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An early embryo

Most versatile stem cell ever may help us understand miscarriage

11 October 2017

The first stem cells capable of making placenta could enable researchers to better understand the biological mechanisms behind many failed early pregnancies


Father of 'nudge' psychology wins economics Nobel

Father of 'nudge' psychology wins economics Nobel

9 October 2017

Richard Thaler has won this year's Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his work on the limits to human rationality and how to subtly influence people's behaviour


Kuwait flag

Kuwait's plans for mandatory DNA database have been cancelled

9 October 2017

Kuwait has revoked the world’s first law requiring everyone to submit samples of their DNA, after a court found it would violate personal liberty


Rainer Weiss, Barry Barish and Kip Thorne

Gravitational wave discoverers win physics Nobel prize

3 October 2017

Rainer Weiss, Barry Barish and Kip Thorne share the Nobel prize for physics for their contributions to the LIGO gravitational wave detector


Lab-grown cells make doping agent EPO and cure anaemia in mice

Lab-grown cells make doping agent EPO and cure anaemia in mice

27 September 2017

Lab-grown stem cells can make the hormone EPO, which has notoriously been used in sports doping. Transplants of the cells might help some major types of anaemia


Hurricane Maria confirms dire warnings for 2017 hurricane season

Hurricane Maria confirms dire warnings for 2017 hurricane season

20 September 2017

As Hurricane Maria continues to cause destruction, predictions that 2017 could be the worst hurricane season since 2010 are being borne out


A man sat-up in bed

A type of sleep therapy reduces depression, anxiety and paranoia

6 September 2017

Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia has been found to also help a range of mental health issues, including negative thoughts, hallucinations and psychosis


Secret lifestyle of the dodo revealed for the first time

Secret lifestyle of the dodo revealed for the first time

24 August 2017

A study of dodo bones has revealed how the legendary birds matured, bred and moulted, and explains discrepancies in sailors’ descriptions of them


A person lying down

Blood biomarkers may help diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome

31 July 2017

The severity of chronic fatigue syndrome, also called myalgic encephomyelitis, has been linked to higher levels of 17 inflammation biomarkers in the blood


Testing for HIV

HIV testing at some GP surgeries would save lives and NHS money

30 July 2017

Routinely testing for HIV in some areas of England would cost the NHS more at first, but save money in the longer term by finding and treating unknown cases


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