South Africa’s Toxic Mining Legacy
[Mining is big business in South Africa. It is the world’s largest producer of chrome and platinum, and the second largest producer of palladium and zirconium. It is also the
Read MoreAuthor: Svitna
WHO Reports ‘Record-breaking’ Progress in Fighting Neglected Tropical Diseases
The World Health Organization said Tuesday that unprecedented progress had been made in tackling many of the world’s most disfiguring and disabling neglected tropical diseases over the past 10 years.
Read MoreStudy: Rising Sea Levels a Challenge to Inland Cities as Well
Inland cities in the United States could face stress from migration caused by sea levels rising, says a new study. According to models created by researchers at the University of
Read MoreCataloguing Traditional Medicine, One Plant at a Time
Traditional Chinese medicines like acupuncture, whether they work or not, are gaining fans outside of China. And there is some scientific evidence to support the idea that natural compounds can
Read MoreScientists Speak Out and March for Science
Scientists like to let the facts speak for themselves. But with the Trump administration’s embrace of what advisor Kellyanne Conway called “alternative facts,” many scientists feel it’s time to speak
Read MoreJudge Orders US Doctor Charged with Female Genital Mutilation to Remain in Jail
A federal judge in Detroit has ordered a doctor to stay in jail pending trial for alleged female genital mutilation of two 7-year-old girls. The judge ruled Monday that Dr.
Read MoreUS Psychologist Goes beyond Headlines, Tells Refugees’ Stories
After nine attempts to sneak across the border between Syria and Turkey, with an indescribable amount of fear and painful near-death experiences, 31-year-old Mustafa Hamed finally found a home in
Read MoreSecond Immune Cell Found to Harbor HIV During Treatment
The challenge of finding a cure for AIDS may have gotten harder. Scientists have discovered another cell in the body where HIV — the virus that causes AIDS — hides
Read MoreScientists Research the Brain in an Effort to Stop Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease was first identified 200 years ago, but so far, there is no cure. Most people have the disease for many years before it’s diagnosed, making it too late
Read MoreFruit Flies Help Unlock Genetic Secrets of Parkinson’s
Researchers in Britain have shown that genetic manipulation can prevent or slow the symptoms of Parkinson’s, in the inherited form of the disease. That’s a minority of Parkinson’s patients, but
Read MoreUgandan Inventors Invent Better Way to Diagnose Pneumonia
Three university engineering graduates in Uganda are taking on one of the leading killers of young children in Africa – pneumonia. They say the prototype of their invention, a “smart
Read MoreWhat Progress for Parkinson’s Disease?
Shaking, slowness of movement and difficulty talking, those are the most obvious symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The progressive neurological disorder affects the way the brain connects with muscles. It has
Read MoreScientists Hunt in Oman Mountains for Clues to Capturing Greenhouse Gas
As humans struggle to control the greenhouse gases that are warming the planet, scientists are searching for natural ways to remove them from the atmosphere. One group of researchers is
Read MoreUS Doctor Arrested in Michigan on FGM Charges
An emergency-room doctor in the U.S. Midwest has been arrested and charged with performing female genital mutilation on girls between the ages of 6 and 8, in the first criminal
Read MoreExoskeleton Under Development to Help With Rehab
After years of experimenting and refining, robotic devices that could help disabled people walk may soon be available to rehabilitation centers. The Japanese auto company Toyota says that before the
Read MoreMass Brain Experiment Held in Los Angeles, New York
Science and science fiction intersected recently when 1,000 people took part in a brain experiment while watching a movie about what happens when the human brain is connected to a
Read MoreCNBC: Apple Hires Secret Team for Treating Diabetes
Apple has hired a team of biomedical engineers as part of a secret initiative, initially envisioned by late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, to develop sensors to treat diabetes, CNBC reported
Read MoreLoud Shrimp Named After Rock Band
A shrimp that uses a very loud sound to stun its prey has been named after legendary rock band Pink Floyd. The Synalpheus pinkfloydi, a kind of pistol shrimp, has
Read MoreKFC to Stop Using Chickens Raised with Human Antibiotics
KFC says it plans to stop serving chicken given antibiotics important to human health. The fried chicken chain says the change will be completed by the end of next year
Read MoreNigeria Tackles Deadly Meningitis Outbreak Amid Vaccine Scarcity
At least 489 people have died from a meningitis outbreak in Nigeria, according to Nigeria’s Minister of Health Isaac Adewole. During an emergency health meeting in the Nigerian state of
Read MoreResearch Reveals Huge Burden of Guinea Worm
Guinea worm is on course to become the second human disease to be eradicated, after smallpox, thanks largely to intervention overseen by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. Little was known
Read MoreSecond ‘Great Spot’ Found at Jupiter, Cold and High Up
Another “Great Spot” has been found at Jupiter, this one cold and high up. Scientists reported Tuesday that the dark expanse is 15,000 miles (24,000 kilometers) across and 7,500 miles
Read MoreClimate Change Could Cause More Turbulent Flights
Climate change could cause stronger turbulence for airline passengers, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Reading in England say “turbulence strong enough to catapult unbuckled passengers
