Author: Diane Shipley
Staff Writer Diane is especially interested in high-tech medical advances, weird and interesting uses of science, new gadgets, and the intersection of tech and lifestyle. When not working, she reads the internet, listens to podcasts, watches American TV, and thinks about leaving the house.
Scientists find new stroke recovery pathway in the brain
Swedish scientists have discovered a new way that the brain repairs itself after a stroke. Someone has a stroke every three and a half minutes in the UK. They occur when a blood clot forms and blocks blood flow (and thus oxygen) to the brain. This causes nerve cells to die, leading to a range…
Blast Theory’s Karen app is a life coach with a (creepy) difference
If you can't wait for the day when Spike Jonze's 'Her' becomes a reality (hey, who doesn't love high-waisted pants and forming attachments to artificial intelligence?) or you just want to see how insidious data mining can be, this futuristic app is for you. Called Karen, it's a life-coaching app, but it's a little different…
Don’t panic, but the Internet of Things might murder you
Just when you thought your Law and Order binge-watching habit had prepared you for every possible eventuality, along comes a new way to die to worry about. (Happy Monday!) A US security firm called IID predicts that hackers will commit the first murder via the Internet of Things by the end of the year. And…
Christopher Reeve’s son is crowdfunding potential paralysis treatment
Matthew Reeve, son of the most iconic on-screen Superman, Christopher Reeve, is raising money online to fund a trial for a new treatment option for people with spinal cord paralysis. As New Scientist reports, Reeve is a board member of the Dana and Christopher Reeve foundation, the research and campaigning organisation set up by his…
Thirteen year-old Alyssa Carson is preparing for her mission to Mars
When some of us were 13, our hobbies were moaning about school, watching Home and Away, and hanging out at the local mall on weekends. But Alyssa Carson has other ideas. Ideas that are literally out of this world. She wants to be the first person to walk on Mars, and she's already preparing for…
Amazon’s opening its first real-world shop… sort of
Not content with ruling the world of online shopping, Amazon will be apparently be opening a decidedly non dot com shop in New York in time for Christmas. The rumoured pop-up store will be at 7 West 34th St, which is opposite the Empire State Building and, as The Mary Sue points out, right next…
World Mental Health Day tackles schizophrenia stigma
World Mental Health Day is on 10 October every year and today the focus is on reducing the stigma around schizophrenia. Living with a mental health condition is hard enough. Living with one that's misunderstood, that some people are scared of and others (inaccurately) use as a metaphor and a joke ('my look is so…
Ten wonderful women who changed medicine for the better #InspriringWomenWeek
Women may have been discouraged from entering the medical profession for most of history, but whittling this list down to ten still wasn't easy: our gender's made up for being ostracised for so long by achieving some incredible things in a short space of time. Some of the women on this list changed medicine by…
Being nice makes you more attractive, according to science
Growing up, your mum might have told you it’s what’s on the inside that counts, while you rolled your eyes and applied a fresh coat of Rimmel’s Heather Shimmer. But it turns out she was right: being a good person does make you more attractive to other people (whether you’re wearing lipstick or not). At…
Coffee’s good for your liver, scientists say
If you ever feel bad about the fact that you need a strong cup of dark roast to get you up in the morning, here’s some good news. A new report from the National Cancer Institute says that drinking coffee could be good for your liver. Their study, which is now published in the journal…
