Health

So apparently male circumcision is cool again

An influential American medical organization is overturning recently overturned convention by suggesting that the health benefits of infant circumcision outweigh any risks. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there is now sufficient evidence showing the advantages for male circumcision, namely the prevention of urinary tract infections, penile cancer and some sexually transmitted infections, including…

io9 George Dvorsky

Water Powered Nano Rockets Can Safely Explore the Human Body

The idea of targeting a specific part of the human body with a microscopic rocket carrying a payload of medication has been tossed around for a while. And working nano-sized rockets have already been created, the only problem is that they’re powered by chemicals like hydrogen peroxide which will do more harm than good for…

Health Andrew Liszewski

This is one of the weirdest medical cases we’ve read about in a long time

Picture this: a mountain of a man — over seven feet tall, by the looks of it — stands in the ambulance bay entrance of a hospital. Clutched in his hands are the feet of a small woman who is dangling, fully conscious, with her head pointed straight at the floor. She appears to be…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

Researchers Are Trying to Hack Your Brain

The thought of someone being able to read your mind is frightening. And according to some new research presented at the 21st USENIX Security Symposium, brain hacking might be more realistic than we would assume. The research has nothing to do with psychics or supernatural stuff, but rather focuses its gaze on inexpensive products that…

Health Leslie Horn

Highly Questionable Study Says Energy Drinks Are Actually Good For Your Heart

Start stockpiling all the Pimp Juice you can fit in the attic, because a new study from a real actual doctor that didn’t print out a degree from the University of Phoenix online suggests that energy drinks are actually good for your heart. The University of Siena’s Dr. Matteo Cameli presented his findings at the…

Health Leslie Horn

Turns out bears aren’t actually interested in women’s menstrual cycles

Worried that your period will attract unwanted attention from wild bears? Fear not! By referencing actual studies that look at actual bears’ reactions to actual human menstrual blood, boingboing’s Maggie-Koerth Baker has helped clear up some of the fact and fiction surrounding bears and lady business — and it’s (mostly) good news! Writes Koerth-Baker: Good…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

Are antibiotics making your kids obese?

The science of studying the human gut microbiome is still in its early days — but research into this area is beginning to reveal some pretty startling things. Take two recent studies published in Nature and the International Journal of Obesity, both of which indicate that the use of antibiotics in young children could be…

io9 George Dvorsky

Scientists Discover How to Disarm Superbug Bacterias

A drug-resistant superbug could be catastrophic for our species, but how are we supposed to stop an incurable illness? By stunting it before it takes hold. Scientists have discovered a molecule that some virulent bacteria need in order to latch onto a host. They think they might be able to create a treatment that would…

Health Mario Aguilar

Would You Ever Let a Doctor Touch Your Breast With This Weird Glove?

The video above demonstrates the second prototype of the Med Sensation breast exam glove. Developed by, er, students at Singularity University, the glove is stacked with sensors, which are supposed to give doctors unprecedented feedback while performing breast exams. In theory that could lead to better results and saved lives. Except a lot of people…

Health Mario Aguilar

New study says BMI is massively understating the scope of American obesity

The Body Mass Index — a number, calculated from your height and weight, used by doctors to identify potential weight problems — is a flawed screening tool. Numerous studies have pointed to its limitations in the past, but an investigation published in PLoS ONE this April suggests that the use of BMI by physicians to…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

Old Dads May Play a Major Role in Increasing Autism

Men can continue to reproduce late in life with little or no risk to themselves. But being an old dad might have serious repercussions for the child—a study published in the journal Nature found a that older fathers are more likely to have a kid with autism or schizophrenia because of random mutations that develop…

Health Leslie Horn

Why Is This Terrified Woman Exfoliating With a Box Cutter?

