Newsweek Health Headlines

Why Language May Shape Our Thoughts

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:19:19 GMT

Language may shape our thoughts.

Watch Funny Videos--Google Will Pay!

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:11:13 GMT

But It Will Cost Google Plenty.

Is Unconscious Plagiarism a Real Phenomenon?

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:42:01 GMT

Is cryptomnesia—copying the work of others without being aware of it—to blame for journalism's ultimate sin? Um, maybe not.

Oregon Trial Spotlights Faith Healing Cases

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:34:56 GMT

An Oregon couple is the latest to be tried for prohibiting medical treatment for their sick child. A look at 'faith healing' in America.

A Disturbing New Green Parenting Book

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:02:36 GMT

What's so disturbing about a new green parenting guide?

The Cochrane Collaboration: Fact-Checking Science

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:22:47 GMT

Meet the Cochrane Collaboration, a group of scientists who are verifying the latest research in their spare time.

Are the Chemicals Released by Fireworks Dangerous?

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:49:07 GMT

Are "green" fireworks the answer to unhealthy pyrotechnics?

Biologists Struggle to Make Sense of Genomics

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:04:19 GMT

Ten years ago, the human genome was medicine's holy grail. Playing the part of King Arthur's knights were rival teams of biologists racing to sequence all the genetic instructions required to make a human being. And just as the actual Holy Grail was believed to have miraculous healing powers, some promised that the genome would change medicine forever. Biotech companies raced to cash in—Human Genome Sciences, for instance, filed patents on 100,000 genes and, in 1999, saw its stock quadruple. But genomic science didn't deliver fast breakthroughs. Today Human Genome's stock price is down below $3, and its vast patent portfolio looks like overkill, considering that a human has only about 20,000 genes altogether.

Eric Kandel: A Biology of Mind

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:44:04 GMT

Understanding the biology of mental illness would be a paradigm shift in our thinking about mind. It would not only inform us about some of the most devastating diseases of humankind but, because these are diseases of thought and feeling, it would also tell us more about who we are and how we function. I naively thought we were on the verge of such a paradigm change in 1983, when James Gusella and Nancy Wexler were tracking down the gene that causes Huntington's disease. I expected that within 10 years we would have found the major genes that contribute to schizophrenia, depression, and autism. Since then, there has been a lot of enthusiasm about genes and mental illness and some false starts, but surprisingly little progress.

Life's Complexities Just Begin with the Genome

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:54:01 GMT

The genome's bounty is further off than expected, but it may yet yield deeper and wider insights.

Healthy Competition Advances the Field of Biology

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:52:31 GMT

About 10 years ago, biology entered betting season. An upstart scientist named J. Craig Venter jolted the genetics establishment by launching his own gene-sequencing outfit, funded by commercial investment, and setting off toward biology's holy grail—the human genome—on his own. It was Venter versus the old guard—old because of where they got their money (governments and trusts) and the sequencing technique they wanted to hold onto. Venter won that race, and not because he got there first. By combining the freedom of academic inquiry and commercial capital, he came up with a new way of doing science so effective that it forced the old institutions to either ramp up or play second fiddle.

After Swine Flu, Another Puzzling Virus

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:08:14 GMT

While the world focuses on swine flu, another enigmatic virus is making a reappearance. Why hard-hit Turkey is divided on the best defense.

Dubious Health Lessons From Reality TV

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:42:21 GMT

And other dubious health lessons from reality TV.

Life Without Summer Camp

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:48:29 GMT

The economic downturn could be the best thing that ever happened to kids. The return of free play.

How We Perceive Male and Female Emotions

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:28:13 GMT

She's emotional. He's having a bad day.

Can We Blame Our Bad Behavior on Stone-Age Genes?

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:47:02 GMT

The fault, dear Darwin, lies not in our ancestors, but in ourselves.

Alter: Obama Must Make Insurers Compete

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:53:24 GMT

Obama must make insurers compete.

Doctor Who Adopted Thousands of Abandoned Embryos

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:18:14 GMT

In 1995, a California doctor took responsibility for thousands of unwanted embryos. He's still figuring out what to do with them.

FactCheck: Investigating Obama's Health Care Claims

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:22:58 GMT

He says the uninsured cost the rest of U.S. families $1,000 a year.

Opinion: Why I Support Legal Late-Term Abortions

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:49:25 GMT

Abortion wasn't an option for my parents, but raising my severely retarded brother nearly destroyed our family.