Since 2000, a few simple solutions have saved approximately 663 million people from contracting malaria, according to an analysis published Sept. 16 in the journalNature. Researchers report that insecticide-treated bed nets, insecticides sprayed on indoor surfaces, and prompt treatment with combination drug therapy collectively helped reduce the spread of malaria throughout a large swath of…

The small West African nation ofBenin has a higher concentration of twins than any other country in the developing world. That’s according to a study published in PLOS ONE, which surveyed twinning rates in 75 low and middle income countries from 1987 to 2010. The researchers found that Benin had a rate of 27.9 twins per…

Does it seem like mosquitoes search you out specifically, maniacally biting you just to make you miserable? Blame your genetics. And your smelly feet. Basically, mosquitoes choose their prey (you) based on a whole bunch of factors. Many myths exist, for example, the idea that eating bananas can repel the bugs doesn’t hold up. But,…

From July through the end of September, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s ship Okeanos Explorer is researching the deep ocean off the western coast of Hawaii. These areas are protected waters, part of national marine sanctuaries and monuments. The team of scientists is sending rovers up to 3 miles under the sea to explore…

In a massive story in the New York Times this Sunday, journalist Amy Harmon documented the journey of a dying 23-year-old woman who decided to freeze her brain. The woman, Kim Suozzi, had terminal brain cancer, and wanted to preserve her brain with the hope that it could one day be revived. Suozzi isn’t alone,…

Unless you have the mental fortitude to just not scratch your mosquito bites, the most effective way to stop them from itching, according to scientific evidence, is with antihistamines. When a female mosquito bites you (the bugs use your blood to grow eggs, so the males have no reason to bite), it injects its saliva…

The Pew Research Center just released results from a survey measuring knowledge of basic science knowledge in the US. Not surprisingly, Americans scored a C on average. But one of the 12 questions really baffled us: It asked participants to identify the definition of astrology, which isn’t a science. Astrology is a well-known pseudoscience linking…

The word “homophobia,” when broken down, roughly means being scared of homosexuals. Its loaded suffix suggests that it’s a clinical term, just as arachnophobia refers to people with a fear of spiders. Gregory M. Herek, a psychology professor at the University of California, Davis who has studied LGBT prejudice for decades, argues that the words…

Mutant lice sound like the star of a low-budget horror film, but they’re a real problem being found around the nation. These insects’ mutations seem to make them resistant to someover-the-counter treatmentstypically used to get rid of lice, sold under brand names including Elimite and Nix. While some treatments are no longer effective in some…

When Venus Williams takes on her sister Serena in the U.S. Open quarterfinals on Sep. 8, few will be able to tell that she’s also battling a chronic disease. In 2011, the elder Williams sister was diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that dries out the mouth and eyes, and can also sap strength and cause joint and muscle…