Read MoreUS, Russian Crew Lands After Six-month Stay on Space Station
A U.S. astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts made a parachute landing in Kazakhstan on Monday, wrapping up a nearly six-month mission aboard the International Space Station, a NASA TV broadcast
Read MoreScientists Link El Nino to Increase in Cholera in Eastern Africa
Researchers are reporting a link between a climate phenomenon know as El Nino and the number of cholera cases in eastern Africa. Predicting when there’s going to be an El
Read MoreNearly 5M Children in War-torn Yemen Get Polio Vaccine
Nearly five million children under age five have been successfully vaccinated against polio in war-torn Yemen almost two-months after a nationwide immunization campaign was launched by the World Health Organization
Read MoreResearchers Close to Injection-free Vaccine
Getting a vaccine without the shot has always been one of the greatest hopes of medicine. For people in the developed world it means getting a vaccine can be as
Read MoreMalaysian Rhino Horn Seizure Worth Over $3 Million
Malaysian customs officials said Monday they have confiscated 18 rhino horns, weighing more than 51 kilograms, and valued at over $3 million. Customs said they found the horns in a
Read MorePlastic Contaminants Discovered in Deep Ocean
Most people have likely heard about the dangers of microplastics, the particles less than 5 millimeters in size that deteriorate from larger plastic pieces that have entered the oceans. Scientists
Read MoreBig Asteroid Is Heading Close to Earth
A relatively large asteroid will cross Earth’s orbit around the sun this month. Astrophysicists and astronomers say there is no chance of a collision, but it will be the closest
Read MoreLack of Iodized Salt Causes ‘Serious Public Health Problem’ in Cambodia
When Arnaud Laillou, a nutrition specialist with UNICEF, led a salt iodization study in 2014, he wanted to be sure that salt producers were not adding too much iodine. Just
Read More3-D-Printed Microscope Turns Smartphone into DNA Sequencer
With the right attachment, a smartphone can be used as a diagnostic tool for infectious diseases like tuberculosis. Faith Lapidus reports. …
Read MoreScientists Get Closer to Building Artificial Life
Despite ethical and safety concerns, researchers are getting closer to building life from scratch. In fact, scientists are hoping to synthesize a human genome in the next 10 years. Investors
Read MoreUnlocking Mysteries of a Fly’s Eye
We have radars to track flying objects, but a tiny fly may be even better at tracking and grabbing fast moving prey. Scientists at the University of Cambridge learned that
Read MoreAir Force Space Chief Open to Flying on Recycled SpaceX Rockets
The U.S. Air Force is open to buying rides on previously flown SpaceX rockets to put military satellites into orbit, a move expected to cut launch costs for the Pentagon,
Read MoreKentucky Coal Museum Gets Power From Solar Panels
Don’t look to the Kentucky Coal Museum to bring coal back. The museum is installing solar panels on its roof, part of a project aimed at lowering the energy costs
Read MoreAstronaut John Glenn Laid to Rest at Arlington National Cemetery
John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth who later became the world’s oldest astronaut and a longtime U.S. senator, was laid to rest on Thursday at Arlington National
Read MoreUN: Latin America’s Poor Need More Help to Tackle Zika
The ripple effects of the Zika virus are hitting the poor hard in Latin America and the Caribbean, and could knock back development unless states involve communities in a stronger
Read MoreCDC: 25 Percent of Men Infected with Cancer-causing HPV
A cancer causing strain of the human papillomavirus, or HPV, has infected 25 percent of men and 20 percent of women in the United States, new statistics from the National
Read MoreJohn Glenn, Former US Astronaut and Senator, to Be Interred in Arlington Cemetery
U.S. astronaut John Glenn, who died in December at age 95, will be buried Thursday in Arlington National Cemetery, a place of honor for members of the U.S. military. His
Read MoreVeteran NASA Spacewoman Getting 3 Extra Months in Orbit
The world’s oldest and most experienced spacewoman is getting three extra months in orbit. NASA announced Wednesday that astronaut Peggy Whitson will remain on the International Space Station until
Read MoreEbola Treatment Unit Torn Down as Liberians Recall Outbreak
Bulldozers cleared the remains of a once busy Ebola treatment unit in Liberia on Wednesday, as health care workers, officials and some who were treated there gathered to mark the
Read MoreStudy Says Hitting the Weights, Jumping, Could Help Bone Density
When people think of osteoporosis, they usually think of women, but men can get osteoporosis, too. Osteoporosis literally means “porous bones.” Normal bones look somewhat like honeycombs. But with osteoporosis,
Read MoreStudy: Weight-bearing Exercise May Promote Strong Bones
The number of people with osteoporosis is expected to grow dramatically. Weight lifting, resistance training is part of the answer. VOA’s Carol Pearson reports on a study about men and
Read MoreAgency Chief: Russia Open to Extending International Space Station Partnership
Russia is open to extending its partnership in the International Space Station with the United States, Europe, Japan and Canada beyond the currently planned end of the program in 2024,
Read MoreScientists Find Common Antibiotic Could Prevent or Treat PTSD
A common antibiotic called doxycycline can disrupt the formation of negative thoughts and fears in the brain and may prove useful in treating or preventing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according
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