What is chronic pain and why is it hard to treat?

Jun 03, 2016 04:49 am UTC| Health

A recent study by the National Institutes of Health found that more than one in three people in the United States have experienced pain of some sort in the previous three months. Of these, approximately 50 million suffer...

If we know so much about disease, where are all the cures?

Jun 02, 2016 09:48 am UTC| Insights & Views Health Science

We know so much about the genes that cause disease, so why are we not approaching an age of Star-Trek-like medicine in which a doctor can wave a handheld device over a patient, claim to have sequenced the genes of the...

The strongest bones on the planet hold important clues

Jun 02, 2016 08:16 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

Unbreakable, M. Night Shyamalans 2000 film, dwells on the theme of human fragility and the search for a human being impervious to injuries that would kill the rest of us. It turns out that this quest is not quite so...

Ageing in harmony: why the third act of life should be musical

Jun 01, 2016 08:20 am UTC| Insights & Views Life Health

Its never too late to pick up a musical instrument. In fact there are many reasons why its a great idea, particularly in old age. We normally hear about reasons to increase music education for children, and for good...

Treating heroin dependence with heroin

Jun 01, 2016 08:17 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

Heroin, or diacetylmorphine, is made from opium poppies by first extracting morphine and then adding two molecules (acetyl) to each morphine molecule. Heroin was used medically in Australia for pain relief and other...

Learning the language of cells will help scientists beat cancer

May 31, 2016 13:41 pm UTC| Science Health

Chemotherapy is a blunt weapon. It kills cancer cells and healthy ones, too. For this reason, scientists are looking to develop more targeted treatments treatments that dont create a lot of collateral damage. One strategy...

Is it normal not to want sex?

May 30, 2016 04:24 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

Many people arent interested in having sex or dont feel sexual attraction to other people, loosely termed as asexuality. Few of these say will say, Im asexual in the same way that someone else might say, Im gay. More...