Articles by Rhodi Lee
Cancer-Causing Chromium 6 Featured In 'Erin Brockovich' Movie In Tap Water Of More Than 200 Million Americans
Dangerous amount of chromium 6, a carcinogen that can also cause liver and reproductive problems, is present in the tap water used by millions of Americans. What states have the highest levels?
Extinct Reptile Triopticus Primus Shows Dinosaurs Copied Body, Skull And Shapes Of Distant Relatives
An extinct reptile found in Texas showed that the skull and body shapes of dinosaurs are not completely original. The Triopticus primus provides example of the phenomenon called evolutionary convergence.
Hubble Space Telescope Spots Exoplanet Orbiting 2 Stars
Using gravitational microlensing and data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers confirmed the presence of a new alien planet that orbits two stars. What makes the discovery of this exoplanet different from those of other Tatooine-like worlds?
Organ Transplants Linked To Increased Skin Cancer Risk
Organ transplant patients have up to 250 times increased risk for squamous-cell carcinoma, the second most common form of skin cancer. The risk also applies to Black, Asian and Hispanic patients
Painkiller Codeine Not Safe For Children: Pediatricians
The American Academy of Pediatrics urged parents and doctors to stop giving medications with codeine such as pain relievers and cough syrups to children. What makes codeine dangerous?
NASA Finds Impossible Cloud On Saturn Moon Titan For The Second Time
The amount of the compound dicyanoacetylene in the stratosphere of Saturn's moon Titan should not be enough to form the mysterious ice cloud recently spotted by NASA's Cassini-Huygens spacecraft. What is the possible explanation behind this strange cloud formation?
MIT Machine Uses Radio Waves To Read Human Emotions
MIT's new device called EQ-Radio can read four human emotions using radio signals. It can be used as a lie detector but it has other potential applications in the the field of medicine and film industry.
If You're Dealing With Stress, Say Buh-Bye To Benefits Of Your Healthy Diet
Stress cancels out the health benefits of eating a healthy breakfast rich in unsaturated fat. How does a stressful day erase the benefits of a healthy meal?
Water Bears Can Survive Radiation: Protective Protein Shields DNA Of Earth's Hardiest Animal
A protective protein called Dsup appears to protect the DNA of water bears from extreme conditions. Also known as tardigrades, these aquatic animals can survive intense temperatures and deadly levels of radiation.
Smoking Cigarettes Can Permanently Damage Your DNA: Study
Many of the smoking-related damages to the DNA fade within five years after a smoker quits. Findings of a new study, however, revealed that changes on at least 19 genes can last for decades.
Antibiotics Are Still Overprescribed In US Hospitals Amid Concerns Over Drug Resistance
Despite growing concerns over bacteria becoming drug-resistant, doctors still overprescribe antibiotics in hospitals. What strategies can be adopted to help curb this problem?
FDA Grants Accelerated Approval For Sarepta Muscular Dystrophy Drug Eteplirsen
The FDA has approved the first drug to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The agency's decision went against the recommendation of the panel of experts who did not find eteplirsen effective.
Alien 'Snake' Spotted In NASA Mars Photo By Alien Conspiracy Theorists: Alien Life On Mars Coverup By NASA?
Alien hunters found a snake in a NASA rover photo. Some conspiracy theorists suggest earth-like creatures are found in Mars photos because these were taken in a secret location on Earth.
Human Skeleton Found In 2100-Year-Old Antikythera Shipwreck
Human skeletal remains were found in the Antikythera shipwreck. DNA from the bones may help shed light on the lives of people who were aboard the ill-fated ancient ship.
ESA's Rosetta Space Probe To Have Final Suicide Mission Before Colliding With Comet 67P
Rosetta is set to end its mission by colliding with Comet 67P later this month but it will continue to gather scientific data in its final moments. Here are some of the data that the space probe will collect in its final suicide mission.
Pluto Emits X-Ray: Scientists Baffled How Dwarf Planet Releases Radiation
Observations made through NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory revealed Pluto emits X-rays. Why are astronomers puzzled by the radiation from the dwarf planet?
ALMA Spots Signs Of Icy Giant Planet Forming In Young Star's Dust Cloud
Astronomers found signs of planet formation in a disk surrounding the young star TW Hydrae. Observations using ALMA revealed the exoplanet could be an icy giant just like the solar system’s Neptune.
France Bans Plastic Dishes, Cups And Utensils
A law that will be fully implemented in 2020 makes France the first country in the world to ban the use of plastic dishware. Disposable dishes, cups and utensils can still be used as long as they are made from biologically sourced materials and are compostable.
Well-Preserved Mammoth Skull Excavated At Channel Islands National Park Puzzles Scientists
Well-preserved fossil remains of a 13,000-year-old mammoth found at Channel Islands National Park are leaving scientists puzzled. The size of the skull neither fits a pygmy nor a Columbian mammoth.
Ancient Blue Jeans? Indigo Dye Used By South Americans In Peru Long Before Egyptians
Cloths found in Peru provide earliest evidence of indigo dye use. The fabrics were 6,200 years old, which makes them older than the previously known oldest sample of indigo dye from Egypt.
Hand, Foot And Mouth Disease Hits Florida State University Students
The viral infection hand, foot and mouth disease often affects children below 5 years old, but it recently hit college students at Florida State University. What likely caused the outbreak?
Cancer Deaths In US: Brain Cancer Now Deadliest Cancer For American Children
Because of strides in medical treatment, leukemia is no longer the deadliest cancer among U.S. children. What makes treatment of brain cancer difficult?
Early Menopause Linked To Increased Heart Disease Risk And Early Death
Women who reach menopause by 45 years old were found to have increased risk for heart problems and early death. Hormonal changes possibly contribute to these health problems.
Parrot Lizard Dinosaur Used Camouflage In Forests To Evade Predators During The Early Cretaceous
A dinosaur the size of a golden retriever used camouflage to hide from predators during the Cretaceous period. Coloring of the ancient reptile known as Psittacosaurus, or 'parrot lizard,' revealed it likely lived in forests in what is now China.
Long Naps During The Day Could Be Warning Sign For Type 2 Diabetes
Napping for an hour or more during the day was linked to a 45 percent increased risk for type 2 diabetes. What does prolonged sleep tell about a person's lifestyle?
Scientists Breed Live Mice Without Using Fertilized Eggs: Here's How They Tricked Nature
Scientists were able to breed live mice without using fertilized egg cell, challenging long-held dogma on how live mammals are produced. What are the potential applications of this breakthrough?
There's A Big Red Spot On Pluto's Moon Charon And Scientists Think They Know Why
The red spot at the north pole of Charon, the largest moon of Pluto, may have been produced by methane from the dwarf planet's atmosphere. How did this reddish region form?
Gaia Spacecraft's Survey Of Billion Stars Could Shed Light On Evolution Of Milky Way
Data collected by the European Space Agency's Gaia were used to create the most detailed 3D map of a billion stars in the Milky Way. Over the course of its five-year mission, the spacecraft will conduct observations that could shed light on evolution of our galaxy.
Use Of E-Cigarettes May Have Helped 18,000 Smokers Quit Smoking In 2015
As the number of people who use e-cigarettes increases, the number of smokers who quit smoking also rises. Use of electronic cigarettes may indeed help smokers who want to stop their unhealthy habit, researchers say.
Sakurajima Volcano In Japan Due For Major Eruption Within 25 Years
The Sakurajima Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in Japan, is due for a major eruption within 25 years. Its last major eruption occurred in 1914.
