Latest Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical and Healthcare News from Discover Magazine

Reminders of Home Make Us Forget Our Second Language

When living in a foreign country, immigrants often find comfort in seeing things and people from home. But new research suggests that such familiar surroundings can also decrease one's ability to speak the language of that foreign country. Putting La...

How the Supreme Court Gene Patent Decision Will Affect Biotech

Naturally occurring human genes cannot be patented, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously today, paving the way for cheaper gene testing for patients. The decision centered on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, mutated versions of which can dramatically incre...

Faroe Islands Aim to Sequence Genes of Entire Country

The country is offering whole genome sequencing on every citizen who wants it — a project that will chart the way for the future of genomic medicine.

Your Brain Knows the Difference Between Phony Smiles and Real Ones

Smiling comes in two distinct forms: genuine and polite. The genuine kind are those that result from a friend showing you a hilarious new grumpy cat meme. These smiles are spontaneous and indicative of pleasure. Polite smiles, on the other hand, are...

Soda or Pop? Maps Show Americans' Colorful Dialect Differences

Graphene and Nanotubes Will Replace Silicon in Tomorrow's Nano-Machines

Physicist and novelist Paul McEuen says one day nanobots will carry medicine through your bloodstream and rebuild your brain's circuitry.

Remote-Controlled Helicopter is Steered by User's Brain [Video]

Mind-control has slowly but surely made its way from the realm of sci-fi to the real world. Now researchers have taken it a step further, building a flying machine that is controlled by the operator's thoughts. The technology may one day lead to...

Cancer Has Afflicted People Since Prehistoric Times

The idea that cancer is a modern disease is a common misconception — one that the fossil record reveals to be untrue.

Why is This Young Woman Tired All the Time?

Doctors suspect hypersomnia, but the answer lies deeper in this sleep addict's brain.

Having Sex Physically Changes Voles' Brains

Is it a coincidence that the word vole is an anagram of love? Probably so, but since prairie voles mate for life, they have since been designated as the unofficial species used to study monogamy in lab animals. And a new study finds that their rare...

Even Our Ancestors Never Really Ate the "Paleo Diet"

By Carrie Arnold Despite its name, the Paleo Diet is a new food trend, one which has become increasingly popular in recent years. The diet’s basic tenet is that our bodies haven’t yet evolved to cope with the changes to our food intake as a resu...

New Health Metrics Measure Life, Not Death

Life, Not Death, is Focus of New Health Metrics

This maverick researcher wants to replace conventional death statistics with data on how well we live.

Genes Contribute to How Long You Stay in School

By Quinn F. There are a variety of factors that determine the number of years a person goes to school – personality, finances, life circumstances, country of origin and social norms. One factor that may be less obvious, however, is genetics. Arou...

20 Things You Didn't Know About... Beer

Sate your thirst for knowledge with these facts about beer's ancient origins, health benefits and surprising chemistry.

Electrode Implants Help Paralyzed Patient Back Onto His Feet

Electrical stimulation offers hope for adults with spinal cord injuries to learn to walk again.

The Quest to Build a Silicon Brain

An engineer's revolutionary new chip, inspired by how our own brains work, could turn computing on its head.

Where Do Thoughts Occur?

Sure, your brain is a wonder. But some cognitive scientists argue that without the help of your body, your brain would be nowhere.

Meet the World's Most Advanced Brain Scanner

The super-MRI used in the Human Connectome Project is the ultimate brain hacking machine.

Markets Make Us Less Moral

Most of us would agree that harming others on purpose and for no reason is immoral. Social scientists have long assumed that marketplaces are to blame for many a compromised moral. There's no shortage of historical examples: take the slave trade, or...

Medical Research Needs a Collaborative Funding Model

The current system of competitive grants isn't the best way to finance medical research.

Why You Crave Sugary Foods Even if They Taste Like Crap

When, in a moment of weakness, you reach for that chocolate donut or bag of jelly beans, to all appearances your tastebuds are running the show. You imagine the snack's sweet taste; you might even salivate a little. If, on the other hand, these food...

Heroin Vaccine Treats Drug Addiction in Rats

Relapse can be a particularly sinister aspect of drug addiction. Now scientists are getting closer to a vaccine that can bind heroin in the bloodstream and therefore prevent it from acting on the brain. A heroin vaccine has been sought after for som...

Lying to Yourself Helps You Lie to Others

The science of self-deceit is more than a matter of evolutionary curiosity. Sometimes, it's a question with life or death consequences.

Antibiotic Protects Men from Being Too Trusting of Attractive Women

The ruse is common in James Bond movies---an attractive female saunters in at a critical moment and seduces the otherwise infallible protagonist, duping him into giving up the goods. It works in Hollywood and it works in real life, too. Men tend to...