Can Dementia Risk Be Managed Through Diet?
Scientists studying dementia are learning more about what the various forms of this cognitive decline does to our brains. But there are precious few treatments that cure, reverse or delay
Read MoreAuthor: Svitna
1925 Scopes Trial Pits Creationism Against Evolution
To understand the significance of the so-called Monkey Trial, one must try to imagine the America of 1925; specifically, the southern state of Tennessee. Under pressure by a coalition of
Read MorePreventable Deaths in Mothers, Children Fall Sharply
The U.N. says women’s and children’s health is improving faster than at any point in history. VOA’s Carol Pearson reports on a massive program has saved countless lives and is
Read MoreCities Aim to Reclaim Once-polluted Rivers for Swimming
They dove in, splashed around and blissfully floated in the murky river water. Intrepid swimmers got a once-a-year chance to beat the summer heat with a dip in the
Read MoreApollo 11 Bag Laced with Moon Dust Sells for $1.8 Million
A bag containing traces of moon dust sold for $1.8 million at an auction Thursday following a galactic court battle. The collection bag, used by astronaut Neil Armstrong during the
Read MoreGrowing HIV Drug Resistance Posing Threat to Treatment
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports a survey of 11 countries finds evidence that HIV drug resistance is growing, posing a potential threat to the prevention and treatment of AIDS.
Read MoreMcCain’s Brain Tumor is Aggressive Form of Cancer
U.S. Senator John McCain is being treated for glioblastoma multiforme, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer. It is a malignant tumor that grows at a very rapid rate
Read MoreThis Day in History: US Astronaut Neil Armstrong Walks on the Moon in 1969
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” The immortal words of American astronaut Neil Armstrong, uttered on July 20, 1969, when he became the first man
Read MoreStudy: Production of Enough Plastic to Cover Argentina Causes Havoc
More than nine billion tons of plastic has been produced since 1950 with most of it discarded in landfills or the environment, hurting ecosystems and human health, according to the
Read MoreSpaceX Chief Says First Launch of Big New Rocket Will Be Risky
SpaceX’s chief said Wednesday that the first launch of its big new rocket is risky and stands “a real good chance” of failure. Founder Elon Musk told a space station
Read MoreGOP Targets Endangered Species Act as Protections Lifted
Congressional Republicans are moving forward with legislation to roll back the Endangered Species Act, amid complaints that the landmark 44-year-old law hinders drilling, logging and other activities. At simultaneous hearings
Read MoreMeasles Kills 35 Children in Europe; Minnesota Outbreak Not Over
Thirty-five European children have died from measles in the past 12 months in what the World Health Organization calls an “unacceptable” tragedy. The deaths could have been prevented by a
Read MoreNative American Healing Class Sparks Unique Health Textbook
Laughter can combat trauma. Spiritual cleansings could be used to fight an opioid addiction. Cactus extract may battle diabetes and obesity. These insights are from curanderismo — traditional indigenous
Read MoreWar-torn South Sudan at Grave Risk on Climate Change
“I’m addicted to cutting trees,” says Taban Ceasor. His stained hands sift through jagged pieces of charcoal in his busy shop in South Sudan’s capital. But the 29-year-old logger
Read MoreSmall US Towns Brace for Rare Solar Eclipse, and Crowds
Hyrum Johnson, mayor of the tiny city of Driggs, Idaho, expects some craziness in his one-stoplight town next month when the moon passes in front of the sun for the
Read MoreHearing is Believing: Speech May be a Clue to Mental Decline
Your speech may, um, help reveal if you’re uh … developing thinking problems. More pauses, filler words and other verbal changes might be an early sign of mental decline, which
Read More1 in 10 Babies Received No Vaccinations in 2016
Nearly one in 10 infants worldwide, or 12.9 million, received no vaccinations in 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday. Those infants missed the critical first dose of the
Read MoreBuzz Aldrin Sets Nation’s Sights on Mars by 2040
Forty-eight years after he landed on the moon, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin on Saturday rolled out a red carpet for the red planet at a star-studded gala at the
Read MoreFarmers Find Healthy Soils Make for Healthy Profits
Take care of your soil, and your soil will take care of you. That’s the message agriculture experts have for farmers worldwide. They say farmers can halt the degradation of
Read MoreImproving Living Conditions Makes Cows and Farmers Happier
Researchers in Wisconsin have discovered the secrets to making cows happier. And, they tell farmers, happier cows are more productive cows … which should make farmers happier, too. Faiza Elmasry
Read MoreDead Fish Prompt Pakistan Drinking Water Tests
Authorities in Pakistan’s capital are investigating the water in the city’s main reservoir after tons of dead fish were found in a lake on the city’s outskirts. Police officer
Read MoreCrowdsourcing App Helps Blind Find Their Bus Stop
Navigating public transit systems can be difficult, especially if you’re blind. But in Boston the BlindWays app is a virtual GPS for the visually impaired. The app’s contributors aren’t coders
Read MoreOne More Republican Defection Would Doom Senate Health Care Bill
President Donald Trump turned up the heat Friday on fellow Republicans in the U.S. Senate to pass a bill dismantling the Obamacare law, but with their retooled health care plan
Read MoreWHO Warns of Cholera Risk at Haj, Praises Saudi Preparedness
