Prometheus, the mythological figure who stole fire from the gods, was punished for this theft by being bound to a rock. Each day, an eagle swept down and fed on his liver, which then grew back to be eaten again the next day.
Modern scientists know there is a grain of truth to the tale, says...
Scientists have long been dreaming about building a computer that would work like a brain. This is because a brain is far more energy-saving than a computer, it can learn by itself, and it doesn't need any programming. Privatdozent [senior lecturer] Dr. Andy Thomas from Bielefeld University's...
Blindness is often caused by corneal diseases. The established treatment is a corneal transplant, but in many cases this is not possible and donor corneas are often hard to come by. In the future, an artificial cornea could make up for this deficiency and save the vision of those affected. Our...
Two researchers in the US have taken a huge step forward in developing technology to help blind people see: they have made an artificial retina that restored normal vision in blind mice. And they have already worked out a way to make a similar device for monkeys, which they hope to quickly...
Popcorn is often touted as a low-calorie, not-that-bad-for-you snack for those looking to lose weight. Unfortunately, it's not exactly a health food...and, in some cases, may increase your risk of Alzheimer's. According to researchers at the University of Minnesota, diacetyl, the ingredient in...
In a perfect world we would all be our goal weight and all calories would be free, or at least less destructive to our waistline. The past 25 years, however, have seen a dramatic increase in the consumption of artificial sweeteners in foods and drinks, including those containing sucralose...
If you celebrate Christmas (or any winter holiday that includes trimming a tree, or you just enjoy having a fir tree in your home) and care about the environment, odds are high that you've battled with a holiday query as old as, well, plastics: what sort of Christmas tree*is the most...
A report published Online First by The Lancet today describes the world's first transplant of an synthetic trachea seeded with stem cells. The Eritrean patient, 36-year-old Andemariam Teklesenbet Beyene, was the first person in the world to receive this type of transplant in June, 2011 at the...
Many people with painful, creaky knees and hips find relief after replacing their bad joints with new artificial joints made from titanium. But some of these people develop painful inflammation that can lead to bone destruction and loosening of the new joint. A new study led by researchers at...
We take vitamins*to keep us healthy and make up for the nutrients our diets might lack. But some vitamins and supplements are a sneaky source of substances no one needs more of in their diet: Sugar and artificial sweeteners. More »Post from: Blisstree
Man and machine might not be that different in the future—especially if they share the same synthetic skin being developed at Stanford University. More »
The blood from woolly mammoths - those extinct elephant-like creatures that roamed the Earth in pre-historic times - is helping scientists develop new blood products for modern medical procedures that involve reducing patients' body temperature. The report appears in ACS' journal Biochemistry...
Computer scientists in the field of artificial intelligence have made an important advance that blends computer vision, machine learning and automated planning, and created a new system that may improve everything from factory efficiency to airport operation or nursing care. And it's based on...
Tiny particles made of polymers hold great promise for targeted delivery of drugs and as structural scaffolds for building artificial tissues. However, current production methods for such microparticles yield a limited array of shapes and can only be made with certain materials, restricting...
If you find yourself in central London this week with a spare hour or two, drop into the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition 2011, it's on until the 10th of July, and there you will see an amazing exhibit about how scientists are using the latest technology to create "artificial sight"...