Humans

In these two two-cell mouse embryos, the surface of the embryos is outlined in orange, the DNA in the nucleus is indicated in blue and the activity of the LINE-1 gene is indicated via bright red spots.

Some DNA Dismissed As 'Junk' Is Crucial To Embryo Development

4:34pm June 21, 2018

by Richard Harris

Formerly considered useless, or maybe a parasite, the stretch of DNA known as LINE-1 actually plays "a key role" in creating an embryo and embryonic stem cells, research shows.

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Modern tools of biology could allow someone to recreate a dangerous virus, such as smallpox, from scratch.

Report For Defense Department Ranks Top Threats From 'Synthetic Biology'

4:44pm June 19, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

A committee of experts examined about a dozen different synthetic biology technologies that could be potentially misused. For each, they considered how likely it was to be usable as a weapon.

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Kelly Zimmerman holds her son Jaxton Wright at a parenting session at the Children's Health Center in Reading, Pa. The free program provides resources and social support to new parents in recovery from addiction, or who are otherwise vulnerable.

Beyond Opioids: How A Family Came Together To Stay Together

3:06pm June 19, 2018

Infants do better with their parents, studies find, as long as parents have support to get and stay sober. This program starts during pregnancy, to rally and train a strong family support network.

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Rates of "summer melt" are highest for students from lower-income backgrounds, especially if their own parents didn't go through the college application process.

Science

Summer Melt: Why Aren't Students Showing Up For College?

10:31pm June 18, 2018

As many as 40 percent of students who intend to go to college don't show up in the fall. Education researchers call this phenomenon "summer melt," and it has long been a puzzling problem.

The South Korean soccer team poses for a photo prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup match against Sweden at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on June 18, 2018 in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.

The Science Behind South Korea's Race-Based World Cup Strategy

7:06pm June 18, 2018

by Art Silverman

South Korea's men's soccer team tried to confuse scouts from Sweden's team by swapping jerseys so their opponent couldn't tell the players apart. But could a strategy like that actually work?

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Stephanie and Natalie enrolled their older son in sessions at a Brain Balance Achievement Center in the hope that it would help him make friends.

'Cutting Edge' Program For Children With Autism And ADHD Rests On Razor-Thin Evidence

4:47pm June 18, 2018

by Chris Benderev

With 113 locations in the U.S., Brain Balance says its drug-free approach has helped tens of thousands of children. But experts say there's insufficient proof of its effectiveness.

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Stay at home dads illustration - wide version for promotion.

Stay-At-Home Dads Still Struggle With Diapers, Drool, Stigma And Isolation

6:14pm June 17, 2018

by Jason Beaubien

It's hard to find other stay-at-home dads to hang out with, and working men worry you'll hit on their stay-at-home wives. Meanwhile, bosses still expect new fathers to work full-time. What's changed?

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Party's over for a federal study about the health effects of moderate alcohol consumption.

Credibility Concerns Lead NIH To End Study Of Alcohol's Health Effects

2:03pm June 15, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Scientists and National Institutes of Health officials met with alcohol company executives and appeared to solicit money from them in violation of government policy. The NIH canceled the study.

"Nostalgia is memory with the pain removed." — Jim Holliday

Science

Looking Back: Reflecting On The Past To Understand The Present

9:00pm June 14, 2018

So often we get stuck in the past, rehashing what we should have done, and what we no longer have. But researchers say our obsession with the past can tell us something important about our future.

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A serving of salmon contains about 600 IUs of vitamin D, researchers say, and a cup of fortified milk around 100. Cereals and juices are sometimes fortified, too. Check the labels, researchers say, and aim for 600 IUs daily, or 800 if you're older than 70

Does Vitamin D Really Protect Against Colorectal Cancer?

7:38pm June 14, 2018

by Patti Neighmond

The jury's been out on whether low blood levels of vitamin D increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Researchers say a new review involving more than 12,000 people strongly suggests the answer is yes.

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