Articles by James Maynard
Quitting Smoking Could Be Easy - If Your Brain Is Hardwired For It, Study Concludes
People who quit tobacco easily have higher activity levels between two areas of the brain, a new study concludes. So, how can this finding help others quit the habit?
Robots Will Overtake Human Intelligence Within 100 Years, Warns Stephen Hawking
Artificial intelligence could destroy human civilization within a century, warns physicist Stephen Hawking. What can be done to control the threat from AI?
Bill Nye Starts Kickstarter Campaign To Launch LightSail Solar-Powered Spacecraft
The LightSail spacecraft, designed to ride on light, is being prepared for flight, Now, Bill Nye and The Planetary Society want your help to fund the program.
Skin Cancer Selfie Goes Viral - Could This Graphic Photo Help Save Lives?
Tawny Willoughby, a nurse suffering from skin cancer, has posted a photo on Facebook that has gone viral. What drove her to post the shocking image?
CRISPR-Cas9 Gene-Editing Technology In Patent Dispute - What Could This Technique Do?
A new gene-editing technique could allow the creation of designer babies. Now, courts may decide who controls the rights to the technology.
Bee Populations Down 40 Percent From Last Year - Are Pesticides To Blame?
Bee populations declined more than 40 percent from 2014 to 2015. What is driving this loss of insects?
Large Hadron Collider Finds Rare Particle Decay - What Does This Mean?
A rare subatomic particle decay was observed in a pair of experiemts at the LHC. What could this finding mean for the understanding of particle physics?
Soprano Sarah Brightman Postpones Plans To Sing In Space
Sarah Brightman cancelled her plans to sing aboard the International Space Station. What drove the singer to cancel her flight?
Seasons Can Trigger Genes And Bring On Chronic Diseases - You Are Healthier In Summer, After All
Chronic diseases can be worse in winter than in summer. Now, a new study shows why that happens. Chronic diseases may be triggered by the activation of certain genes on a seasonal basis, according to a new study.
Chicken Embryos With Dinosaur Beaks Grown In Lab - Is Dino-Chicken Coming?
A dinosaur beak on a chicken embryo? That is the strange result of a study in evolution examining genetic codes and gene expression.
Wine Grape Vineyards May Benefit Butterflies
Butterflies could benefit from natural pest control methods, a new study finds. What could this mean to winemakers?
Robotic Eel And Squid Rover Could Assist NASA In Search For Alien LIfe
NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts program has recognized 15 futuristic projects to explore space and the Earth. What strange craft is the space agency looking at developing?
Hormone Therapy For Prostate Cancer Could Affect Thinking, Study Concludes
Prostate cancer patients undergoing hormone treatments may experience impairment of brain functions, according to a new study. How could this finding help improve outcomes?
Celiac Disease Linked To Nerve Disease In Neuropathy Patients - Is Gluten To Blame?
Gluten Intolerance could be tied to nerve damage. Should you be worried? Celiac disease appears to be linked to nerve damage known as neuropathy. Researchers examined medical records of over 28,000 patients with celiac disease as well as 139,000 people who were never diagnosed with the disorder.
Antibiotic-Resistant Typhoid Spreads Worldwide - Epidemic In Africa
Typhoid fever is now spreading worldwide in a new form, resistant to treatment by antibiotics. What is the real danger from this deadly outbreak?
Mediterranean Diet Is Better For Your Brain - It's Smart To Eat Well!
A Mediterranean diet could help seniors fight off the effects of aging on their brains, a new study finds. How could diet help improve mental health?
Did Ancient Egypt Have An Animal Mummy Scam?
Many animal mummies from Ancient Egypt don't actually contain animal remains, according to a new study. What drove people to create these strange artifacts?
Increased Carbon Dioxide In Atmosphere Could Make Forests Use Water More Efficiently
Water efficiency increases in trees as concentrations of carbon dioxide rise. Does this mean global warming is a good thing?
WHO Declares Liberia Ebola-Free: What About Others
Liberia, site of many deaths in the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa, is now free of Ebola, the World Health Organization has declared. What about neighboring countries of Sierra Leona and Guinea?
CMU AI Claudico Is Good At Poker But Not Good Enough For World's Best Human Players
In a Texas Hold 'Em contest of Brains vs. AI that lasted 80,000 hands, humans came out on top - but just barely. Why are developers trying to perfect a poker-playing computer?
Women Who Enhance Photos Of Themselves On Dating Sites Are Considered Attractive 'Catfish' By Men
Women who try too hard to look good in dating site pictures may be considered more untrustworthy than they otherwise would be regarded. Still, men will date them.
NASA Saved Lives Of 4 Nepal Earthquake Victims With Its Heartbeat Finder Tool
Four men were found trapped under rubble following the earthquake in Nepal, using an instrument based on technology to discover alien life. How does it work?
NASA Bets Big On Manned Mars Mission By 2030s And It Needs Your Help
Mars may be visited by humans by the year 2039, according to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. Now, the space agency wants help from the public figuring out how to get there.
Hubble Finds Massive Gaseous Halo Surrounding Andromeda Galaxy: Here's Why The Discovery Is Important
A massive halo has been discovered enveloping the Andromeda Galaxy. What can this tell us about our own Milky Way?
The Secret To A Healthy Diet - A Grocery List
A shopping list could help people keep pounds off, according to a new study. How could this possibly work?
Heads Up: 500-Million-Year-Old Brain Could Shed Light On Evolution
A critical development in evolution could be detailed in a rare fossil from a 500-million-year-old brain. What happened half a billion years ago leading to modern-day species?
Graphene-Sprayed Spiders Spin Silk With Super-Strength: Possible Applications And Associated Problems
Spider silk modified with graphene is strong enough to catch an aircraft falling from the sky. What purposes could these fibers serve, and what challenges are developers facing?
Lopsided Star Explosion Could Unravel Mysteries Of Black Holes, NuStar Suggests
NuStar recorded data from a supernova seen 27 years ago that could reveal new information about the stellar explosions. Why are lopsided supernovae the only way to explode a star?
Mercury's Magnetic Field Four Billion Years Old, Messenger Spacecraft Reveals
Mercury's magnetic field formed nearly 4 billion years ago. This latest discovery is among the last findings relayed from the Messenger spacecraft before it crashed into the planet.
Measles Vaccine Protects Against Other Diseases As Well, Study Concludes
Children may be protected against more than measles by receiving the vaccine. How does this work? Measles vaccines could protect children against more than just a single disease, a new study concludes.