A cholera epidemic in Yemen, which has infected more than 332,000 people, could spread during the annual haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia in September, although Saudi authorities are well prepared,
Read MoreSpacecraft Reveals Beauty of Solar System’s Biggest Storm
A NASA spacecraft circling Jupiter is revealing the up-close beauty of our solar system’s biggest planetary storm. Juno flew directly over Jupiter’s Great Red Spot on Monday, passing an amazingly
Read MoreBASF Unveils New Mosquito Net in Battle Against Malaria
A new mosquito net made by German chemicals company BASF has been given an interim recommendation by the World Health Organization (WHO), containing a new class of insecticide that the
Read MoreMalaria Genome Study Reveals Savvy Parasite
The malaria parasite owes its devastating success to a finely tuned genome that can survive attacks and evade human immune defenses because it retains only the bare essential genes it
Read MorePanel to FDA: Review Safety of Opioid Painkillers
An expert panel of scientists says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should review the safety and effectiveness of all opioids and consider the real-world impacts the powerful painkillers have,
Read MoreBusiness is Booming for Sleep Technology
New research published this week in the journal Brain suggests that the lack of quality sleep could raise your chances of contracting Alzheimer’s disease. And the Centers for Disease Control
Read MoreNew Non-Invasive Treatment Provides Depression Relief
The World Health Organization says that there are over 350 million people worldwide who suffer or have suffered from depression. They classify it as the leading cause of disability around
Read MoreNew Test May Detect Pancreatic Cancer Early
Researchers have developed a blood test that could help with the early detection of pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease. Doctors usually are unable to diagnose
Read MoreScientists Say Massive Iceberg Broke Off Antarctica
Scientists say a vast iceberg has broken off from a key floating ice shelf in Antarctica. Scientists at the University of Swansea in Britain said Wednesday the iceberg broke off
Read MoreFamily Planning Summit Overshadowed by US Funding Cut
Donor countries at a London summit pledged Tuesday to increase funding for family planning, but proposed cuts to family planning programs by the U.S. government overshadowed the conference. The largest
Read MoreMichigan Imposes Prison Term for Female Genital Mutilation
Doctors and parents involved in female genital mutilation will face up to 15 years in prison under new Michigan laws. Female circumcision or cutting is already a federal crime punishable
Read MoreWHO: Measles Has Killed 35 Children in Europe
The World Health Organization says measles has killed 35 children in Europe in the last 12 months, calling it an “unacceptable tragedy” that deaths are being caused by a vaccine-preventable
Read MoreSwedish Project Seeks to Recycle Resources Contained in Wastewater
Average households use a lot of water that cannot be re-used and it goes to waste. A new project in Sweden is testing a water treatment system that would put
Read MoreReport: Cutting Food Source Leads to Dramatic Drop in Number of Mosquitoes
Insecticides, mosquito nets, and disrupting breeding grounds all reduce mosquito populations and slow the spread of malaria. Now, researchers want to take away the insect’s food to fight the disease
Read MoreCholera Outbreak Reaches 300,000 People Infected in Yemen
A cholera outbreak in Yemen “continues to spiral out of control,” according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which says there are now over 300,000 suspected cases of
Read MoreChina Tests Self-sustaining Space Station in Beijing
Sealed behind the steel doors of two bunkers in a Beijing suburb, university students are trying to find out how it feels to live in a space station on another
Read MoreFrom Pet to Pest: Red-eared Turtles Threaten Native Species
Invasive species are wreaking havoc in waters around the world — from Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades, to Asian carp in the Mississippi River, to turtles native to the
Read MoreIn India, Drug Makers Try to Stay a Step Ahead of FDA
In 28 years in India’s pharmaceuticals sector, Rajiv Desai has never been busier. Most of the last six months on his desk calendar is marked green, indicating visits to the
Read MoreVOA Somali Town Hall Discusses Somali Measles Outbreak in US
Voice of America’s Somali service hosted a town hall Saturday in Minnesota, home to a large Somali-American population, to discuss a recent outbreak of measles in the state, and address
Read MoreBiodegradable Microplastics Could Help Ocean Health
Microplastics are pieces of plastic less than 5 millimeters in size. They make up part of the estimated tens of millions of tons of plastic that gets washed into the
Read MoreGeorgia Health Commissioner Named CDC Director
Georgia’s health commissioner was named Friday to lead the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal government’s top public health agency. Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald is an OB-GYN and
Read MoreMinnesota’s Measles Outbreak Looks to Be Tapering Off
The state of Minnesota is battling the biggest outbreak of measles since 1990, and state health officials are hoping it is tapering off. Seventy-eight people caught the disease, mostly Somali-Americans,
Read MoreMinnesota’s Measles Outbreak Appears to Be Tapering Off
Measles was officially wiped out in the United States 17 years ago. But outbreaks still happen when someone carries the virus back from a country where measles exists. The state
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