Science

A Goofy Circus Video Game Is Helping Stroke Victims Recover

It’s no fun recovering from a stroke and relearning to do simple things that were once totally natural. That’s being offset by new video games that refine patients motor skills by having them play games that, for once, actually look fun.


May 18, 2012
Science

Good Cholesterol Isn’t As Good As We Thought

Over the past few decades, scientists have suggested that high levels of HDL — which has come to be known as “good cholesterol” — can reduce the risk of heart attack. New evidence, however, suggests that might not be the case after all.


Science

Coffee Drinkers Live Longer

Millions of us start the morning with a coffee and think nothing of it. But new medical research suggests that it could be helping you live longer — if you drink enough of it.


Science

Internet Use Linked To Depression, Says Study

A study forthcoming in IEEE Technology and Society Magazine offers new insight on how certain behavioural patterns can be indicative of depression, with particular attention given to the ways we use the internet.


May 17, 2012
Science

Brain Tapeworms Are Real, And They’re Disgusting

You might think of tapeworms as awful parasites that find their way into your intestine, grow 15m long and cause horrible gastrointestinal issues. But that’s only one step of a larger infectious chain the tapeworm is a part of. The alien life-form doesn’t only cause crippling stomach pain; it could also debilitate mental capacities if they find their way to the brain.


Software

Super Diet Genius: A Personal Weight-Loss Coach On Your iPhone

Winter is on its way, which means you’re at risk of getting fat. Keeping yourself in shape is much easier with help, and Super Diet Genius can be your digital personal trainer.


May 15, 2012
Science

The Cheapest Ways To Save The World

Ask a bunch of the world’s best economists — including four Nobel laureates — how to make the world a better place, and they don’t just blurt out an answer. They take their time, weigh up impact-per-dollar and make careful decisions. And this is what they came up with.


Science

Solar Power Eye Implant Restores Sight

Electronic implants that restore sight to the blind aren’t anything new, but one of their major stumbling blocks has been the need for an external power source. Now, that’s about to change, because a team of researchers has built a digital implant out of infrared-slurping photovoltaic pixels — so it can power itself.


May 14, 2012
Science

That Fat Breakfast Will Hit Your Hips In Three Hours

Fancy a big breakfast? Think again: Scientists have shown that the fat content will go straight to your hips in no time at all.


May 10, 2012
Science

Could An Ingredient In Spicy Foods Make Your Beer Belly Disappear?

There’s evidence that adding more spiciness in your diet can help curb your appetite. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston are taking that idea to a whole different level — one that requires anaesthesia. They’ve found that surgically manipulating the vagus nerve by applying capsaicin, the active component inside a chilli pepper responsible for its burning sensation, can help with weight loss.