Why Running May be Good for Your Back
People who regularly run or walk briskly appear to have healthier discs in their spines then people who do not exercise, according to one of the first studies to closely examine links between movement and disc health. Read More>>
How Tattoos Might Affect Your Workout
Tattoos may permanently alter the physiology of skin in ways that affect sweating. According to a small study, the amount and saltiness of sweat change after skin has been dyed, a finding that might have implications for athletes who ink large swaths of their bodies and maybe even those of us who sport one or two discrete tattoos. Read about the theory here>>
We're One Step Closer to Curing Type 1 Diabetes With This First-Ever Stem Cell Implant
Clinical trials have begun for ViaCyte's PEC-Direct, an implant that grows insulin-producing cells from stem cells to treat type 1 diabetes patients. If successful, the implant could eliminate the need for these patients to inject themselves with insulin. Right now, insulin injections are the best way to manage T1D, but this method can be problematic in high-risk cases - patients with hypoglycemia (low glucose) unawareness, for example, may have trouble adjusting their insuli
Here's How We Can Stop Planes From Becoming Total Cesspools of Infection
Cram a bunch of people from different parts of the world into a flying tin can, recycle the air in the cabin, and you've got a pretty solid recipe for helping the spread of various infections. Air travel is an efficient way to transport both people and diseases. But now researchers have finally come up with the most optimal method for limiting infection rates. But despite these precautions, it's the prolonged close contact with other potentially diseased humans that makes air
Scientists edit human embryos to safely remove disease for the first time – here’s how they did it
Scientists in the US have released a paper showing that they have successfully edited human embryos to correct a mutation that causes an inheritable heart condition. The findings are hugely important as they demonstrate for the first time that the technology may one day be used safely to edit out many devastating diseases. But how close to curing genetic diseases does the new study actually take us? And how concerned should we be about the ethical implications of the technolo
Brain "switch" that regulates energy expenditure and fat production uncovered
The majority of research around obesity has examined the way the body alternates production of its two major fat cells – white and brown. The production of these fat cells, called adipocytes, are directed by signals from the brain, with white fat cells produced to store energy, while brown fat cells are produced to expend energy. Research has shown these adipocytes are dynamic and can change from brown to white depending on direction from the brain. The team from Monash disco
You Don't Want to Know How Germ-Ridden Your Kitchen Sponge Really Is
Given the sole purpose of kitchen sponges is to, you know, absorb stuff, we probably shouldn't be surprised by how mind-bogglingly filthy these things can get – and yet here we are. Scientists in Germany have conducted what they say is the world's first comprehensive study of contamination in used kitchen sponges, and it backs up we already feared: these soggy, porous 'cleaning products' are positively teeming with living bacteria.
Not Enough Sleep Really Does Affect Your Waistline
You can put gaining extra inches on your waistline to the list of health issues related to a lack of regular shut-eye – a list that already includes faster cell ageing, neuron damage, and reduced memory capability. That's the conclusion of new research that found adults sleeping for six hours a night had average waist measurements 3 centimetres (1.2 inches) larger than those sleeping for nine hours a night. Read more>>
The Era of Human Gene Editing Is Here—What Happens Next Is Critical
Scientists in Portland, Ore., just succeeded in creating the first genetically modified human embryo in the United States, according to Technology Review. A team led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov of Oregon Health & Science University is reported to “have broken new ground both in the number of embryos experimented upon and by demonstrating that it is possible to safely and efficiently correct defective genes that cause inherited diseases.” The era of human gene editing has begun. Re
Talking to Yourself in The Third Person Can Reduce Stress And Negative Emotions
Talking to yourself in the third person can help you keep your emotions in check, based on new research that aims to find simple and effective ways to reduce the impact of stress and other negative feelings. The study found that a few silent words about yourself in the third person used up as much mental effort as the standard first-person talking-to-yourself chat, but was more effective at keeping emotions balanced.