New study argues that, regardless of their speed, elephants don’t actually run [Read more]
Continue reading about Is That Elephant Running? Don’t Bet on It
Humans, other great apes and bears are among the few animals that step first on the heel when walking, and then roll onto the ball of the foot and toes. Now, a new study shows the advantage: Compared with heel-first walking, it takes 53 percent more energy to walk on the balls of your feet, [...]
Continue reading about Human gait adapted for efficient walking at the cost of efficient running
A forensic pathologist has sounded a worldwide warning of the potential lethal dangers of herbal medicines if taken in large quantities, injected, or combined with prescription drugs.
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Olympic skeleton athletes will hit the ice next month in Vancouver, where one-hundredths of a second can dictate the difference between victory and defeat. Using state-of-the-art flow measurements, engineers are employing science and technology to help the US skeleton team trim track times and gain an edge over other sliders.
Continue reading about Science used to decode the secrets of Olympic skeleton sliding
Finding a biological mechanism much like an online social network, scientists have identified the bacterial protein VpsT as the master regulator in Vibrio, the cause of cholera and other enteric diseases. This discovery provides a major tool to combat enteric disease.
Scientists are urging dramatically changed ideas about sustainable agriculture to prevent a major starvation catastrophe by the end of this century among more than 3 billion people who live in the tropics.
Continue reading about Dramatic changes in agriculture needed as world warms and grows
Artwork inspired by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope is making an appearance at this year’s Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. No, it’s not battling other telescopes for the “gold,” but its observations are now on display as part of the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad Festival.
Humans may not have a leg up on toads, at least not when it comes to jumping and landing, according to new research. Researchers shows that toads, like humans, are capable of anticipating when and how hard they’re going to land after a jump and activating muscles important in absorbing impact accordingly.
Continue reading about Toads anticipate the timing and impact of their landings
Researchers have described the structure of a protein called ToxT that controls the virulent nature of Vibrio cholerae, the bacteria that causes cholera. Buried within ToxT, the researchers were surprised to find a fatty acid that appears to inhibit ToxT, which prevents the bacteria from causing cholera.
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Scientists have embarked on a major new project to unravel the secret lives of cancer cells that go dormant and self-cannibalize to survive periods of stress. The work may help produce new cancer therapies to stem changes that render cancer cells dangerous and resistant to treatment.
Continue reading about Self-cannibalizing cancer cells targeted