Despite viruses' reputation as constant shape-shifters, the recent pandemic flu (influenza A H1N1, 2009) bears an uncanny resemblance to the 1918 flu , new research has found. Two new studies, published online March 24 in Science and Science Translational Medicine , describe a small, but crucial structure that the two flu viruses share--and how that similarity might help prevent future outbreaks. [More]

Hair dye and smoking both increase the risk of progressive liver disease, suggests new research. Primary biliary cirrhosis, which is an early form of liver cirrhosis, is a long term progressive autoimmune disease, in which environmental factors are thought to play a part.

Using leptin alone in place of standard insulin therapy shows promise in abating symptoms of type 1 diabetes, researchers report.

Following months of grueling tests and trials, scientists now reveal the world's strongest insect to be a species of dung beetle called Onthophagus taurus.

Scientists have reported widespread global contamination of sea sand and sea water with the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) and said that the BPA probably originated from a surprising source: Hard plastic trash discarded in the oceans and the epoxy plastic paint used to seal the hulls of ships.

Feeling better about the future might help you feel better for real. In a new study, psychological scientists studied how law students' expectations about the future affected their immune response. Their conclusions: optimism may be good for your health.

Astronomers will peer deep into the universe in five directions to document the early history of star formation and galaxy evolution in an ambitious new project requiring an unprecedented amount of time on the Hubble Space Telescope.

Editor's Note: Journalist and crew member Kathryn Eident is traveling on board the RV Atlantis on a monthlong voyage to explore undersea volcanism in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, among other research projects. This is the first blog post detailing this voyage of discovery for ScientificAmerican.com . 

02º36' N x 94º47' W--Thousands of feet below the research vessel Atlantis , three people are roaming the seafloor. With a bathymetric map--a topographical of the seafloor--to chart the way, two scientists and a pilot glide over a craggy landscape filled with seamounts, volcanoes and small valleys. The darkness around them is absolute--they can only see what's immediately in front of them with the lights they've brought. They've been at the bottom of the ocean for a few hours now, collecting rock samples, taking pictures and capturing video. Soon, they will ascend through the depths and returnto the ship. [More]

Who's in charge? Who's got food? The brain region responsible for learning and memory is bigger in social bee queens who may have to address these questions than in solitary queens, report scientists who study the tropical sweat bee species, Megalopta genalis, in Panama. Their study is the first comparison of the brain sizes of social and non-social individuals of the same species.

Scientists are reporting new findings that may help explain why some individuals maintain sharp memory during aging, while others have normal or diminished mental capacity. The scientists found that "super-aged" brains tend to have fewer or no brain 'tangles' when compared to other individuals.