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.
Some people’s brains can adapt to Alzheimer’s protein, scientists say
Researchers from the University of California – Berkeley say that having a more adaptable brain might be the key to not developing dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is linked to an accumulation of the protein beta-amyloid in the brain. But some people with a build-up of beta-amyloid don’t go on to have the disease, and scientists wanted…
You should judge Facebook users by their profiles, says study
Ever looked at a friend of a friend’s Facebook profile, made a snap judgement about them, and then felt guilty because you can’t really tell what someone’s like without actually interacting with them? Well, it turns out you were right the first time. Researchers from the University of Kansas have found that looking at someone’s…
Scientists have learned how to ‘talk’ to atoms
Researchers have communicated with an atom using sound for the first time. Sadly, this wasn’t because atoms make such scintillating conversation. It was in the hope of building electrical circuits that obey the laws of quantum physics. In the short term, scientists want to study and learn to control these. In the long term, they…
Scientists have turned skin cells into immune cells
Scientists have turned human skin cells into transplantable white blood cells for the first time, according to the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, where the research took place. Researchers from the Centre of Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona and the Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Enfermedades Raras in Madrid collaborated on the project. White…
Researchers have made the world’s biggest DNA origami
And you thought being able to fold a single sheet of paper into a crane was impressive. Scientists from North Carolina State University, Duke University and the University of Copenhagen have taken origami to the next level with the creation of the world’s biggest DNA origami. And not just to impress us with their skills:…
This new electronic skin can detect breast cancer
Scientists have developed an electronic skin that is better at detecting breast cancer in the early stages than either a doctor's exam or mammogram. While mammograms can discover cancer in younger women, they're less likely to be effective than in women over 50, because younger women's breast tissue is more dense. Ultrasounds are helpful but…
People in Redcar swear the most in the UK (on Twitter)
Some of us (not me of course, I would never) have been known to let out our frustrations on Twitter from time to time with a crass well-placed swearword. Or two. Or three. In fact, Dr Hannah Fry and Dr Ed Manley from University College London's Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis were so curious about…
This Game of Thrones language course will teach you to speak Dothraki
Winter is coming, and so is season five of Game of Thrones (eventually). If you’re not sure how to channel your inner Khaleesi in the meantime, how about picking up a little Dothraki? You’re no longer limited to fan-made YouTube videos now that Living Language has just announced a new in-depth course that takes learners…
Now miracle material graphene can be used to see through walls
Well, the day when we can’t change clothes or shower in comfort might be coming sooner than we thought. Scientists from the University of Maryland have developed a sensor that can see through walls, and they're looking at making it into goggles. As Gizmodo reports, the sensor works by detecting T-rays (i.e. terahertz radiation), a…
An app could help doctors diagnose Parkinson’s
Researchers from Aston University have developed smartphone software to make it easier for doctors to diagnose and assess patients with Parkinson’s. The neurological disease affects millions of people worldwide, around 127,000 of them in the UK. But it can be difficult to gauge from one 10-minute-max appointment how someone’s symptoms are progressing or even to…
