Here is what I am reading today (in Chicago): gene link to autism “With the help of two sets of brothers with autism, Johns Hopkins scientists have identified a gene associated with autism that appears to be linked very specifically to the severity of social interaction deficits.” chimps, yawning and Read more…
Here is what I am reading today: the social brain “It’s been a puzzle why our two closest living primate relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos, have widely different social traits, despite belonging to the same genus. Now, a comparative analysis of their brains shows neuroanatomical differences that may be responsible for Read more…
Here is what I am reading today: the science of chocolate ““There is a kind of alchemy in the transformation of base chocolate into this wise fool’s-gold, a layman’s magic that even my mother might have relished… The mingled scents of chocolate, vanilla, heated copper, and cinnamon are intoxicating, powerfully Read more…
Here is what I am reading today: muscular dystrophy and stem cell debate “There is no cure for the group of hereditary muscle-wasting diseases known as muscular dystrophy. That is particularly alarming because one of its commonest forms — type 1 myotonic dystrophy — becomes more serious as it passes Read more…
it’s all in the eyes “We all know that smiling faces sometimes tell lies, even without the Motown song there to remind us. But now there’s proof that those fake smiles may not be worth as much as the genuine article.” food dye and hyperactivity The dyes used to colour Read more…