As a kid, I used to ponder the origins of my unusually square jawline while looking in the bathroom mirror. After reading this story in …
Tag: research
Stanford engineer studies bones that aid hearing
What distinguishes us from the dinosaurs? Three middle ear bones, for starters. Stanford mechanical engineer Sunil Puria, PhD, studies inner- and middle-ear biomechanics and the …
Stanford study investigates our most-recent common ancestors
Genealogy buffs know the thrill that comes with identifying ancestors further and further up the family tree. Reaching back through the sands of time to …
Mammals can "choose" the sex of their offspring, Stanford study finds
A Stanford researcher and his colleagues have produced a surprising new study which shows that mammals can effectively “choose” the sex of their offspring and …
All in the family: Uncovering the genetic history of the world's most lethal pathogens
They're tiny terrors that are best known for the millions of people they've killed. Few us of would want to meet them, or their relatives. …
Deja Vu: Adults' immune systems "remember" microscopic monsters they've never seen before
Probably no human whose age consists of two digits hasn't at one time or another experienced a case of deja vu, the uncanny sense of having …
Revealed: Epic evolutionary struggle between reproduction and immunity to infectious disease
Can't blame us if our feet hurt. We humans have been walking erect for well over 3 million years. That new style of locomotion necessitated "considerable anatomical …
Dumb, dumber and dumbest? Stanford biologist suggests humans on a downward slide
I laughed out loud when I saw the many news reports today about the latest articles by Stanford developmental biologist Gerald Crabtree, MD. Not because …
How the cheetah gets its… stripes? Stanford geneticist cracks the code
Cheetahs with stripes? Tabby cats with blotches? Researchers in the laboratory of Stanford geneticist Greg Barsh, MD, PhD, have pinpointed the cause of the unique …
Do placebos provide a mental cue to kickstart the immune system?
British scientists have uncovered some interesting insights into the body's healing process that could help explain the placebo effect. In a new study (subscription required), researchers developed …
Stress hormones moonlight as immune-system traffic cops
Birds do it. Bees do it. Even fishies in the seas do it. They freak out when put into stress-arousing situations. A hormone-induced call-to-arms called the flight-or-fight …
Blond hair evolved more than once – and why it matters
In a story online today, I describe how a team led by Stanford's Carlos Bustamante, PhD, and Sean Myles, PhD, discovered that the gene for blond …
Shrugging off bugs: there's more to beating infections than just fighting them
David Schneider, PhD, has used used two kinds of bugs (fruit flies and bacteria) to great effect, teasing out intriguing insights into the effects of sleep and caloric …
Our species' twisted family tree
In second grade I got influenza and was bedridden for a week. On the advice of Mrs. Pils, our school librarian, my mom brought home a …
Why a scientific theory isn't barroom speculation
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 …
Roots of disease may vary with ancestry, according to Stanford geneticist
In case you missed it, Stanford geneticist and MacArthur fellow Carlos Bustamante, PhD, is quoted in yesterday's New York Times regarding his work on understanding …