Climate change seen behind ancient civilizations' fall
A cold, dry spell that lasted hundreds of years may have driven the collapse of Eastern Mediterranean civilizations in the 13th century BC.
Camel may be MERS virus host: study
Researchers on Friday pointed to the Arabian camel as a possible host of the deadly human MERS virus plaguing the Middle East.
Some mothers get meaner in bad economic times: US study
Mothers with a certain gene got meaner when the economy took a dive in 2007-2009, whether or not their own purses were shorter on cash.
Mars rover hoping to yield more secrets, one year on
The dazzling success of NASA's rover Curiosity has paved the way for a human conquest of Mars, scientists say, almost one year after the groundbreaking probe first touched down on the Red Planet.
USAID hails 'eureka moments' in infant, maternal health
US National Security Advisor Susan Rice called for more "eureka moments" and "unorthodox partnerships."
Japan team develops micro-thin electric circuit
A flexible electrical circuit one-fifth the thickness of food wrap and weighing less than a feather could improve the movement of artificial limbs by tapping into signals from the brain.
Japan govt approves stem cell clinical trials
Japan's government on Friday gave its seal of approval to the world's first clinical trials using stem cells harvested from a patient's own body.
Animal studies often biased: US scientists
Medical research that uses animals to test therapies for human brain disorders is often biased, claiming positive results and then failing in human trials.
NASA tests Mars rover prototype in Chile
NASA scientists said Friday they were testing a prototype of a robot the US space agency hopes to send to Mars in 2020 in Chile's Atacama desert.
NASA launches satellite to study solar material
The US space agency launched a satellite late Thursday to unlock the secrets of the Sun's lower atmosphere.
H7N9 bird flu kills about 1/3 hospitalised patients: study
The H7N9 bird flu that hit China this year killed over a third of hospitalised patients, said researchers Monday who labelled the virus "less serious" but probably more widespread than previously thought.
Bi-weekly iron dose same as daily in pregnancy: study
Pregnant women who take an iron supplement twice a week receive the same health benefits as expectant mothers who take a daily dose of the essential mineral.
US panel wants diabetes drug restrictions eased
Independent experts urged US regulators Thursday to reduce restrictions on GlaxoSmithKline's controversial diabetes drug Avandia, banned in Europe over heart attack risk concerns.
Scientists tell Australia to save Great Barrier Reef
Leading marine scientists warned the Australian government on Wednesday of the growing threat to the Great Barrier Reef from unchecked industrial development.
Cancer researchers warn US budget cuts block advances
Cancer researchers warned Friday that federal budget cuts enacted by the US Congress could block key advances in the fight against deadly disease.
Four researchers exposed to radiation at Japanese lab
Four researchers were exposed to radiation in an accident at a Japanese nuclear physics laboratory this week.
Foreign archaeologists tap into Stone Age man site near Almaty
Archaeologists from the U.S., Germany, Japan and Australia arrived to Kazakhstan to study a Stone Age man site in Zhambyl region of Almaty oblast.
Warming to hit half of plants, a third of animals
More than half of common species of plants and a third of animal species are likely to see their living space halved by 2080 on current trends of carbon emissions.
Gene clues for testicular cancer, heart defect
Separate studies of the human genome have found tantalising clues to the inherited causes of testicular cancer and non-inherited causes of congenital heart disease.
Slippery eel slides towards disaster
Cupping a tiny, translucent eel in the palm of his hand, New York environmental researcher Chris Bowser shook his head in amazement.