Sobel is an MD/PHD student at Duke.  She currently works in the Koelle Research Group, a group that focuses on using mathematical models to understand the “ecological and evolutionary dynamics of infectious diseases.” When I asked Ashley what in particular drew her to infectious diseases, she had a ready answer. “Infectious diseases are pretty awesome.  They have shaped more ofRead more

An international team of astronomers, based at Durham University and Leiden University in the Netherlands, has developed a simulation of the universe in which realistic galaxies are created - their mass, size and age are similar to those of observed galaxies. Their similarity is caused by the simulation of strong galactic winds - gas winds that are blown from galaxies.Read more

Over the past year I interviewed about 80 guests for my podcast. My only criteria: I was fascinated by some aspect of each person. I didn't limit myself by saying "each one had to be an entrepreneur" or "had to be a success." I just wanted to talk to anyone who made me curious about their lives. I spoke toRead more

Happy people tend to have this personality trait TEHRAN (FNA)- Happiness — or subjective well-being, as academics call it — is largely a matter of the situations that you put yourself into. According to new research, people who rank high in agreeableness put themselves into happier situations than everybody else. It's a part of "emotion regulation," write authors Konrad BresinRead more

 Experiencing trauma at a young age can cause a lot of harm, but new research suggests certain benefits can be passed to other generations. Scientists and health professionals have known for a long time that trauma at a young age can cause depression and anxiety later in life. It has also been recognized that such effects can be passed ontoRead more

New research suggest birds have trouble singing and calling after a few too many drinks. That's right, drunk birds slur their words. As part of a massive effort to plot the most extensive avian family tree, researchers decided to test the effects of alcohol on communication skills. Because zebra finches are often used to better understand vocal learning in humans,Read more

 Rumors that a family of bobcats are lurking on Jekyll Island, one of Georgia's Sea Islands, have been circling ever since the early part of the 20th century. But a century-old photo of bobcat pelts hanging in a local island cabin, as well as unconfirmed sightings by locals and park rangers, remained the only evidence of the animal. Not anymore.Read more

The first time in history, researchers have successfully used human embryonic stem cells to create primordial germ cells, cells that divide and mature into egg and sperm. Previously, the feat had been accomplished using rodent stem cells -- not those from a human embryo. "Researchers have been attempting to create human primordial germ cells (PGCs) in the petri dish forRead more

A new survey by anthropologists calls into question the scientific and historical justification for the paleo diet. Early man, they say, was an opportunist, not a nutritionist or dieter. By now, most people have heard of the paleo diet. The popular diet is named for the Paleolithic Age, the expansive period of prehistory characterized by so-called cavemen and primitive stoneRead more

Up to 92 percent of Kuwaiti high school students indulge in regular drinking of sugary soft drinks and highly sweetened fruit juices, compared to drinking milk and dairy products, a study conducted by a group of Kuwaiti physicians has shown. Though up to 30 percent of these high schoolers have been found by the scientific study to drink adequate quantitiesRead more