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Shots - Health News
Mental Disorders And Evolution: What Would Darwin Say About Schizophrenia?
November 16, 2012 Given the pressure of evolution, why have genes behind schizophrenia, autism and others disorders persisted? A study that looks at the likelihood someone is to have kids tries to figure it out.
Shots - Health News
A Peek Inside Rappers' Brains Shows Roots Of Improvisation
November 15, 2012 Scientists have found rappers and jazz musicians use their brains in similar ways when it comes to improvisation. Brain scans show distinct differences in which parts of the brain are most active during rap performances of memorized pieces compared with those that are done freestyle.
The Salt
Raise A Toast To Building Better Beer Bubbles Through Chemistry
November 14, 2012 Spanish scientists have identified the specific gene in yeast that's responsible for the foamy head on your glass beer. And that discovery could lead to what we've all been wishing for — more long-lasting foam on top of our ales of the future.
Humans
Study: Reading 'Maxim' Can Make You A Theft Target
November 14, 2012 Criminologists in Texas find that you are more likely to become a victim of theft if your behavior somehow marks you as being "outside the mainstream." One sign of such behavior: leaving copies of racy magazines and crushed beer cans in your car.
Shots - Health News
The Beatles' Surprising Contribution To Brain Science
November 8, 2012 When we listen to a new musical phrase, it is the parts of the brain that control muscle movement, not areas involved in hearing, that help us remember what we've heard. Keeping the notes in order is a little like getting your muscles to move at the right time.
Election 2012
'For Whom Will You Vote?' May Be Wrong Question
November 3, 2012 It's the question most pollsters ask. But one political economist says there's a better one to ask if you want to predict a candidate's fate.
Animals
Move Over, Parrot: Elephant Mimics Trainer At Zoo
November 2, 2012 Scientists say an Asian elephant at a South Korean zoo can imitate human speech, uttering five Korean words that are readily understood. "This is not the kind of sound that Asian elephants normally make, and it's a dead-on match of the speech of his trainers," a researcher says.
Shots - Health News
How An Antibody Found In Monkeys Could Help Make An Ebola Vaccine
November 1, 2012 Although there's no cure for Ebola, scientists have been experimenting with a vaccine for years. But there's been no easy way to test it in people. A study in monkeys offers a way around this obstacle and sheds light on how the immune systems fights off the deadly virus.