Hopes for new Alzheimer's drugs that would slow or stop the disease's inexorable decline have repeatedly foundered in recent years. Large pharmaceutical companies, which have pushed ahead with drugs that stop the buildup of toxic proteins that damage and kill brain cells, have reported a recurring string of bad news. Just one example: Eli Lilly had to suspend last year the trial of a pharmaceutical designed to prevent the production of the toxic amyloid-beta protein because patients' cognition actually worsened on the drug. [More]

Anxiety around children's eating habits often peaks during sweets-laden holidays like Halloween, but the factors that contribute to excess weight in kids extend well beyond special occasions. Most children who are obese--now 17 percent in the U.S.--will carry that extra heft into adulthood, along with the long-term health consequences. Scientists project that today's generation of children will live shorter lives than their parents and have higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and atherosclerosis. Despite diverse efforts--from First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate nutrition guidance changes--the number of overweight and obese children does not seem to be dropping, which has sent scientists searching for other drivers of the childhood obesity epidemic. [More]

It’s time to get scared. Nightmare On Elm Street, Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre will be airing on TVs through to midnight tonight, Halloween.

The holiday reminds us that we love to be scared. Too much fear, however, is no good. At the extreme are phobias.

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Mobile DNA molecules that jump from one location in the genome to another may contribute to neurological diseases and could have subtle influences on normal brain function and behavior, according to a study published October 30 in Nature . ( Scientific American is part of Nature Publishing Group.) [More]

Plug-in electric cars such as the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf have only just begun to penetrate the U.S. consumer market, but already automakers are thinking ahead to the next technological advance: a car that can recharge itself anytime and (almost) anywhere. [More]

A tiny difference in the coding pattern of a single gene significantly affects the rate at which men's intellectual function drops with advancing age, investigators at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System have learned. In a study published online on Oct...

Dr. Insel gives an update in our efforts to reduce suicide in America.

This year has been the worst in recent history for natural disasters in the U.S., with record-level floods, fires, and hurricanes. Such disasters naturally bring up questions about why , and religious beliefs are often part of the answers given. Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church claimed that the tornado in Joplin, MO was a direct result of the town’s sins. Michele Bachmann’s aides scrambled to classify her comments about Hurricane Irene’s “message to Washington” as a joke. With each new tragedy comes a familiar chorus on the retaliatory nature of an avenging God, or the seeming vengeance of a loving God trying to save us from ourselves. Either version depicts the central attachment figure of Judeo-Christian culture as shaky and capricious, and this view can have real-life implications for believers.

A recent Gallup Poll showed that the number of Americans with no religious affiliation has jumped from 9 percent to 16 percent over the last decade, but the overwhelming majority self-identify as religious. Presumably, some of the unaffiliated group still maintain core spiritual beliefs as well. In a culture where over 80 percent of the population identifies itself as Christian (37 percent of those evangelical), people’s beliefs about the nature of the divine can have significant ramifications on mental health--particularly in times of great uncertainty.

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A study focusing on the family and friends of people who were suicidal has highlighted the main challenges they face when trying to judge whether a person is in danger and decide what they should do about it. The research was carried out by Dr...

A report published yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that, every 15 minutes an individual in the U.S. dies as a result of suicide. In addition it was revealed that for each individual who dies, several others are contemplating, planing or attempting suicide. In Utah, around 1 in 15 ( 6.8%) adults have serious thoughts of suicide compared to 1 in 50 (2...