Scientists say new fossil finds on an Indonesian island have revealed ancestors of the “hobbits,” our extinct, 3 ½ -foot-tall evolutionary cousins that gained fame more than a decade ago after their remains were found in a cave there. The fossils are about 700,000 years old, extending the hobbit story far backward from the original […]
Scientists Propose Project That Includes Making Human DNA
Scientists proposed a long-term project Thursday that involves creating DNA blueprints for making human beings, a prospect some observers find troubling. The researchers said they have no intention of using these genomes — huge collections of genetic material — to make people. Instead, they said in interviews, human genomes would be used in lab experiments, inserted for […]
Laboratory Advance Provides View of Early Embryo Development
New lab techniques have provided the first good look at a crucial but mysterious stage in the development of human embryos, scientists reported Wednesday. The researchers said follow-up research might eventually lead to new treatments for infertility and perhaps new forms of birth control. The work extends the amount of embryonic development that can be […]
Beyond Chess: Computer Beats Human In Ancient Chinese Game
A computer program has beaten a human champion at the ancient Chinese board game Go, marking a significant advance for development of artificial intelligence. The program had taught itself how to win, and its developers say its learning strategy may someday let computers help solve real-world problems like making medical diagnoses and pursuing scientific research. The […]
Male vs. Female Brain? Not a Valid Distinction, Study Says
Are the brains of men and women truly different? Not if you look at the overall structure, a new study says. While specific parts show sex differences, an individual brain only rarely has all “male” traits or all “female” traits, researchers report. It’s more likely to be a mixed bag: some things are more common […]
Lasers, Magnetism Allow Glimpses of the Human Brain at Work
To the untrained eye, the graph looked like a very volatile day on Wall Street — jagged peaks and valleys in red, blue and green, displayed on a wall. But the story it told was not about economics. It was a glimpse into the brains of Shaul Yahil and Shaw Bronner, two researchers at a […]