Oleocanthal, a naturally-occurring compound in extra-virgin olive oil, alters the structure and increases antibody recognition of neurotoxic proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease. The structural change impedes the proteins' ability to damage brain nerve cells, while increased antibody recognition may enhance immunotherapy-based treatments. The findings suggest that oleocanthal may have potential as a preventative and therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is testing a new robotic lunar lander test bed that will aid in the development of a new generation of multi-use landers for future robotic space exploration.

New research suggests that there is an association between thiazolidinediones -- a type of drug introduced in the 1990s to treat type 2 diabetes -- and bone fracture.

There may be plenty of fish in the sea but the medaka knows what it likes. A new study shows how a single gene mutation that turns Japanese Killifish a drab gray color renders them significantly less attractive to more colorful members of the opposite sex.

Planning a trip to Mars? Take plenty of shielding. According to sensors on NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer spacecraft, galactic cosmic rays have just hit a Space Age high.

Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear. Sylvia Plath stuck her head in the oven. History teems with examples of great artists acting in very peculiar ways. Were these artists simply mad or brilliant? According to new research, maybe both: volunteers with the specific variant of neuregulin 1 were more likely to have higher scores on the creativity assessment and also greater lifetime creative achievements than volunteers with a different form of neuregulin 1.

It will take years before there are enough electric cars and gas–electric hybrids on the road to put much of a dent in the output of the electrical grid . But once they do roll out en masse, these vehicles (and their drivers) will have to be smart about when they recharge so that utilities can avoid spikes in grid demand and drivers can avoid spikes in their electric bills. This puts carmakers and utility companies on the spot to develop a uniform technology that lets cars communicate with the grid, and vice versa. [More]

[Below is the original script. But a few changes may have been made during the recording of this audio podcast.] [More]

It is possible that broken bones will in the near future be fixed using metallic glass. Materials researchers have developed an alloy that could herald a new generation of biodegradable bone implants.

Scientists have identified two chemicals that convince cells to ignore premature signals to stop producing important proteins. The findings could lead to new medications for genetic diseases, such as cancer and muscular dystrophy, that are sparked by missing proteins.