Author: Malcolm Ritter
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Zika vaccines work in monkeys, boosting hopes for people
NEW YORK — Three experimental Zika vaccines protected monkeys against infection from the virus, an encouraging sign as research moves into studies in people. The success in monkeys, which involved a traditional vaccine and two more cutting-edge ones, “brings us one step closer to a safe and effective Zika vaccine,” said Dr. Dan Barouch of…
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Fossil find sheds light on how evolution produced T. rex
NEW YORK – How did evolution produce a monstrous killer like T. rex? A fossil find in Central Asia is giving scientists a glimpse of the process. T. rex and other tyrannosaurs were huge, dominant predators, but they evolved from much smaller ancestors. The new discovery from Uzbekistan indicates that this supersizing happened quickly, and only after…
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Study finds signs of brain changes in marijuana smokers
NEW YORK — A small study of casual marijuana smokers has turned up evidence of changes in the brain, a possible sign of trouble ahead, researchers say. The young adults who volunteered for the study were not dependent on pot, nor did they show any marijuana-related problems. “What we think we are seeing here is…
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Low risk of heart incidents found for marathoners
It’s dramatic news when a marathon runner collapses with no pulse. Now a big study finds such calamities are rare and usually due to a pre-existing heart problem.The study also found such incidents are increasing as more runners try to go the distance.“You hear about this more and more,” said Dr. Aaron Baggish, senior author…
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City life got you down? Stress study may show why
NEW YORK — This may come as no surprise to residents of New York City and other big urban centers: living there can be bad for your mental health.Now researchers have found a possible reason why. Imaging scans show that in city dwellers or people who grew up in urban areas, certain areas of the…
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AP analysis: Climate e-mails show disdain for skeptics but not fabrication of data
LONDON — E-mails stolen from climate scientists show they stonewalled skeptics and discussed hiding data — but the messages don’t support claims that the science of global warming was faked, according to an exhaustive review by The Associated Press.The 1,073 e-mails examined by the AP show that scientists harbored private doubts, however slight and fleeting,…
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VIDEO: Boogie birdie: Animals shown to ‘dance’ to music
NEW YORK – It turns out that some birds got rhythm. After studying a cockatoo that grooves to the Backstreet Boys and about 1,000 YouTube videos, scientists say they’ve documented for the first time that some animals “dance” to a musical beat. The results support a theory for why the human brain is wired for…
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Scientists ask: Is technology rewiring our brains?
NEW YORK – What does a teenage brain on Google look like? Do all those hours spent online rewire the circuitry? Could these kids even relate better to emoticons than to real people?These sound like concerns from worried parents. But they’re coming from brain scientists.While violent video games have gotten a lot of public attention,…