Research News

The captain and crew of the Moriah Lee pose with sablefish caught off the coast of Half Moon Bay, Calif. A new study found that fishermen in the West Coast sablefishery were much less likely to engage in risky behavior — like sailing out in stormy weath

Study: Program To Protect Fish Is Saving Fishermen's Lives, Too

5:58pm February 16, 2016

by Clare Leschin-Hoar

Catch share programs — where fishermen are allotted a set quota of the catch --reduce the notoriously risky behavior fishermen are known for, like sailing in stormy weather, a new study finds.

Rice University's FlatCam is thinner than a dime.

Science

Bulky Cameras, Meet The Lens-less FlatCam

5:03pm February 15, 2016

by Joe Palca

How thin can a camera be? Rice University researchers created a "FlatCam" without lenses — one that can even be potentially made into wallpaper. Its roots trace to early pinhole cameras.

A Cluttered Kitchen Can Nudge Us To Overeat, Study Finds

6:28am February 15, 2016

by Allison Aubrey

Earlier research found that people in a messy work area were less likely to choose healthy snacks. Now a study hints that a cluttered kitchen might make those who feel out of control eat more sweets.

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Science

Don't Be A Stupid Cupid! Hear How Not To Buy A Selfish Valentine's Day Gift

6:39pm February 12, 2016

by Shankar Vedantam

Social scientists have been studying Valentine's Day gifts, and research shows: The more you love someone, the more likely you might be to give selfish gifts.

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A reconstruction of a Neanderthal man (right) based on skull found at the La Ferrassie rock shelter in Dordogne Valley, France. He's face to face with a male Homo sapien.

Science Seeks Clues To Human Health In Neanderthal DNA

11:20pm February 11, 2016

by Christopher Joyce

Some of the genetic variations in human DNA that have been linked to quick clotting or depression or diabetes lie within or near the genetic stretches we picked up from Neanderthals, a study finds.

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Science

Physicist Reacts To Discovery Of Gravitational Waves

4:29pm February 11, 2016

For Cal Tech scientist Yanbei Chen, the announcement of the discovery of gravitational waves wasn't a surprise. He first heard the news in September, but had to keep it secret for months.

More Americans across all ages are opting not to drive.

Like Millennials, More Older Americans Steering Away From Driving

2:45pm February 11, 2016

by David Schaper

Americans of all ages are tossing away the keys and giving up their driver's licenses, a new study shows. Cars are being replaced by bikes, public transit and ride-hailing services.

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Green when young, and about the size of an adult human's hand when full-grown, Dryococelus australis is more commonly known as the Lord Howe Island stick insect, or the tree lobster.

Love Giant Insects? Meet The Tree Lobster, Back From The Brink

2:33pm February 11, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The 8-inch insect nearly went extinct when hungry rats overran its island. But Melbourne scientists found a few in 2001 and started a thriving colony. Now the San Diego Zoo is hatching them, too.

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A Fix For Gender-Bias In Animal Research Could Help Humans

4:40pm February 10, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Women report more bad side effects from medicines than men do. Researchers say the discrepancy may stem in part from how biomedical research is conducted at its earliest stages in animals.

Scott Weaver, of the University of Texas Medical Branch, was one of only a few scientists studying Zika before the latest outbreak in Latin America.

Virus Profilers Race To Figure Out What Makes Zika Tick

3:14pm February 10, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Though Zika was discovered in 1947, few scientists since had studied the virus. Now, while some check its genes, others turn to placental cells for clues to any link between Zika and birth defects.

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