant tree rat in the Solomon Islands have turned out to be true. Meet Uromys vika.

Even things like appetite and tiredness move through social networks, researchers found.   

An increase in carbon dioxide is not doing good things to our produce. Or bodies.

AI has not only beat chess, Go, and Jeopardy champions, but now it has defeated some of the world’s best poker players. And unlike chess or Go, playing poker involves unknown information like bluffing.  

A major Silicon Valley company is funding a trial of Universal Basic Income in the U.S.

Scientists develop the first robots capable of merging into a single-minded unit.

NASA discovers a surprisingly dark planet about 1,400 light years away.

Hundreds of millions globally could be impacted in a significant way.  

A new study from the Mayo Clinic says that letting dogs in the bedroom may not disrupt sleep quality.

This is the 1st study to show evidence of a relationship between methylation drift and lifespan.

Different gut bacteria may affect differently the way energy is metabolized from foods.

What role do expectations play in whether we feel hungry or satiated?   

A new study of intestinal microbiota and circadian rhythms reveal insights into global obesity rates. 

A new study finds cause for concern over what tattoo ink is doing to the body.

Lots of colorful characters went looking for the Yeti. And there have been several hoaxes.   

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has shown to dramatically improve insomnia, and a new app can help sufferers help themselves. 

Their findings will likely prove controversial, researchers write.  

The same technique is used by crime scene investigators in the FBI.  

While it’s reasonable to trust that science will eventually answer our unsolved questions, assuming that it has all of the answers right now is not.

One option was presented as the “future of how we’ll unlock our smartphones.”

A new psychology study finds that Christians and atheists behave differently to members of their own groups.

Imagine charging your phone using the power of your heart.   

Scientists discover that humans are still evolving, with natural selection weeding out certain diseases.