There are reasons to be skeptical, of both the quality of the evidence presented so far and the questionable assumptions that underlie claims of improved cognitive function after brain training.
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Science + Tech – Articles, Analysis, Opinion
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Every day about 50 tons of rocks from space fall on Earth. An examination of these meteorites has inspired a new theory about how exactly these rocks formed.
The glue that gives spider webs their stickiness is a form of spider silk protein. Researchers can imagine cool uses for a synthetic version – but had to wait for the tricky glue gene to be sequenced.
Resistance to antibiotics is not a new trait, and it is impossible to prevent. But it is possible to avoid its spread.
Ransomware has crippled governments and companies around the world, encrypting data and demanding payment for the decryption key – though that’s no guarantee of recovering the information.
Many tourists hold an outdated romanticized image of an abandoned temple emerging from the jungle. But research around Angkor Wat suggests its collapse might be better described as a transformation.
Big tech companies compete over who can gather the most intelligence on their users. Countries like Russia and China turn this information against their citizens.
Pilots are often overtired, making them prone to errors. Some countries let them sleep on the job – under strict rules. Pilots love the idea, but consumers are wary, for now.
With the opioid crisis there is no doubt that physicians need safer, nonaddictive pain killers. Now new insights on how to create these are coming from an unlikely source: the naked mole rat.
In the ongoing arms race to kill off mosquitoes that spread malaria, researchers have modified a naturally occurring fungus that kills mosquitoes with a deadly toxin to wipe out these insects faster.
Pastoralism is a central part of many Africans’ identity. But how and when did this way of life get started on the continent? Ancient DNA can reveal how herding populations spread.
News of the gene-edited babies excludes images of the children’s mother. Cutting her out of the picture underscores the idea that the mother is obsolete and babies can be created in the lab.
The 2018-2019 flu season was less deadly than the last. But the pattern of infection was unusual, thanks to the various strains circulating and the way flu shots work over time.
Just 5% of US adults say using social media is good for their mental health. A psychologist offers some tips to help the other 95%.
Traditional water quality test results tell you what was happening at the beach yesterday. More real-time answers can be a boon for public health.
Doping is condemned in sports. But what about in the military? Should soldiers be allowed or even encouraged to take drugs that make them superior fighters and more likely to complete a mission?
What do earthquakes, wealthy Italian families and your circulatory system have in common? Scientists use fractals, self-similarity and power laws to translate from local to global scales.
In many municipalities, aging water infrastructure is serving fewer people than it was built to accommodate. Out of sight has meant out of mind – but resulting changes in water quality may affect safety.
People know about Facebook’s problems, but assume they are largely immune – even while they imagine that everyone else is very susceptible to influence.
The discovery of a fungus fossil is pushing back the origin of these ancient organisms and rewriting what we know about evolution and the tree of life.
Using a large family whose members suffered from mitral valve prolapse, one of the most common heart diseases worldwide, researchers have discovered one cause of the disorder.
Yeast isn’t just important for the foods we consume. A rogue lineage of yeast species that evolves faster than any other is revealing secrets that may help illuminate the molecular causes of cancer.
Morse code works whether flashing a spotlight or blinking your eyes – or even tapping on a smartphone touchscreen.
By chance, a sociologist started an experiment the day sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein became public. As the #MeToo movement gained steam, people’s responses changed.
A new technology has enabled neuroscientists to examine the chemistry of individual brain cells. The finding reveal how genes are regulated differently in brain cells of people with autism compared to neurotypical people.