The life of a product model isn’t easy, particularly when it involves demoing questionable skin care contraptions. Like this so-called sonic cleanser that looks so much like a box cutter that this model appears legitmately scared for her wellbeing. The cleanser’s metal blade uses ultrasonic vibrations against the skin to clean off oil, makeup, and…

Health Andrew Liszewski

A Washable Keyboard That’s Worth Keeping Clean

Because even germaphobes deserve nice things, today Logitech unveiled its new K310 washable keyboard with a snazzy waterproof design that can be scrubbed and submerged in up to 11 inches of water. So it’s perfect for the next time a sneezy co-worker uses your computer. A set of drainage holes in the back helps the…

Health Andrew Liszewski

The Next Horrible Virus Outbreak Might Be Our Fault

SARS feels like as much a distant memory of the 2000s as Sean Paul songs, but it’s very much alive. In fact, it’s breeding in labs around the world—and our own research could trigger the next epidemic. According to a recent, chilling report published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, we might be making…

Health Sam Biddle

How a major ingredient in KY Jelly could help you lose weight

Methylcellulose is a pretty common additive in all sorts of food items and cosmetics. You’ve probably eaten it in the last few days in ice cream (and it’s also has some insane applications in molecular gastronomy, and is a major ingredient in KY jelly). But by tweaking it slightly, it could become the “magic bullet”…

io9 Tim Barribeau

Would You Trust Yelp Reviews With Your Life?

Yelp is a great way to weed out the lousy dry cleaners from the pros and locate various services in your area—but just how much should we be relying on the user reviews that keep this site alive? Would you go through Yelp to find a new doctor? Where do you draw the line of…

Health Molly Oswaks

Five Scientifically Surprising Facts About Booze

People sharing drinks love to lay out the facts of life, love, and, of course, liquor. Wouldn’t it be even better if this cocktail science were actually right some of the time? Here are five bits of booze trivia that smart drinkers can use to blow their buddies off their barstools. It’s Friday afternoon, you’ve…

Space & Spaceflight Brent Rose

Hand soap could be killing you

Ready for your daily dose of FUD? How about a paper linking antibacterial soap to muscle impairment? That’s right, now you can be paranoid that cleaning your hands might hurt your heart later in life. Specifically, the researchers looked at triclosan, a widely used antibacterial chemical, which you’ll find in soap, deodorants, mouthwashes, toothpaste, bedding,…

io9 Tim Barribeau

Therapik Bug Bite Relieving Gadget Review: We Can’t Believe This Actually Works

Are you being eaten alive by mosquitos? Is the itch driving you completely and utterly insane? Us too! So when we heard about this magic wand that supposedly takes the itch away, we had to call it in to make fun of it. We, uh… we were wrong. What Is It? It’s a small handheld…

Reviews Brent Rose

Want to prevent senility and keep your blood pressure down? Drink cocoa.

Did you know that chocolate could save your life? Two new studies are adding fuel to the claims that chocolate will make your life incredibly better. The first study looked at how flavanol-packed cocoa affected elderly patients experiencing mild cognitive impairment. Flavanol is a chemical in some chocolate that acts as an antioxidant. Subjects were…

io9 Tim Barribeau

So apparently male circumcision is cool again

Water Powered Nano Rockets Can Safely Explore the Human Body

This is one of the weirdest medical cases we’ve read about in a long time

Researchers Are Trying to Hack Your Brain

Highly Questionable Study Says Energy Drinks Are Actually Good For Your Heart

Turns out bears aren’t actually interested in women’s menstrual cycles

Are antibiotics making your kids obese?

Scientists Discover How to Disarm Superbug Bacterias

Would You Ever Let a Doctor Touch Your Breast With This Weird Glove?

New study says BMI is massively understating the scope of American obesity

Old Dads May Play a Major Role in Increasing Autism

Why Is This Terrified Woman Exfoliating With a Box Cutter?

A Washable Keyboard That’s Worth Keeping Clean

The Next Horrible Virus Outbreak Might Be Our Fault

How a major ingredient in KY Jelly could help you lose weight

Would You Trust Yelp Reviews With Your Life?

Five Scientifically Surprising Facts About Booze

Hand soap could be killing you

Therapik Bug Bite Relieving Gadget Review: We Can’t Believe This Actually Works

Want to prevent senility and keep your blood pressure down? Drink cocoa.

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