Latest fromHuman Science

Diabetes patient speaks out on pig-cell trial
Results from the pig-cell trial so far indicate improved control of blood-sugar levels and reduced need for insulin injections.

A big month for genes
It is not a completely far-out scenario that the genetic sequence of all newborn babies may one day be collected by default, writes Dita De Boni.

Killer had to be convinced game was up
Advanced DNA tests led police to solve the nine-year-old murder case of Marie Jamieson.

How genes influence obesity, senility - and the effects of olive oil
Medical researchers have begun to elucidate the complex role of genes in human health.

Bones of fallen put bitterness to rest
As negotiators are stalled in a deal to unite Cyprus, forensic experts are helping to bury the ghosts of a bloody conflict.

Brainbox wins award for disease research
Professor Richard Faull has spent 35 years studying the human brain so he can help people affected by brain disorders including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease.

Too much wealth can make us worse off: study
National belt-tightening could be of more benefit to a country's sense of wellbeing than soaring wealth levels, a study has found.

Male infertility treatment overused, scientists warn
IVF clinics are using a radical male infertility treatment too often despite the long-term risks to the babies conceived, one of the technique's pioneers says.

Happy people 'have fewer heart attacks'
Researchers at Columbia University found happier people were less likely to develop serious heart problems.

Secrets of Egypt's King Tut revealed
Egypt's most famous pharaoh, King Tutankhamun, was a frail boy who suffered from a cleft palate and club foot.

You may be healthier than you think
Eat your five-a-day, take exercise, avoid alcohol, sugar, stress... Obsessing about our well-being is dominating our lives - and it's bad for us.

Genome study tracks 'Inuk'
The first, almost complete genome of an ancient human has revealed traits of a man living 4000 years ago.

Secret of youth may be in your genes
Scientists have found that people who inherit two copies of a particular DNA variant show the biological signs of being about eight years "older" than people of the same age who carry neither genetic variant.

Millions wasting their time trying to get fit, says study
Millions of people who strive to keep fit by jogging, swimming or going to the gym are wasting their time, scientists say.

Scientists read the minds of the living dead
Scientists have succeeded in reading the mind of a man thought to have been lacking all awareness after a traumatic head injury.

You don't have to be bipolar to be a genius - but it helps
Scientists have for the first time found powerful evidence that genius may be linked with madness.

<I>Lancet</I> withdraws paper on MMR vaccine-autism link
Medical journal's editors retract paper 12 years after it was published, saying several of its elements are "incorrect".

Gas link possible in Nelson nerve-disease deaths
Scientists are investigating a possible link between a rare degenerative nerve disease and a toxic gas blamed for four Nelson port workers 'deaths.