Vapes (e-cigarettes) are small devices that let the user inhale a vapour instead of the smoke from burning tobacco. New rules on selling vapes have now come into force in the United Kingdom, and vending machines that sell them are now illegal. The UK Department of Health and Social Care says the new rules are […]
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Many animals rely on their tails to stay balanced as they move and jump. Humans have no tail, so when we carry heavy loads we can struggle to keep our balance and may suddenly fall. A study shows that a wearable robotic tail can give the body its balance back. Japanese researchers at Keio University's […]
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Most people poisoned by snakebites live in poor, remote countryside without even basic clinics. For decades the official figures did not reflect reality, because more than half of the countries at risk do not record these cases. A new study reveals alarming numbers, far higher than international health records suggest. The study was led by […]
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Every day, scientific journals treat us to another discovery powered by artificial intelligence. Some of these discoveries make sense, but most seem unrealistic. This study, for example, puts the words artificial intelligence, diabetes and mobile phone side by side. It looks like a salad tossed together for the internet's algorithms. Researchers at Klick Labs carried […]
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Scientists keep warning about how much we pollute the environment. Besides chemicals and heavy metals, they warn about plastic, which does not break down or decompose. Plastic may seem to fall apart and disappear after a while, but in fact it turns into tiny microscopic particles that enter our bodies in worrying amounts through drinking […]
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Many women follow a strict diet and exercise every day, yet after weeks of hard work they have not lost any weight. That is a sign that something is wrong. Here are some of the reasons that may be stopping you from losing those kilos. Compensating too much After hours of effort at the gym, […]
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Spring eye allergy (vernal keratoconjunctivitis and seasonal allergic conjunctivitis) is a common seasonal eye disease that needs treatment and prevention. We spoke to Professor Talal Habboush, an eye specialist and surgeon and dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Al-Baath University in Syria. Eye allergy, or allergic conjunctivitis, affects the eyes at the start of […]
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Scientists at ETH Zurich in Switzerland have stored computer data on DNA molecules so stably that it could last practically for ever. Two years ago, scientists were already able to write information into a DNA molecule and read it back, and writing (making the DNA) and reading took very little time. But that fast method […]
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A light-emitting diode, or LED, is a light source made of semiconductor materials that gives off light when an electric current passes through it. The first blue LEDs were invented in the early 1990s. Japanese scientists Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano and Japanese-American Shuji Nakamura created a new, efficient and environmentally friendly light source, the […]
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Winter brings many skin problems, such as dry and itchy skin, that get in the way of daily life. Here are two problems most people suffer from, and what can be done to ease them. 1. Cold, itchy hands and feet in winter Many people develop inflamed skin on their fingers and toes, with bluish […]
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The earliest evidence of humans using plants or other natural substances as medicine goes back to the Neanderthals, 50,000 years ago. In northern Iraq, archaeologists found human remains buried with herbs now known to kill bacteria, and some of these herbs are still used by people in the region today. Honey The first written recipe […]
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During the 2014 epidemic we spoke to Dr Mohammad Maher Kutlan, a specialist in preventive medicine and epidemiology, to learn more about Ebola. What is Ebola, and why is there so much concern about it? It is a sudden, acute and severe viral infection of the whole body, endemic in Africa, especially tropical Central and […]
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