Holy horseradish! Ancient roots of pain

Holy horseradish! Ancient roots of pain

Calling all clams! The ancient roots of chemical pain receptors

Horseradish, onions and caffeine all activate a group of chemical receptors that can trigger a pain signal. Turns out the same receptors exist in fruitflies, mussels, corals and mule deer. Why has this receptor survived a half-billion years? Because it protects against toxic chemicals - even if they taste good in small doses! More »

Video surveillance: Who is watching you?

Video surveillance: Who is watching you?

London pioneered video surveillance in public, but it's catching on fast. Many major cities have systems, and more are coming. What do these cameras learn? How do they interact with other sources of data? In this culture of disclosure should we even worry about privacy? More »

Poverty: Changing the body, changing the brain

Poverty: Changing the body, changing the brain

Being poor can have long-term biological impact!

Neglect, stress and abuse are all more common among the poor. New studies show that these factors can cause long-term changes in learning, brains and behavior, and suggest how to prevent damage in the vulnerable years. Could treating depressed mothers promote healthy interactions with their kids? More »

How a fly detects a poison

How a fly detects a poison

New sensory route found!

Animals spend a lot of energy avoiding toxic chemicals in their food. A new type of gene that does this in fruit flies reinforces the importance of reproduction in shaping evolution. More »

In The News

Alabama bioscientist busted in triple murder.

Mass killings explained? The Why Files asks why mass killers pull the trigger. What are the warning signs of "rampage" shootings? Can they be prevented? More »

Senate report links heart problems to diabetes drug

Drug Safety: Did FDA Bungle Again?Hundreds of heart attacks are blamed on Avandia, a type 2 diabetes drug. Remember Vioxx, a pain-killer that was also a heart-killer? Does the FDA work too fast, or too slow? More »

Quakes: Massive toll in Haiti; less in Chile

Earthquake safety: It begins at homeConstruction matters. Hundreds of millions live and work in houses and schools that will collapse in the next earthquake. Chile and California prove that smart engineering saves lives. More »

Giant 8.8 quake in Chile!

Understanding Earthquakes!Quake was one of top 10 on record. What are earthquakes? How do we study them? Are we any closer to accurate predictions? More »

Warming debate

Fertilizing the oceanAs Earth warms, should we try huge geoengineering projects to cool the climate? Would adding iron to fertilize ocean plants withdraw enough carbon dioxide to slow warming -- or backfire? More »


Cool Science Images

Image courtesy of Pete Mouginis-Mark, Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii at Manoa

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