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“The truth is we don’t need an elaborate educational intervention. Something as simple as a tear-off sheet or a quick conversation about what to watch out for can go a long way,” says Douglas Mogul. (Credit: Megan/Flickr)

Johns Hopkins University

Poop app could save newborns’ lives

A free app and color guide let new parents monitor their newborns' diapers for signs of a serious liver disorder. READ MORE…

"Intensive coffee production is not sustainable," says Shalene Jha. "You exhaust the soil and after a couple of decades, it can no longer grow coffee. On the other hand, the oldest coffee farms in the world have thrived for centuries because the forest replenishes the soil for them." (Credit: Nathan Forget/Flickr)

University of Texas at Austin

Land for ‘green’ shade-grown coffee shrinks

The proportion of land used for shade-grown coffee, relative to the total land area of coffee cultivation, has fallen by nearly 20 percent since 1996. READ MORE…

Beyond learning more about the fly's wind-sensing capabilities, Sawyer Fuller says that this information will also help engineers design small flying robots—creating a sort of synthetic fly. "Our results suggest that little flying vehicles would also do well to have fast wind sensors to compensate for this delay." (Credit: John Tann/Flickr)

California Institute of Technology

Fruit fly antennae kick in for ‘cruise control’

Scientists have discovered that fruit flies regulate their flight speed by using both vision and wind-sensing information from their antennae. READ MORE…

Lonchophylla robusta is one of many bat species found in Panama and Costa Rica, where scientists studied wildlife populations in agricultural areas. (Credit: Matthew Champoux)

Stanford University

Bats suggest wildlife can thrive in ‘altered’ habitat

A new study with bats shows that human-altered landscapes can support more biological diversity than the commonly accepted theory would suggest. READ MORE…

An "intelligent" wireless prosthetic liner could allow clinicians to quickly and accurately assess and optimize socket fit at the outset and could also monitor changes over time, alerting patients of the need to adjust their socket or activities to prevent ulcers from forming. (Credit: Diabetes UK/Flickr)

University of Southampton

‘Smart’ liner detects how leg prosthetics fit

A new device could help relieve the pain and discomfort experienced by amputees as a result of poorly fitting replacement prosthetics for lower limbs. READ MORE…

"The application of stretchable electronics to medicine has a lot of potential," says Yonggang Huang says. "If we can continuously monitor our health with a comfortable, small device that attaches to our skin, it could be possible to catch health conditions before experiencing pain, discomfort, and illness." (Credit: Northwestern University)

Northwestern University

Wireless ‘tattoo’ patch tracks health 24/7

A soft stick-on patch that stretches and moves with the skin can continuously track health and wirelessly send updates to your cellphone or computer. READ MORE…

Within hours of collection, and with the assistance of local scientists and universities, they preserved the samples to extract and isolate the fungal DNA. The researchers then used modern genomic tools to sequence unique stretches of the environmental DNA that can be used as barcodes to identify all of the fungal species present in each sample. (Credit: knitting iris/Flickr)

Stanford University

DNA ‘barcodes’ reveal North America’s 10,000 fungi

Genetic analysis reveals the biodiversity of North American fungi, and shows that they are an under-appreciated contributor to climate change. READ MORE…

"Comparing vaccine reactions, this is a very safe vaccine," says Erna Milunka Kojic. "It doesn’t have any systemic side effects among these women who are already taking medicine for other conditions." (Credit: "syringes" via Shutterstock)

Brown University

HPV vaccine works safely for HIV-positive women

Gardasil can safely help most HIV-positive women produce antibodies against HPV, even if their immune system is weak and they've had some HPV exposure. READ MORE…

Tilted orbits such as those shown above might make some planets wobble like a top that’s almost done spinning, an effect that would maintain liquid water on the surface and give life a chance. (Credit: NASA/GSFC)

University of Washington

Why tilt-a-worlds could be good places for life

A fluctuating tilt in a planet's orbit doesn't rule out the possibility of life, new research shows. READ MORE…

"After accounting for differences in the age of the study participants, effects on height were larger in the youngest children, and effects on weight were larger in the trials that were conducted in Africa," says Amee Manges. (Credit: Pierre Holtz for UNICEF/www.hdptcar.net/Flickr)

McGill University

Antibiotics help malnourished children grow

Researchers report that antibiotics improve the height and weight of the youngest and most vulnerable children in the world, but are not without risks. READ MORE…

"Feeling close to or distant from something affects our behavior and judgment," says Sam Maglio. "We feel more socially connected, more emotionally engaged, and more attuned to the present when something is perceived as close." (Credit: Jiuck/Flickr)

University of Toronto

The closer you get, the closer you’ll feel

Facing in the right direction—straight ahead—makes a destination seem closer, research shows, and the closer you get, the more connected you'll feel. READ MORE…