Health, features and articles | Educational Science

Jan 31, 2011

Marijuana's Active Ingredient Improves Cancer Patients' Appetites

The active ingredient in marijuana, called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), increases the appetites of advanced cancer patients and improves their sense of taste, according to a new study. Seventy-three percent of cancer patients who took THC pills every day for 18 days reported an increased appreciation for food, compared with 30 percent...

Jan 31, 2011

The Bitter Side of Diet Soda: Strokes

Drinking diet soda is associated with a 50-percent increase in stroke risk, according to a study presented earlier this month at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles. Not surprisingly, reaction to the news among dieters has been disparaging and defensive, as each person cycles through the...

Dec 31, 2010

Is Suspected Wikileaks Source's Solitary Confinement Torture?

For the past five months, U.S. Army Pvt. Bradley Manning has spent 23 hours a day in solitary confinement in the brig at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va., as punishment for allegedly handing over top-secret documents to Wikileaks . Now, Bradley is being brought out of confinement for...

Dec 31, 2010

Nutrition Labels on Menus Don’t Alter Habits

Letting consumers know exactly how many calories are in their food might do little to change their eating habits, a new study suggests. The results show that, in the case of one fast-food chain in Washington, adding nutritional information to menus did not change consumer behavior after one year. The...

Dec 31, 2010

Study: Genes Influence Who Your Friends Are

You may have more in common with your friends than a shared sense of humor or a penchant for the same bar. A new study finds that friends often resemble each other at the level of their genomes – though certain genes may influence people to bond with others who...

Dec 31, 2010

Film 'Matchstick Men' Preps Smokers to Light Up

Many things can trigger a craving for cigarettes in smokers, and Nicolas Cage apparently is one of them. Watching an actor light up onscreen activates the part of the brain that plans hand movements in smokers, a new study finds, just as if the smokers were about to light a...

Dec 31, 2010

After Brain Injury: Giffords' Recovery Likely Lifelong

As plans progress to move U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) from Tucson's University Medical Center to a rehabilitation hospital in Houston, brain injury experts warn that her road to recovery is long and uncertain. Giffords, who was shot in the head on Jan. 8 in an attack that killed six,...

Nov 30, 2012

How Many Cells are in the Brain?

An enchanted loom is how Charles Sherrington described the interconnected net of cells that makes up our three-pound control center. Indeed, there is something almost magical in the notion that all our mental processes, from perception to memory to consciousness itself, can be described entirely by cellular activity in the...

Nov 30, 2012

Genetic Test Could Better Reveal Fetal Abnormalities

A new test may be better at detecting potentially harmful genetic changes in children before they are born than current methods, researchers say. The test, called a chromosomal microarray, detected more irregularities that could result in genetic diseases — such as missing or repeated sections of genetic code — than...

Nov 30, 2012

How Sperm Length Affects Fertility

Most fertility research has focused on the size of sperm and the size of the swimmers' heads, but a new study suggests the variability in the length of sperm also may put a wrench in successful reproduction. Like a factory churning out products of inconsistent sizes, ejaculates with varying sperm...

Nov 30, 2012

Family Meals Help Kids Eat More Fruit & Veggies

One or two family meals a week may help kids eat more fruits and vegetables, a new study suggests. In the U.K. study, children whose families always ate meals together consumed 4.4 ounces (1.5 portions) more fruits and vegetables a day compared with children whose families never ate together. And...

Nov 30, 2012

Alzheimer's Muddles Memory of How Things Work

Which is bigger, a key or an ant? That question might be easy for you to answer quickly, but it could be a little more confusing for a person with Alzheimer's. The most obvious trait of the mind-ruining disease is memory loss, with patients forgetting once-familiar people, places and experiences....

Nov 30, 2012

Pill Color Matters to Patients

Brand-name drugs come in distinct colors, but their generic equivalents often come in different colors, depending upon the manufacturer. And that may affect whether or not a person takes the medication, according to a pilot study. Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that patients are up to...

Oct 31, 2012

Obesity Gene May Shield Against Depression

Perhaps there is a bit of truth to the stereotype about being fat and happy — new research finds that people who have a gene linked with obesity may have a slightly lower risk of depression. People who had a version of a gene called the FTO gene were 8...

Oct 31, 2012

Thanksgiving Tips: Keep Leftovers Safe

The turkey is picked-over, the cranberries are nearly gone, and everyone's leaning back from the table loosening their belts. But as Thanksgiving dinner ends, the cook has one more food-safety task to tend to. That would be storing the leftovers. Let's face it: We all cook more than we need...