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September 3, 2012 Our capacity to forget is as important, and certainly as interesting, as our ability to remember. But can we train ourselves to suppress certain memories, or the meaning we attach to life events?

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August 23, 2012 Many employees complain that workplace chatter hinders their productivity, but maybe other office noises are the problem. The hum of an air conditioner might be presenting its own set of challenges to your efficiency.

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August 22, 2012 Icelandic scientists have found solid evidence that older men have more random mutations in their sperm cells. They're warning that can cause autism, schizophrenia and a long list of other genetic diseases in their offspring. Their findings are reported in the journal Nature.

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August 22, 2012 Two studies suggest that antibiotics early in life may contribute to childhood weight gain. Experiments in mice and a look at the weight of more than 11,500 British babies point in the same direction.

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August 1, 2012 Three separate teams of scientists have shown that so-called cancer stem cells can be found in brain tumors and early forms of skin and colon cancer. Evidence has been mounting in recent years for the existence of these cells, which are believed to resist standard chemotherapy and fuel the growth of tumors and relapses.

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July 24, 2012 Scientists have long studied why some requests seem to be met with a yes while others get a no. Now, there's a new development: A study finds that asking for unusual favors can be very effective in getting people to comply.

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July 19, 2012 A part of the brain called the premotor cortex does some pretty complicated work. It's where the brain plans and strategizes about how to take action, and it may also reflect a person's personality.

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July 19, 2012 HIV is like a jack-in-the-box. When the viruses bump into particular cells in the immune system, the viruses' shells pop open and their genes enter the cells. Experimental therapies for HIV could stop the virus from getting in.

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July 18, 2012 A study of more than 700 men with prostate cancer found no difference in rates of death among men who had their prostates surgically removed compared to those who didn't. The findings suggest that men with low-risk cancers could forgo surgery.

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July 11, 2012 The mutation is rare but it appears to protect some people from developing the disease. The finding is an encouraging sign for drug researchers looking for medicines that have a similar effect in the brain.

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July 9, 2012 A protein in silk could help stabilize vaccines and medicines. Researchers at Tufts University have found a little bit of the protein can help preserve heat-sensitive medicines that usually require refrigeration.

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June 26, 2012 WSHUWine research suggests that people who think they know about wine are excited about hard to pronounce names — so excited, in fact, that they're willing to pay more. Plus, they think it tastes better, too.

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June 14, 2012 Genes and the environment both shape health and development. But their effects are not always equal. Researchers in the U.K. say they've mapped hotspots where nature has a stronger influence, and others where nurture dominates.

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June 12, 2012 Young animals' cries for help and the soundtracks of spine-tingling movies have something in common: An irregular, scratchy sound signals that something scary is afoot.

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June 11, 2012 A freezer that went on the fritz damaged about one-third of the brains from autistic people being stored at a research depository near Boston. The malfunction, whose cause remains under investigation, could slow research into the disorder.

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