Apr 24 Gene therapy shows promise to help people regrow auditory nerve cells By Robert Pursell A new study outlines how gene therapy could reverse hearing loss and deafness. This may be music to the ears of the roughly 300,000 patients across the globe that depend on cochlear implants to hear. Australian researchers… Continue reading
Apr 24 'Hidden Serpent' fossil reveals origin of giant flying reptiles By Joshua Barajas Scientists have discovered fragments of the earliest known pterodactyloid -- ancient winged creatures with long skulls and necks, and short tails -- that existed on earth about 163 million years ago, longer than previously thought, according to a new study… Continue reading
Apr 23 'Bionic Eye' allows Michigan man to see again By Sarah Corapi Photo by Wikimedia user Alanthebox After years of being almost completely blind, 55-year-old Roger Pontz is getting a second chance at sight. Pontz, who was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease as a teenager, is now slowly regaining his… Continue reading
Apr 23 Can we save our body's ecosystem from extinction? By Rebecca Jacobson, Inside Energy The sheer amount of bacteria in and on your body weighs three to four pounds, the same weight as the human brain. But overuse of antibiotics is threatening the microbes our guts need, and possibly giving rise to modern plagues. Continue reading
Apr 22 Watch Potential to revive extinct animals raises ethical questions By PBS News Hour Researchers are working to bring back extinct animals like the woolly mammoth and passenger pigeon, operating under the belief that reviving such species could restore vanishing habitats. But many biologists suggest these efforts should focus on endangered, rather than extinct,… Continue watching
Apr 22 Nine lesser-known species that are in danger By Elizabeth Shell On Earth Day, scientists want you to know that more and more animals are becoming extinct. More than 800 animals have gone extinct or extinct in the wild over the last 500 or so years, according to the International Union… Continue reading
Apr 22 On Earth Day, how we play a role in extinction By Elizabeth Shell There are more than 40,000 endangered species in the world -- plants, animals, mollusks, reptiles, etc. -- according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources's Red List. How much of that is due to us?… Continue reading
Apr 22 What's it like to be a fossil? The 'Nation's T.rex' weighed in on Twitter By Colleen Shalby PBS NewsHour will hosted a a Twitter chat with the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and the "Nations' T.Rex."… Continue reading
Apr 22 Should scientists bring extinct species back from oblivion? By Gabriela Quirós, KQED Science Ever since the 1993 blockbuster "Jurassic Park," the possibility of bringing extinct species back to life has been part of our collective imagination. The film, based on a Michael Crichton novel, was itself inspired by actual scientific breakthroughs in… Continue reading
Apr 21 Will you survive Extinction Week? By Travis Daub This week, to mark the 44th observance of Earth day, we invite you to join us in our pursuit to better understand extinction. Continue reading