Brian Wu

Seals May Use Earth’s Magnetic Field to Navigate

12.31.2014 15:02 PM

While past research has described the specie in great detail, a new study has found that Antarctic seals may be using the Earth's magnetic field as a natural GPS while hunting.

New Years' Resolution: Study Shows Imagining Exercise May Make You Stronger

12.30.2014 20:32 PM

A new study has shown the link between the body and brain is stronger than initially thought. In the study, people who imagined themselves exercising not only strengthened their brain but also strengthen their muscles and slowed down muscle atrophy.

Blue Hole of Belize May Explain What Happened to the Mayans

12.30.2014 16:10 PM

Scientists may have solved the mystery of the decline of the Mayan civilization by examining the Blue Hole of Belize.

First Case of Deadly Bird Flu Confirmed

12.30.2014 15:56 PM

The first case of the deadly bird flu has been confirmed in Hong Kong and health officials fear that this season may see many more infections that past cases of H7N9 -- the newest strain of the disease. Patient zero, a woman from Hong Kong, is in critical condition, and has been confirmed as having the lethal strain of the influenza virus, marking the first case of the deadly flu this winter.

How Family Affects Your Weight

12.30.2014 15:36 PM

A new study of women has revealed that what her friends and family members have to say about her weight can have a drastic effect on her ability to maintain, lose or gain weight.

Hearing Loss Caused by HIV and its Treatments

12.29.2014 16:40 PM

A new study has shown that adults suffering from HIV often experience hearing loss in the upper and lower frequency ranges after years of treatments with power antiretroviral medications.

Lab Error Leads CDC to Suspect Health Officials May Be Infected With Ebola

12.29.2014 16:38 PM

The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a report saying a number of its scientists may have been exposed to the deadly Ebola virus. The scientists are said to have transferred a live Ebola sample to another lab by mistake.

"The Interview" Releases and Brings with It Another String of Cyberattacks: Xbox and Sony New Victims

12.29.2014 14:51 PM

As if to coincide with the release of new controverial film "The Interview", Sony's PlayStation was brought to its knees as enthusiastic gamers opened their consoles on Christmas morning. While there are indications that the gaming platform is gradually being restored, there is no telling what hackers could do next in retaliation after Sony decided to release the comedy movie that plays out the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

Scientists Use Human Skin Cells to Develop Gametes

12.27.2014 18:16 PM

In a significant development in the science world, scientists have used human skin cells and embryonic stem cells to create gametes. This breakthrough at the University of Cambridge is the first for human cells.

After CDC Warning, Safeway Pulls Caramel Apples From Shelves

12.25.2014 18:50 PM

U.S. consumers are being advised to avoid eating caramel apples that have been commercially produced. This recommendation follows an outbreak of listeriosis in several states across the U.S. that has been linked to commercial caramel apples. Now, Safeway has withdrawn from its shelves caramel apples in response to the latest warning issued by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), along with a few threats of lawsuits looming around the corner.

Cones & Rods Fossilized in Ancient Fish Eyes, What they Tell Us About the View from the Past

12.25.2014 18:29 PM

The newest discovery of fossilized fish, whose eyes have remained largely intact, has provided the proof that the human eye's ability to see in color developed hundreds of millions of years ago.

North Korea's Internet Outage: What Caused It And What the Government is Saying about the Recent Hacks

12.24.2014 13:23 PM

Amidst a war of words between North Korea and the United States over the communist country's role in the hacking of Sony Pictures, North Korea falls victim to its own potential hack losing Internet service for several hours.

Can the Blood of Survivors Help Cure Ebola? The Limitations and Expectations of a New Vaccine

12.24.2014 13:19 PM

The antibodies from the blood of survivors of the deadly disease may finally enable researchers to create a treatment that is effective against all the strains of the virus and stop its spread across Africa and the rest of the world.

New Study of the Brain Reveals Smartphone Use Changes It

12.23.2014 17:28 PM

Ever think your electronics may change the way your brain functions? Well as it so happens a new study shows that smartphone usage leaves a mark on the part of your brain that processes touch, although it actually makes you smarter. Swiss researchers were curious about the effect of using digital devices on the digits doing the swiping and tapping, and now according to the study published in the journal Current Biology, all of the typing with your thumb and swiping with your index and middle fingers may be training your brain's somatosensory cortex.

Hep-C Treatment On a Budget - Why Prices are Plummeting

12.23.2014 14:47 PM

After months of waiting and anticipation, the hepatitis C treatment price wars are finally getting under way. Express Scripts, the largest pharmacy benefits manager in the U.S., has released a new treatment from AbbVie as its exclusive treatment for patients with genotype 1, the most common form of the chronic disease. This drug covers 75% of the estimated 3.2 million Americans who are infected.And this new drug will likely change the market for the hepatitis C treatments that are currently led by a pair of medications from Gilead Sciences which is likely to reach $20 billion in revenue next year thanks to demand for its treatments.

Mother's Depression When Children Are Young Linked To Risky Teen Behaviors

12.23.2014 14:40 PM

According to a new Canadian study, having a depressed mother during elementary or middle school increases the likelihood that a child will engage in risky behaviors like drinking and smoking during the teen years.

Why the CDC Says Bay Area Residents are In For the Flu Season of Their Lives

12.23.2014 00:06 AM

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning that this year's flu season could be one of the worst to date. The CDC issued a warning on Friday that the flu season has started earlier than expected and is spreading rapidly. Already reaching 29 of the 54 states and territories, this year's flu is spreading faster than previously seen. In comparison, at the same time last year, it had only spread to four states.

Memory Restoration Now Possible? Neurologists Find New Secrets to Synapses Storage

12.22.2014 23:39 PM

Neurologists have discovered that memory restoration may be a near possibility. In a recent study, researchers from UCLA's department of Integrative Biology and Neurobiology found that memories are not stored in the synapses, as was once believed.