Corey Binns

Yes, Dr Robert Jarvik invented an artificial heart. But should he be the face of Pfizer's cholesterol drug Lipitor? Congress isn't so sure.

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has asked Mr Jarvik to answer questions regarding his job as poster boy for the pill.

In the hot seat, Jarvik will probably be questioned about his medical credentials--he is not licensed to practice medicine nor is he a cardiologist--as well as his athleticism. In the ads, Jarvik appears to rowing a shell when in fact body doubles from Lake Washington Rowing Club were hired to do the work.

“He’s about as much an outdoorsman as Woody Allen,” said a longtime collaborator, Dr. O. H. Frazier of the Texas Heart Institute. “He can’t row.”

Continue reading 'Congress questions Lipitor's spokesman and his sportsmanship' >

In the film "Jumper," Hayden Christensen plays a superhero who can transport himself by wishing it so. The "I Dream of Jeannie"-like technique sounds a lot easier than Doc Brown's method of rigging up a time traveling DeLorean.

But how close is the film's teleporting to reality?

The New York Times reports on a recent panel of MIT physicists who broke down the science of teleporting. MIT's Edward Farhi said physicists have managed to teleport the quantum information of a photon for about one and a half miles, “a little less exotic than what you see in the movie.”

Continue reading 'Time traveling movie "Jumper" not that far from reality...for protons' >

For all the men out there who just aren't ready to go under the knife, this plug is for you. Researchers in Australian researchers are designing a radio-controlled implant to keep the little guys from reproducing.

Rather than the likely permanent effects of a vasectomy, the radio-controlled implant can be turned on and off with a remote control.

"It will be like turning a TV on and off with a remote control," said team founder Derek Abbott, "except that the remote will probably be locked away in your local doctor's office to safeguard against accidental pregnancy or potential misuse of the device."

Although this method sounds like a go, a remote-controlled sperm plug is several years away from being put to use in the bedroom.

Continue reading 'The latest in birth control for men: Remote-controlled sperm plug' >

The pill has done great things for both men and women's sex lives. Now the 300 million women who have popped the pill can thank it for keeping cancer at bay, too.

The method of contraception hasn't always received great press. Studies have found it increases the risk for breast and cervical cancers.

But other research has found merits to the pill. According to a new study, the pill has prevented 200,000 deaths due to ovarian cancer.

Continue reading 'The Pill cuts cancer risk in half' >

"How many times do I have to ask you to _________?" Fill in the blank. A good screaming match with your mate feels good. And when it's all over, making up brings you closer together. Now researchers have found fights can not only save your marriage, but save your life too.

Couples who suppress their anger when they are verbally attacked die earlier than couples who don't hold back, express their anger, and resolve the conflict, according to a new University of Michigan study.

Continue reading 'Pouting kills. Angry, fighting couples live longer.' >

Take a quick walk on the Quad, and you may catch a whiff of students putting on airs of self entitlement.

Give the kids a break. Just because these youngins broadcast their every breath on MySpace and Facebook, they aren't all ego.

Behavioral scientists have accused today's kids of having an arrogance that previous generations did not. But a new study suggests behavioral scientists have given "Generation Me" a misnomer of a nickname. This generation feels no more cocky than its forebears felt.

Continue reading '"Generation Me" ego no bigger than Gen X's' >

Everyone gets a rise out of watching the 5 foot 8 receiver get jacked up by the 250 pound linebacker. Here's why 16 million viewers of Sunday Night football can't help but love watching the big hits.

The brain processes aggression as a reward, similar to the way it reacts to sex, food and drugs, according to new research.

In a series of experiments on mice, scientists discovered that mice will literally push the button willingly to introduce more aggression into their lives. Behaving just as they would for the good stuff.

"Aggression occurs among virtually all vertebrates and is necessary to get and keep important resources such as mates, territory and food,” says Craig Kennedy, professor of special education and pediatrics at Vanderbilt University. “We have found that the ‘reward pathway’ in the brain becomes engaged in response to an aggressive event and that dopamine is involved.”

