Mar 15, 2016 22:54 pm UTC| Health
The problem of questionable treatment and tests which may provide little or no benefit, yet may cause harm, is ubiquitous across all areas of health care. Harm doesnt just come in the form of side-effects or further...
'Poisoning heredity': If we're not careful, epigenetics may bring back eugenic thinking
Mar 15, 2016 15:24 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health
Epigenetics, the study of how environmental factors and lifestyle choices influence our genes, has flourished to become one of the most groundbreaking areas of science over the past decade. Studies have shown that, among...
Mar 15, 2016 15:20 pm UTC| Health
On cold, dark days it is tempting to imagine shutting yourself away until the warmer weather returns. Many animals do just that by entering a state known as torpor, which reduces their bodily functions to a minimum and...
'Acceptable risk' is a better way to think about radiation exposure in Fukushima
Mar 15, 2016 11:57 am UTC| Insights & Views Health
On March 11, 2011, the Fukushima Prefecture of Japan experienced multiple nuclear reactor meltdowns as a consequence of an earthquake and a subsequent tsunami. The meltdowns resulted in the release of radioactivity into...
Explainer: what is Dravet syndrome and how can it be managed?
Mar 15, 2016 04:37 am UTC| Health
A little baby suffering a seizure is an incredibly distressing event for a family. Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder in children and it takes the form of recurring seizures. But epilepsy is not a single...
Epigenetics: Can stress really change your genes?
Mar 14, 2016 23:41 pm UTC| Health
The Dutch famine of 1944 was a terrible time for many in the Netherlands with around 4.5m people affected and reliant on soup kitchens after food supplies were stopped from getting into the area by German blockades. As...
Rare single gene mutation increases risk of schizophrenia 35-fold, new study suggests
Mar 14, 2016 23:37 pm UTC| Health
Genetic factors play a major role in schizophrenia but scientists are only now beginning to identify the specific genes involved. A new study published in Nature Neuroscience shows that rare mutations in the SETD1A gene...
South Africa’s plan to move away from coal: 8 steps to make it succeed
Germany lowers voting age to 16 for the European elections
IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects