Latest articles by Clarissa Brincat
What is type 5 diabetes? Newly recognized form of the disease gets name
First spotted decades ago but largely forgotten, a newly named form of diabetes stems from undernutrition and is thought to affect millions.
What's the strongest muscle in the human body?
Several muscles can claim the crown, depending on how you measure strength.
Years of repeated head impacts raise CTE risk — even if they're not concussions
Years of hits in sports like football and soccer, even without concussions, can trigger neuron loss and inflammation in the brain, a study finds.
Why does your breath sometimes stink even after brushing your teeth?
You might brush twice a day but still struggle with stinky breath. Why is that?
Acne drug Accutane may restore sperm production in infertile men, early study hints
Accutane, a decades-old acne treatment, could help men with infertility produce motile sperm and avoid invasive sperm retrieval surgery, a study finds.
Do humans and chimps really share nearly 99% of their DNA?
The frequently cited 99% similarity between human and chimp DNA overlooks key differences in the genomes.
Are there any countries with no mosquitoes?
One country's unique climate keeps it a mosquito-free zone, but global warming may change that.
Caffeine may help bacteria resist antibiotics, study finds
A laboratory experiment suggests caffeine may boost E. coli’s antibiotic resistance. However, whether this discovery applies to real-world infections in people is not yet known.
Metformin may prevent severe morning sickness
Taking the diabetes drug metformin before pregnancy may reduce the risk of debilitating morning sickness by 70%, early data hint. But a clinical trial is still needed to confirm this finding.
Why do giraffes have spots?
Giraffes' distinctive spots are more than just for show. So why do these tall animals have them?
Which animals can count and understand simple math?
Many animals have a sense of quantity, but they don't count or do math the way humans do.
Scientists finally work out how Tylenol works — 130 years after we started using it
According to a new study in rats, a key byproduct of acetaminophen, called AM404, may block pain at the source before it has a chance to reach the brain.
Iron deficiency in pregnancy can cause 'male' mice to develop female organs
Low iron levels can flip the genetic switch on a mouse's sex during development, causing XY embryos to grow female features. But it's not clear whether the effect applies to humans.
Which animal has the best sense of smell?
There are multiple contenders for the title of best smeller, but no clear winner just yet.
Does time 'go slower' when you're exercising?
Studies find that people's perception of time really does warp during exercise, and the distraction of racing a rival does not fix this distorted perception.
Shingles vaccine may directly guard against dementia, study hints
The lower incidence of dementia seen in adults who received the shingles vaccine is likely not just a correlation, scientists say, based on new results of an observational study.
Parasitic worm raises risk of cervical cancer
A parasitic worm may raise the risk of cervical cancer through several mechanisms, scientists have found, although HPV remains the primary driver behind the disease.
Why is yawning contagious?
Scientists have identified some reasons why yawns spread from person to person.
Study of 9,000 twins reveals genetics influences how much you enjoy music
Genes affect different aspects of music enjoyment — from the emotional reactions that compositions evoke to the social connection music can foster.
Why do we get a 'second wind' of energy at the end of the day?
That second wave of energy is a normal part of the human circadian rhythm, but lifestyle factors also play a role.
Origins of schizophrenia linked to epigenetics of the placenta
Epigenetic changes in the placenta may shape how the fetal brain develops and thus influence the risk of psychiatric disorders.
Man gets sperm-making stem cell transplant in first-of-its-kind procedure
A man in his early 20s received a transplant of his own sperm-producing stem cells, which had been frozen since his childhood, in an attempt to regain fertility. Doctors are waiting to see if the treatment works.
Multiple species of ticks in the US can transmit red meat allergy, CDC reports reveal
A single bite from one of several tick species can trigger a months-long meat allergy.