Continue reading 'Aggression feels as good as sex, drugs, and rock and roll' >

High school's acne-splotched, gossip-buzzed cafeterias can get ugly. The scene takes an extra emotional toll on those at the bottom of the food chain. What's worse, the pain of teen popularity contests actually expands girls' waistlines.

A new Harvard University study of 4,500 girls suggests that the lower girls think of themselves on the social scale, the greater their risk for gaining weight.

Continue reading 'Low self esteem in teen girls packs on 11 pounds' >

Next time you're late for work, blame it on your fellow motor-mouth commuter.

"That SOB on the cell phone is slowing you down and making you late," says University of Utah psychologist Dave Strayer.

Drivers who talk on their cell phones clog highways, according to new research. They drive more slowly, pass sluggish vehicles less often, and take longer to complete their trips. The University of Utah's Traffic Lab published the study today, siding with common sense.

Continue reading 'Drivers talking on cell phones slow your commute and make you late' >

New research published today suggests heavy phone usage in rural areas can increase a caller's risk of developing tumors. The risk increased when users kept the phone close to one ear and did not use hands free devices.

Of the 1,266 people studied, those who talked on their cell phones for more than 22 hours a month were at 50 percent higher risk of developing tumors in their salivary glands, also called parotid gland tumors.

This may be cause for ringing an alarm considering worldwide mobile subscriptions have reached 3.3 billion.

Continue reading 'Unlimited cell phone minutes in rural areas cause tumors' >

Empty fishing trawls today could lead to lucky fisherman tomorrow.

If fishermen fished for profits, rather than for overflowing nets, both the fishermen and the oceans would be richer, according to a study by scientists at the Australian National University published today. Researchers suggest governments could invest in the fishy economic plan by compensating fishermen today for their losses, and taxing them later.

The study makes a strong case for the battle against overfishing. Plus, it's beneficial for fish, and their 'scaredy-fish'personalities.

But John Tierney at the New York Times points out that it's hard to sell fishermen on this long-term plan. Tragedy of the commons is a much more appealing deal for those trying to put fish on the table today.

At a time when kids should be concerned about acne and a Spice Girls comeback, global warming tops the list of teenage worries.

A recent poll of 50,000 teenagers from 18 countries found that, even though many can not name the cause of the problem, today's teens believe global warming is a serious issue. (Except in North America, where one quarter of those polled aren't sure it's a concern.) For the majority, however, global warming won teen hearts over drugs, violence, and war.

Our future still looks a bit bleak. A staggering 20 percent of teens polled don't know what causes global warming, or how to prevent it.

Continue reading 'Teenagers worry about global warming but don't know why' >

Heather Kuzmich may not have connected with her fellow contestants, but she sure had something special going on with the camera. The 21-year-old model with Asperger's made it to the final five in the reality show "America's Next Top Model," hosted by the fierce Tyra Banks.

Continue reading 'America's Next Top Model has Asperger's' >

Update: Science Talk, the original podcast of Scientific American, features interviews with the winners highlighted in this post.

In 2005, ex-Harvard University President Lawrence Summers kindly brought to light his hypothesis that genes explain for the lack of women in top science jobs. Men in those high ranking positions may want to hold on tight to those high-ranking positions.

Girls stole the show today, winning the most coveted high school science prizes at the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology.

Continue reading 'Girls trounce science competition: Lawrence Summers 0; High school girls 3' >

Footprints of both creatures have recently been discovered. But apparently the two didn't cross paths.

Reuters reports that a U.S. film crew's unveiling of fresh prints around Mt Everest has sparked a new fury of Yeti believers. Meanwhile, hunters spotted thousands of dino tracks in an ATV park in Utah, just north of the Arizona border.

Continue reading 'Abominable snowman and dinosaur footprints found' >