33 h. ago Having a dog can boost teenagers’ mental health, say scientists

Researchers find children who own dogs score lower for social problems, aggressive behaviour and delinquencyHaving a dog in the home could help boost teenagers’ mental health, research suggests, with scientists adding this could in part be down to the sharing of microbes.Prof Takefumi Kikusui, of Azabu University in Japan, who led the work, said being with dogs could reduce owners’ stress and stimulate the release of the bonding hormone oxytocin. Continue reading...

Science

43 h. ago Meet the UK scientists working on a cure for cancer in new Channel 4 show

The final instalment of this documentary will showcase Professor Caroline Dive's blood screening methods to identify cancer before it even appears on scans

Science

43 h. ago Scientists working to 'cure cancer' in new Channel 4 show share 'exciting possibilities'

The three-part documentary follows experts developing a lung cancer prevention vaccine, blood tests to detect cancer early, and new brain cancer treatments

Science

3 d. ago Smelling bacon in the WOMB could be cause of adulthood obesity, scientists suggest

German researchers have suggested that the smell of such fatty foods increases the risk of babies developing the condition later in life.

Politics

6 d. ago Bird flu could be ‘resistant’ to body’s defence system, scientists warn

A new study has shown that bird flu continues to thrive even during a fever

Events

7 d. ago New study challenges what we know about tattoos and skin cancer

Despite their popularity, scientists still do not know whether tattoos have any impact on health

Politics

8 d. ago Slash your daily calories to live longer and have a healthier brain, say scientists

Slashing your daily calorie intake by 30 per cent could help you live longer, new research has suggested.

Society

1 week ago Scientists find new link between gut health and this everyday essential

There is still a lot science does not understand about the gut microbiome

Science

1 week ago Scientists pinpoint the body type which can protect you against brain ageing linked to dementia

Researchers may be on the edge of a medical breakthrough, after finding that people with more muscle mass, but less hidden fat have healthier, younger brains.

Politics

1 week ago Alzheimer's breakthrough as scientists find supplement could lower risk

Scientists say the 'exciting' discovery could pave the way for potential treatments

Events

2 w. ago Scientists make ‘striking’ discovery about what mental health conditions do to your brain

Brains with anxiety, depression, ADHD or conduct disorder tended to have a reduced surface area in regions responsible for processing emotions, responding to threats and maintaining awareness of bodily states

Events

2 w. ago Can a bra really detect breast cancer? 'Smart' device developed by British scientists could spot disease in specific group of women

British scientists, who developed the 'smart bra', believe the tech will detect tumours as small as 5mm, which may be missed in between mammogram screenings.

Science

3 w. ago PHOTO ESSAY: Scientists trying to unravel one of the body's biggest mysteries

A peek inside some leading research labs shows how scientists-turned-detectives are painstakingly decoding what causes autoimmune diseases and how to stop the immune system from attacking you instead of protecting you.

Culture

3 w. ago Scots nurses hacked off teenager's hair and forced her into "suicide smock" at mental health unit

Sadie McKenzie claims she has been left traumatised by her treatment when she was admitted in 2020 at the age of just 15.

Society

3 w. ago Scientists discover one symptom making hospital patients six times more likely to die

A new study has found a symptom that affects up to one in 10 patients in hospital could increase their risk of death

Science

3 w. ago ‘The ward felt like a prison. What had I let them do?’: how my daughter was crushed by a health service meant to help her

Ruth was 14 years old and being treated for an eating disorder when she died after being detained under the Mental Health Act. She wasn’t allowed to see her family for more than a few hours a week. How did the system we trusted – and I worked for as a GP – fail us so tragically?I remember so clearly the moment it dawned on me that the mental health ward where my teenage daughter was being treated felt like little more than a prison. Ruth had been so trusting. So had we. That all changed the day she was moved from our local hospital to Thames Ward at Huntercombe hospital in Berkshire. When we left, she walked so easily down to the hospital transport with me and the play therapist – who hugged her tight and waved goodbye. When the van door opened at the other end, the stark building loomed over us. We were met and escorted up a flight of stairs and through the double, air-locked, doors, one slamming closed behind us, the person with the keys waiting for the first lock to click before ...

Events

3 w. ago Scientists edge closer to beating world's deadliest disease with first vaccine in over 100 years

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) may be on the cusp of making a new vaccine to combat a rise in the world's deadliest disease, which takes 1million lives worldwide.

Events

4 w. ago DNA structures captured in ‘exquisite detail’ using new technique

Scientists are hopeful it will improve understanding of how genes work, what goes wrong in disease, and how to fix it.

Politics