I quite like this post by Keith Humphreys, PhD, about the theory of evolution today on The Reality-Based Community: Conservative candidates are now routinely asked …
Month: August 2011
American Medical Association unveils app challenge finalists
Earlier this year, the American Medical Association launched the 2011 App Challenge, inviting U.S. doctors, residents and medical students to submit their ideas for the …
Using social media to study rare diseases
An earlier report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that people diagnosed with rare diseases and their caregivers often turn to the …
Old blood makes young brains act older, and vice versa
Neuroscientist Tony Wyss-Coray, PhD, and his anything-goes grad student, Saul Villeda (now a PhD) decided to ignore the traffic light called the blood-brain barrier and charge …
Hey, health workers: Washing your hands is good for your patients
When it comes to motivating health workers to keep their hands clean, the best way may may be a reminder that their patients will benefit. …
Taming of the malaria parasite? Study takes us one step closer to vaccine
Imagine you're a quick-change artist cum bank robber, evading police detection by serially switching costumes. In the middle of one of those suit-swaps, your pants …
Now in Aisle 6: Tips on healthy eating for low-income shoppers
Network for a Healthy California is a state program designed to teach low-income Californians about the importance of proper diet and adequate physical activity. In a Bay Citizen …
The dawn of a new era in microbiology
Cutting-edge techniques and cost-effective methods of rapidly sequencing entire genomes of bacteria and viruses are transforming the field of microbiology. With these tools, a new …
Facebook app models how viruses spread through human interaction
In an effort to better understand how infections spread among populations, Tel Aviv University researchers have designed a Facebook application to study the impact of …
New method may speed identification of antibiotic targets
Which DNA is essential for life? Stanford researchers have developed a streamlined new genetic analysis that answered that question for one bacterial species, Caulobacter crescentus. …
Stanford sleep expert offers evaluation of science behind one sleep device
A previous report from the National Sleep Foundation shows that the majority of adults in the United States experience problems sleeping. Americans' struggle to get …
Vintage FDA video: "Help stamp out quackery"
In this 1950s-era public service announcement from the Food and Drug Administration, actor Raymond Massey offers advice on spotting fraudulent devices that promise miracle cures …
How laughter, anger may influence heart health
Anger and the inability to manage stress can harm your heart, while laughter can be an effective stress-reliever and improve cardiovascular function, according to a …
Reconnecting severed blood vessels without sutures
As someone who struggles with threading a needle, I naturally was awed with a story Geoffrey Gurtner, MD, a microsurgeon at Stanford Hospital & Clinics, …
Image of the Week: Biosafety level 4
Earlier this week, we shared that Stanford researchers have identified Ebola's entry point into human cells. This striking image, from the Centers for Diseases Control …
Grand Roundup: Top posts for the week of Aug. 21
The five most-read posts on Scope this week were: Discussing sleep and work performance among health-care professionals: Associate professor Steven Howard, MD, is well known …