What are the effects of total isolation? An expert explains
Jan 07, 2019 13:22 pm UTC| Health
Imagine being confined to a small, dark room, with no social interaction whatsoever for 30 days. Not many people would jump at this opportunity. But, in November 2018, a professional US poker player Rich Alati bet...
Solving phantom limb pain – science is getting closer
Jan 07, 2019 12:33 pm UTC| Health
After amputation of an arm, most amputees report vivid and continuous sensations of their missing limb. Some can even move their missing hand as if it were still there. For many amputees, though, these sensations are...
Five life lessons from your immune system
Jan 07, 2019 12:21 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health
This article is part of our occasional long read series Zoom Out, where authors explore key ideas in science and technology in the broader context of society and humanity. Scientists love analogies. We use them...
Keeping fit: how to do the right exercise for your age
Jan 04, 2019 16:05 pm UTC| Health
The effect of exercise on health is profound. It can protect you from a range of conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. But the type and amount of exercise you should do changes as you age....
Health insurers want you to try cheaper drugs first, but that can hurt you
Jan 04, 2019 16:05 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health
Few people are familiar with the term step therapy, but most Americans have health insurance policies that adopt it. Step therapy programs, also known as fail first policies, require patients to try less expensive...

Emotion-reading tech fails the racial bias test
Jan 04, 2019 16:04 pm UTC| Technology Health
Facial recognition technology has progressed to point where it now interprets emotions in facial expressions. This type of analysis is increasingly used in daily life. For example, companies can use facial recognition...
Gym membership: how to get the most out of it, according to a sports scientist
Jan 04, 2019 16:02 pm UTC| Health
CrossFit, circuit training, group exercise, functional training, resistance training, cardio training. Feeling dizzy yet? Never before have there been so many structured activities at the gym vying for your...