Smart Pills: The Truth About Cognitive-Enhancing Drugs

 Posted on February 6, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  806 words  |  Fernande Dalal

In a thorough and serious-minded commentary spanning four pages in the journal Nature, published in advance online on Sunday, six scientists from of the world's best universities along with the Nature editor himself advocate for the use of cognitive-enhancing drugs by healthy individuals. What comes to mind when reading this, however, is, what were they smoking? Their argument begins with the fact that "healthy" college students are illegally taking drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall, prescribed for attention deficit disorders, to boost their concentration. [Read More]

Sneezin' in the Rain: New Monkey Is Discovered

 Posted on February 6, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  409 words  |  Patria Henriques

Almost by definition, species unknown to science are often tough to track down. But researchers seeking out a new species of primate in northern Myanmar were assured by locals that the monkeys aren't hard to find at all. You just have to wait for it to rain. The new species, a previously unknown type of snub-nosed monkey dubbed Rhinopithecus strykeri, has a nose so upturned that the animals sneeze audibly when it rains. [Read More]

The 9 most interesting transplants

 Posted on February 6, 2023  |  9 minutes  |  1870 words  |  Trudie Dory

The 9 Most Interesting Transplants The first human organ transplant successfully completed in the modern age was a corneal transplant in 1905. Since then, doctors and surgeons have performed many types of transplants, including those of reproductive organs and limbs, forever changing the lives of their patients. Here's a look at nine of the most interesting transplants ever done. First successful womb transplantOn Aug. 9, 2011, doctors at the Akdeniz University Hospital in Turkey transplanted the womb of a deceased woman into Derya Sert, a 21-year-old woman who was born without a uterus. [Read More]

The Planet Is Dangerously Close to the Tipping Point for a 'Hothouse Earth'

 Posted on February 6, 2023  |  5 minutes  |  1009 words  |  Fernande Dalal

It's the year 2300. Extreme weather events such as building-flattening hurricanes, years-long droughts and wildfires are so common that they no longer make headlines. The last groups of humans left near the sizzling equator pack their bags and move toward the now densely populated poles. This so-called "hothouse Earth," where global temperatures will be 7 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit (4 to 5 degrees Celsius) higher than preindustrial temperatures and sea levels will be 33 to 200 feet (10 to 60 meters) higher than today, is hard to imagine — but easy to fall into, said a new perspective article published today (Aug. [Read More]

These Gut Bacteria Brew Their Own Booze, and May Harm Livers in People Who Don't Drink

 Posted on February 6, 2023  |  5 minutes  |  901 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

It's common knowledge that drinking too much alcohol can lay waste to your liver. But now, researchers have spotted a strain of gut bacteria that produces its own booze in copious amounts — high enough to potentially pose a risk of liver problems in people who don't drink at all.  Although much more research is needed to confirm the results, they suggest that these boozy bacteria may contribute to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition in which fat builds up in the liver for reasons unrelated to alcohol consumption. [Read More]

9 Totally Cool Uses for Drones

 Posted on February 5, 2023  |  5 minutes  |  1003 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Versatile dronesJust a few years ago, drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), were virtually unknown. But the remote-controlled aircraft have stealthily slipped over the horizon and are now causing a buzz from Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., to the rain forests of Sumatra. "I am convinced that the domestic use of drones to conduct surveillance and collect other information will have a broad and significant impact on the everyday lives of millions of Americans," [Read More]

Bonobos Invade 'Planet of the Apes' (Op-Ed)

 Posted on February 5, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  825 words  |  Fernande Dalal

Brian Hare is an associate professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University, and Vanessa Woods is the author of "Bonobo Handshake(opens in new tab)" (Gotham, 20011). Woods and Hare are on the board of the nonprofit Lola ya Bonobo, a sanctuary for orphan bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The authors contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.  Editor's Note: Film spoilers follow. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes " [Read More]

COVID-19 may lower sperm counts, small study finds

 Posted on February 5, 2023  |  5 minutes  |  969 words  |  Trudie Dory

Men who have recovered from COVID-19 may be at risk of developing low sperm count, at least in the short-term, a small new study suggests. The study researchers, from the University of Florence in Italy, analyzed semen samples from 43 men ages 30 to 65 about one month after they had recovered from COVID-19. They found that 25% of the men had low sperm count, and nearly 20% had azoospermia, or the total absence of sperm in semen. [Read More]

Drug References Found on Walls of Ancient Egyptian School

 Posted on February 5, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  766 words  |  Fernande Dalal

Archaeologists working in the western desert of Egypt have discovered a school dating back about 1,700 years that contains ancient Greek writings on its walls, including a text about ancient drug use that references Homer's "The Odyssey." The school — which contains benches that students could sit on to read, or stand on and write on the walls — dates back to a time when the Roman Empire controlled Egypt, and Greek was widely spoken. [Read More]

Here's How 'Flesh-Eating' Bacteria Feast on Your Flesh

 Posted on February 5, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  563 words  |  Fernande Dalal

"Flesh-eating" bacteria can cause serious infections that can result in loss of limbs and even death. Now, a new study reveals just how the bacteria thrive deep in muscle tissue and cause such severe disease. The study focused on bacteria called group A Streptococcus, the most common cause of "flesh-eating" disease. The researchers found that the bacteria's survival is aided, in large part, by special proteins called transporters, which help feed the microbes in muscle tissue. [Read More]