Food and Drink
A blocker for bitter tastes, calcium helps burn fat, and cranberry juice raises good cholesterol.
Blood Stem Cells
Human blood contains stem cells that can be frozen or multiplied for medical uses.
Yeast Wires
Prions from yeast form tough fibers that can be used to make microchips and nanotechnology.
Night Light
Bright nighttime lights can interfere with melatonin production, increasing the risk of cancer.
Supertasters’ Health
People with more taste buds, known as supertasters, might have a higher risk of cancer.
Bug Drug Roundup
Tapeworm chemistry; anti-Ebola and HIV protein from algae; insect antibiotic
Rolling Eyes
Why do our eyes roll back when we sleep? (They don't, really; they move all around.)
Sleep Roundup
Sleep deprivation hurts cognitive ability, even if you don't feel sleepy.
Blood Types
Why do people have different blood types? (Different molecules on the surface of red cells)
Big Heads
Does a bigger head mean a bigger brain? (Generally, but it doesn't mean you're smarter.)
Eavesdropping Plants
Wild tobacco plants pick up hormones produced by sagebrush and develop defenses against herbivore attack.
Disappearing Bananas
Two fungal diseases threaten the health of banana crops worldwide.
Lyme Disease Risk
Lyme disease is spread to ticks by white-footed mice, which thrive in deforested areas
Weight Loss Roundup
Just a little daily exercise can prevent weight gain, eating more protein helps dieters, and obesity should not be seen as a personal failing.
Work or Warmth
Genes influence whether mitochondria burn calories for work or for warmth.
Pain Sensitivity
Women are more sensitive to pain than men -- probably because a protein called GIRK-2 doesn't function as well in women
Songbird Brains
Mathematical equations describing neurons in bird brains that control birdsong
Mighty Rice
Genetically engineering rice to produce a sugar called trehalose makes the rice hardier.
Healthy Living Roundup
Big portions make us eat more, inactivity is worse than overweight, and exercising to music boosts lung fitness.
Exercise Gene
Deletion of a gene causes mice to stop exercising, and they grow obese as a result.