The world’s largest colony of king penguins has declined by nearly 90 percent in 35 years, according to an alarming study published in Antarctic Science. In the 1980s the colony on Pig Island in the sub-Antarctic archipelago of Crozet, about …
Japanese scientists said Monday they will start clinical trials next month on a treatment for Parkinson’s disease, transplanting “reprogrammed” stem cells into brains, seeking a breakthrough in treating the neurodegenerative disorder. Parkinson’s is caused by a lack of dopamine made …
The so-called blood-brain barrier around our brains prevents germs and other damaging substances from leaching in through the bloodstream. But it also blocks drugs for Alzheimer’s, brain tumors and other neurological diseases from getting to where they’re needed. Faith Lapidus …
Not counting certain types of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in the U.S. and worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Now researchers in Europe have come up with a robotic device …
Astronomers and local residents gathered to gaze in awe at the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century: 1 hour, 43 minutes. During eclipses, the moon turns a red or brownish color because the light that reaches it passes through …
How late is too late to become a mother? Actress Brigitte Nielsen has had her fifth child at 54, reopening debate on the growing number of women using IVF to have babies later in life. Fertility experts say the average …
Skywatchers around much of the world are looking forward to a complete lunar eclipse that will be the longest this century. The so-called “blood moon” Friday, when it turns a deep red, will be visible at different times in Australia, …
A Lebanese lawmaker has introduced a draft bill in parliament that would legalize the use of cannabis for medical purposes. Speaking to the Associated Press, Antoine Habchi said he is proposing using the plant as alternative medicine to fight addiction …
In Malawi, pregnant women and new mothers who live in remote villages are getting medical help thanks to a toll-free hotline and text messaging service known as “Chipatala cha pa Foni” or Heath Center by Phone. Run by the nonprofit …
Rock Steady Boxing NOVA gym opened in McLean, Virginia, outside Washington, D.C., last December. That was the good news for 75-year-old Neil Eisner, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s six years ago and finds boxing an effective way to fight back against …
Rock Steady Boxing (RSB) is a fitness program designed for people with Parkinson’s, a neurodegenerative disorder that leads to tremors and balance problems. The Rock Steady Boxing nonprofit was founded in 2006. Since then, more than 500 boxing programs have …
A consortium of astronomers said Thursday they had for the first time confirmed a prediction of Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity by observing the gravitational effects of a supermassive black hole on a star zipping by it. The German-born …
Pet owners are always happy to share a memory about the time their dog responded to their distress by coming to them or trying to get their attention. But those seemed to just be stories, until new research in the …
Brazilian researchers are developing an innovative process using pineapples to speed the healing process for skin wounds. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. …
Since 2011, a year when Kentucky was flooded with 371 million doses of opioid painkillers, state officials have cracked down on pain clinics, sued pharmaceutical companies and limited how many pills doctors can prescribe. The result is nearly 100 million …
One girl between the ages of 15 and 19 is infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, every three minutes of every day, a United Nations report found. The report, released Wednesday at the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, …
Belgian doctors have euthanized three minors in the past two years, according to a report from the nation’s chief euthanasia regulatory body released earlier this month. The report, produced by Belgium’s Federal Commission for Euthanasia Control and Evaluation, said these …
Most pet owners are ready to share stories of how their pets have consoled or responded to them during a time of distress. Most were just cute pet stories, until now — as new research is showing that dogs actually …
In a new warning, the U.N.’s World Meteorological Organization said the world is becoming increasingly vulnerable to the impact of climate change. It said this phenomenon is due to many factors and is not occurring at the same rate or …
Scientists announced Wednesday they had discovered what appears to be a body of salty, liquid water beneath the surface of Mars, raising the possibility of detecting life on the Red Planet. The reservoir, spanning about 20 kilometers in diameter under …
Aggressively lowering blood pressure significantly reduced the risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia among hypertension patients in a large government-backed clinical trial, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. The results, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Chicago, offer …
At least 15 officials at a Chinese drug manufacturer have been detained as part of an investigation that it produced false records involving its rabies vaccine. The detained executives include the chair of Changsheng Biotechnology, which was ordered last week …
African and South Asian nations could miss national targets to curb greenhouse gas emissions unless rich countries stop using them as dumping grounds for millions of polluting old cars, a study has warned. The report by the Center for Science …
New research shows more promise for using AIDS treatment drugs as a prevention tool, to help keep uninfected people from catching HIV during sex with a partner who has the virus. There were no infections among gay men who used …