A Raw Nerve: A recently discovered gene involved in Lou Gehrig’s disease could lead to cures for the neurodegenerative condition. Or that’s what the newspapers said, anyway. Nature Medicine (*with podcast)
Body Conscious: When it comes to artificial intelligence, the brain isn’t everything. New Scientist
Our Body the Ecosystem: Studying our natural skin bacteria could help doctors cure diseases that affect millions. Popular Science
Shades of Grief: When does mourning become a mental illness? Scientific American
An Ear for Poetry: In his strikingly lyrical work, poet Frank Gallimore pays tribute to the culture in which he was raised — a culture, he fears, that may soon die out. Johns Hopkins Magazine (CASE Gold Medal Winner)
Head Case: In 2009, fMRI made its debut in court. Is the technique is ready to weigh in on the fate of murderers? Nature (*with podcast)
Outlook for a Cure: There is a formidable arsenal of drugs available to treat HIV. For the first time in years, there is also renewed hope of a cure. Nature
Shaken, Not Stirred: Hagia Sophia has stood four-square in Istanbul for more than 1,500 years. In a region notorious for earthquakes, what’s keeping this venerable building standing? Nature
When Patients March In: Impatient with the slow pace of clinical research, families of individuals suffering from untreatable diseases are taking matters into their own hands. Nature Biotechnology
Markers of Dispute: The gold standard for early detection of prostate cancer, PSA, has recently come under fire for its high rate of false positives. A close look at the researchers hunting for viable—and profitable—alternatives. Nature Medicine (*with podcast)
The Most Beautiful Painting You’ve Ever Heard: Inside synesthesia. Seed
Mercury Rising: Parents of children with autism are mounting a campaign against scientists who refute the link between vaccines and autism. Nature Medicine
Einstein Versus the Nobel Prize: Why the Nobel Committee repeatedly dissed this “world-bluffing Jewish physicist.” Discover
Working Modeler: Sally Blower is trying to use math to map the complex patterns of infectious disease. Her models have formed the basis of several TV shows, but are they too simplistic in real life? The Scientist
