Korean scientist pulled off the biggest scientific fraud in memory. How did he do it? How is science supposed to prevent fraud? Why did it matter, and who loses out?

Brains are slathered in receptors for chemicals found in opium and marijuana. Drug-like chemicals made in your brain affect mood and vision, reproduction and addiction.

Fruitfly muscles are triggered when they are lengthened by the opposing muscle, explaining why they can beat their wings 200 times a second.

Where did tattooing and piercing originate, and what do they signify? What are the medical risks?

Developmental biology meets dentistry as scientists grow human teeth in test tubes. All the latest on test-tube teeth. Sounds better than the iron teeth that the Romans used…

This Why File surveys the latest in forensic anthropology, with a visit to the Forensic Anthropology Center at the University of Tennessee, AKA The Body Farm.

Embryonic stem cells are the source of every cell in your body. Does researching them violate human sanctity, or is it medicine’s brightest frontier? Should we rely on adult stem cells instead? In this debate, knowledge is power.

Alpine Iceman’s home range is detailed through isotopic analysis. How did he make a living 5k years ago?

The nerve cell receptors that respond to heat and chili peppers also line the nerves of the heart.

Cannibalism reconsidered. Is devouring the relatives a humane way to respond to emotions about death? Do cannibals still roam the Guyana highlands?