Research News

Researchers injected dye into this human neuron to reveal its shape.

Scientists And Surgeons Team Up To Create Virtual Human Brain Cells

4:37pm October 25, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

By rushing live brain cells from the operating room to the lab, scientists have been able to create three-dimensional reconstructions of cells that reveal their electrical behavior and shape.

A scans of the astrolabe reveal not only the emblems on its face (left) but also the degree markings (right) that would have aided sailors in navigation.

Left By Explorer's Armada, Shipwreck Yields 'Earliest Known' Marine Astrolabe

7:28pm October 24, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

Sunk off Oman, the ship once sailed in the fleet of Vasco da Gama, who found a sea route from Europe to India. Now, researchers say an artifact found on board is a 500-year-old navigation tool.

Hops internodes growing in a Petri dish in the SUNY Cobleskill biotech lab.

Can Science Change The Mildewed Fortunes Of New York Heritage Hops?

10:59am October 24, 2017

by Lela Nargi

Hops helped make vast fortunes for 19th century farmers and brewers in New York state before a mildew blight ushered in their demise. Now, undergrads hope to develop mildew-resistant heritage hops.

Screening for Type 2 diabetes involves a blood test, and if results are concerning a second test is recommended.

Screening For Diabetes Is Working Better Than Thought

5:02pm October 23, 2017

by Katherine Hobson

The CDC says 7 million people have Type 2 diabetes and don't know it. But a new analysis says that number's much lower. Screening efforts should focus on people at highest risk, the researchers say.

Scientists have used a new gene-editing technique to create pigs that can keep their bodies warmer, burning more fat to produce leaner meat. Infrared pictures of 6-month-old pigs taken at zero, two, and four hours after cold exposure show that the pigs' t

CRISPR Bacon: Chinese Scientists Create Genetically Modified Low-Fat Pigs

3:56pm October 23, 2017

by Rob Stein

Scientists have used CRISPR, a new gene-editing technique, to create pigs that can keep their bodies warmer, burning more fat to produce leaner meat.

Lindsay Cristides, a master's student in oceanography at Texas A&M University, anchors a research vessel in the Houston Ship Channel before taking samples of sediment left behind by Hurricane Harvey floods. The samples will be tested for contaminants incl

Digging In The Mud To See What Toxic Substances Were Spread By Hurricane Harvey

2:56pm October 23, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Hurricane Harvey dumped 50 inches of rain on parts of Houston. Scientists are now trying to identify contaminants spread by the storm, including those in mud at the bottom of the Houston Ship Channel.

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Want to get smarter? Brain training games don't seem to help with that.

In Memory Training Smackdown, One Method Dominates

10:06am October 23, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

A comparison of two memory training methods often used by scientists found that one was twice as good as the other. But neither succeeded in turning people into cognitive superstars.

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Gitanjali Rao, 11, says she was appalled by the drinking water crisis in Flint, Mich. — so she designed a device to test for lead faster. She was named "America's Top Young Scientist" on Tuesday at the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minn.

Troubled By Flint Water Crisis, 11-Year-Old Girl Invents Lead-Detecting Device

5:50pm October 20, 2017

by Laurel Wamsley

The Colorado seventh-grader was unimpressed by the options her parents had to test water in their home. So she created a sensor-based device using chemically treated carbon nanotubes to do it faster.

D.C. Master Patrol Officer Benjamin Fettering shows a body camera worn in place of a normal radio microphone before a news conference in 2014.

Body Cam Study Shows No Effect On Police Use Of Force Or Citizen Complaints

4:49pm October 20, 2017

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

That's the conclusion of a study performed as Washington, D.C., rolled out its huge program. The city has one of the largest forces in the country, with some 2,600 officers now wearing cameras.

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The old advice seems to hold true: Drinking lots of water helps prevent urinary tract infections.

To Reduce Risk Of Recurring Bladder Infection, Try Drinking More Water

1:20pm October 20, 2017

by Greta Jochem

While it may seem simple, drinking water flushes bacteria out of the urethra, helping to prevent infection in women prone to them. And it also may help reduce the use of antibiotics.