Surprising Science

New technology could help doctors communicate better to patients what the alternatives or the risks and benefits are of the test or treatment the patient is about to undergo.

Gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease has moved a step closer to acceptance in the wake of its first successful double-blind clinical trial. A special enzyme removes symptoms of the disease.

By organizing data related to patients’ behavior and to drug development, digital technology could eliminate that waste and preserve the public’s health more drastically than any wonder drug.

Medical science has developed a greater awareness of the link between hormonal changes and cancer. Could this information explain not just why we get the disease, but when?

Cold temperatures in the upper atmosphere and the lingering presence of ozone-destroying pollutants have set the stage for what could be a record loss in protective ozone over the Arctic.

Enhancing our understanding of complex space weather, N.A.S.A. scientists have gleaned new insights into the origins of fast-moving electrons during substorms in the Earth’s magnetosphere.

Getting an energy audit of a home or a commercial building has been streamlined by a team of scientists who have developed an infrared scanning system to cover large swaths of land.

N.A.S.A. space scientists have hit on a new way to manage the growing cloud of space junk surrounding the Earth: Use mid-powered lasers to nudge space junk off collision courses.

A theory that disputed the existence of dark matter—that mysterious energy causing the universe to expand at an increasing rate—has been disproved by evidence from the Hubble telescope.

Quantum computing already exists, but on a truly miniscule scale. We’ll have molecular computers built out of graphene before true quantum ones, says the physicist.

The main characteristic of the recent massive protest in Portugal was that it was organised for the country’s youth by the country’s youth…using social networks.

Instead of just another social media angle, Read Write Web has some tips on how to tap into on-the-ground news on what is happening in Japan.

What should be a right in the digital age? On March 21st, the occasion of the human rights celebration in South Africa, a blogathon will address this question.

The new cancer stem cell theory has forced scientists to reevaluate the efficacy of our own weapons as we wage war against the disease.

A new study of a common etiquette—holding a door for someone—suggests that courtesy may have a more practical, though unconscious, shared motivation: to reduce the work for those involved.

Like schools of fish that respond to predators, we need to rely on our unconscious impulses because, by and large, it makes us smarter and quicker, says psychoanalyst Ken Eisold.

More than any other Eastern thinker in the 20th century, Suzuki catalyzed the rise of humanistic psychology, which has spurred today’s interest in spirituality and well-being.

States desperate to cut costs during the recession have slashed non-Medicaid spending for mental health care by more than $1.8 billion since 2009, diminishing necessary services for the mentally ill.

Our culture once depended on the memorization and recitation of long-form narratives like stories and poems. What does it mean that we are losing our capacity to recall our own culture?

Is studying the brain a good way to understand the mind? V.S. Ramachandran, director of the Center for Brain and Cognition at the University of California, San Diego, thinks the answer is definitely yes.

Disaster survivors in Japan must not only deal with physical trauma from earthquakes and tsunamis, but with psychological distress that can strike immediately, soon after or long after the event.

It’s natural to watch a child closely to see where he or she might excel. But surveillance that drills down to the subatomic level via personal D.N.A. testing is ridiculous.

Scientists would like to know the root causes of evil behavior: Is it a product of our genes or environment? The answer appears to involve a combination of the two.

A scheme to lose weight effortlessly begins by injecting pregnancy hormones into the body which, in theory, allay the hunger pains of a starvation diet that follows.

The annual leap forward this Sunday provides an opportunity for researchers to see what the time shift—and the sleep loss that may accompany it—may do to our health.

A new theory of tumor cells posits that they are relics of our distant evolutionary past. For this reason, say some scientists, cancer will ultimately succumb to modern therapies.

A small segment of the population has a genetic mutation that allows them to live well with very little sleep—as little as four hours a night. The gene in question is known as hDEC2.

The South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas is hosting its first ever health conference. Experts will converge to discuss how social media is transforming the health care industry.

The Transportation Security Administration will start publishing radiation test results from airport passenger and luggage screening equipment to allay fears about health risks.

For people with spinal injuries or other conditions that impair use of the arms or vocal cords—or for the curious who just think it’s cool—a new technology types your thoughts for you.