Health & Safety

Tony Lithgow, 49, and Andrea Mayer (right), 51, live together on the streets of Baltimore. They are part of a growing number of the nation's homeless who are reaching "premature old age."

Health Problems Compound For Aging Homeless

8:27pm March 13, 2013

by Pam Fessler

Tony Lithgow and Andrea Mayer live under a highway overpass in Baltimore. They're among a growing number of the nation's homeless who are reaching what's called "premature old age." They're in their late 40s and 50s, but suffer from ailments more common for those in their 70s.

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Health & Safety

Soda Wars Backlash: Mississippi Passes 'Anti-Bloomberg' Bill

5:11pm March 13, 2013

by Jeffrey Hess

A bill now on the governor's desk would bar Mississippi counties and towns from enacting rules that require calorie counts to be posted, that cap portion sizes, or that keep toys out of kids' meals.

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Samantha Grimaldo was born with a rare disorder, Perisylvian syndrome, and has never been able to speak.

New Voices For The Voiceless: Synthetic Speech Gets An Upgrade

1:23pm March 13, 2013

by Alix Spiegel

For those who rely on technology to speak, there are a limited number of voices. "Perfect Paul" sounds robotic, and "Heather" can seem too old for some. Now, a researcher is using sound samples from people who have never been able to speak to create new, personalized voices for them.

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Health & Safety

A Clinical Dilemma: Recommending Pot To Patients

4:29pm March 12, 2013

Eighteen states have legalized the medical use of marijuana. As state laws change, physicians face new decisions about whether or not to recommend pot. Doctors have varying views on its therapeutic effects, as well as the ethical and legal ramifications.

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Noah Zandan shows off his Zeo sleep-tracking headband. His other self-tracking devices are on his wrists. Noah and his father, Peter, are both part of the growing "Quantified Self" movement.

Self-Tracking Apps To Help You 'Quantify' Yourself

11:11am March 12, 2013

by Elise Hu

Technology is making it easier than ever to track everything from your sleep cycles to the food you eat — and even your amino acid levels.

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Washington Post food editor Joe Yonan has made the decision to go vegetarian.

Career Suicide Or Lifesaver? Why A Professional Foodie Went Vegetarian

5:53pm March 09, 2013

by Lydia Zuraw

Washington Post food editor Joe Yonan took a bit of a professional risk this week by publicly declaring his vegetarianism. He's not alone: Many Americans say they've cut back on meat in recent years, and like Yonan, they cite health as a primary concern.

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Genetically modified to be enriched with beta-carotene, golden rice grains (left) are a deep yellow. At right, white rice grains.

In A Grain Of Golden Rice, A World Of Controversy Over GMO Foods

10:44am March 08, 2013

by Dan Charles

A rice enriched with beta-carotene promises to boost the health of poor children around the world. But critics say golden rice is also a clever PR move for a biotech industry driven by profits, not humanitarianism.

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These drawings by Santiago Ramon y Cajal, published in 1899, show cortex neurons.

To Make Mice Smarter, Add A Few Human Brain Cells

6:13pm March 07, 2013

by Adam Cole

For more than a century, neurons have been the superstars of the brain. Now researchers say that when they placed human versions of another type of brain cell into mice brains, the mice grew up to be faster learners. This supports the hypothesis that these glial cells — and not just better-known neurons — play an important role in learning.

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A promo image depicting a bee at a coffee flower.

If Caffeine Can Boost The Memory Of Bees, Can It Help Us, Too?

6:13pm March 07, 2013

by Allison Aubrey

Feeding on flowers with caffeinated nectars gives bees a memory boost, new research shows. Turns out, other studies have found humans can get a similar boost in short-term memory with caffeine — if they're exhausted.

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Health & Safety

How To Track And Attack A Superbug

2:30pm March 07, 2013

Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, held a press conference Tuesday to announce the need to "sound an alarm" on the advance of CRE, a highly drug-resistant bacteria. CRE and other superbugs are found mostly in hospitals and long-term care facilities.

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