scientific discovery

A scientist says pen refill reviews on Amazon are more informative that what the current peer review system offers on scientific work costing millions of dollars.

Scientists Aim To Pull Peer Review Out Of The 17th Century

8:08am February 24, 2018

by Richard Harris

Some scientists want to change the old-fashioned way scientific advancements are evaluated and communicated. But they have to overcome the power structure of the traditional journal vetting process.

Some ethicists and consumer watchdog groups worry that the newly revised federal rules governing medical research don't go far enough to protect the rights and privacy of patients.

Scientists Needn't Get A Patient's Consent To Study Blood Or DNA

7:23pm January 18, 2017

by Rob Stein

In its update of ethics rules aimed at protecting patients, the Obama administration decided against a provision that scientists said would hinder research. Consumer advocates aren't happy.

Whoops! 12 Tales Of Accidental Brilliance In Science

6:00pm February 24, 2016

by Adam Cole

You nominated 300 cool stories of scientific surprise for Skunk Bear's Golden Mole Award. Our shortlist has it all: circuits painted with light, imperceptible genitalia, and a terrifying frog.

Phosphorus Starts With Pee In This Tale Of Scientific Serendipity

5:28pm February 02, 2016

by Adam Cole

German alchemist Hennig Brand started with about 1,500 gallons of urine in his 17th century hunt for gold. Discovering phosphorus was just a nice surprise. Know a modern tale of scientific luck?

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Researcher John Clements in the early 1980s, after he figured out that lungs need surfactants to breathe.

How A Scientist's Slick Discovery Helped Save Preemies' Lives

9:05pm August 03, 2015

by Joe Palca

Sometimes one person's insight transforms medicine. Dr. John Clements is one of those people. In the 1950s he discovered a slippery lung substance key to breathing, and to the survival of tiny babies.

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Pluto Discoverer's Hometown Throws Big Bash For (Non-Dwarf!) Planet

2:23pm July 16, 2015

by Jenna Dooley

Clyde Tombaugh, the man who discovered Pluto, grew up under the dark, open skies of the rural Midwest. Streator, Ill., where he once lived, has been full of celebration during NASA's flyby this week.

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