Wednesday, 8 February, 2012

People with a genetic case of dwarfism in Ecuador don’t get cancer or diabetes, and a new study links that benefit to the genetic changes we see when calories are severely restricted. Could blocking growth hormone in adulthood lead to serious health benefits?

Jack Kevorkian forced us to confront the fears and hopes of terminal illness. What’s happened with “right to die” laws in Oregon and the Netherlands? Can “dignity therapy” ease the pain of dying?

People pray for the health of friends and family. Can science prove these prayers work? Should it try? Random, double-blind studies tread the natural-supernatural schism.

Don’t leave any goodies behind at the crime scene. Collect the bugs. Collect the maggots, and don’t forget to collect the ransom note. Forensic science — it’s better than you think!

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.

The bad news: New science suggests nicotine, not just tar, is the smoking gun in cigarette-related disease. The good news: There are plenty of ways to quit.

Could a drastic restriction on calories extend your lifespan? Hint: It works for fish, flies and monkeys…

As AIDS spreads, we look at some nasty predictions. What can old epidemics tell us about the future of AIDS? How will AIDS affect the African economy?

Massive killing of deer to fight epidemic of chronic wasting disease in Wisconsin. Should we let this thing run its course, or try to depopulate the deer herd?

Biological weapons are microscopic killing machines containing viruses, fungi or bacteria — or the toxins made by these organisms. Read the history — and future — of living WMDs.