ScienCentral News: Making Sense of Science

Trying to cut calories at that fourth-of-July barbecue? Diet foods and drinks may not be the answer. This ScienCentral News video explains why new research shows foods with no calories just aren't as satisfying.

Worried about how much water you use, but love your healthy-looking yard? New research into how plants conserve water may help scientists to engineer a less thirsty lawn. This ScienCentral News video explains.

Are cats good at preventing asthma? That's the finding of a group of scientists studying childhood allergies in houses with and without cats, as this ScienCentral video reports.

Genetics researchers have debunked a racial myth about who might benefit from a widely used heart failure medication. As this ScienCentral video reports, the finding will eventually allow personalized treatments for this devastating disease.

Researchers have announced today that they'll soon start human trials of a cancer fighting method that uses blood from people who may be naturally cancer resistant. As this ScienCentral News video explains, for a decade the researchers have studied how this works in mice, and now they've received federal approval to try it in people.

The new Disney movie WALL-E features robots of the future actively helping humans. But the future is now. This ScienCentral News video reports on a real robot that could help us take care of elderly relatives from miles away.

Tiny particles of silver designed to kill germs are being put into socks to control odor. But as this ScienCentral News video explains, what happens to that nanosilver later is concerning some scientists.

Researchers have discovered that where you vote can influence how you vote. They found that images that surround you, what consumer researchers call "cues," could influence your decisions.

One of the main drivers of world's weather is moving due to climate change. As this ScienCentral News report explains, scientists are finding that the jet stream, that river of air that pushes storms across the country, is moving towards the north and south poles.

In "The Happening," common plants release a neurotoxin that threatens the survival of the human race. This movie premise may be far-fetched, but scientists say summer is a good time to familiarize yourself with toxic plants that can be harmful to your health. This ScienCentral News video has more.

ScienCentral went out on the streets of New York City to catch people having real tip-of-the-tongue experiences. Watch the video to see the results, or test yourself with some of the questions below.

They don't call them flies for nothing. While we try to avoid the relentless aerial acrobatics of flies, some scientists have built them their own flight simulator. As this ScienCentral News video reports, the work could lead to new flying robots.

Biologists can now observe the workings inside our cells in full color, 3-D -- and soon to be real-time. As this ScienCentral News video explains, scientists have invented a way to trick a light microscope into revealing more details than ever before seen.

Physics Nobel prize winner Dr. Leon Lederman criticizes the state of science education in the U.S. In this ScienCentral video, he explains who's to blame and what it will take to make a change.

"You are what you eat" may be more true than we think. Researchers have linked a specific gene difference to consuming more sugary foods. And as this ScienCentral News video explains, they even uncovered how the sweet tooth gene likely affects sugar intake.

Do you crave the companionship of a pet, but can't be dogged by the commitment? New research suggests that robotic dogs can give you some of the same benefits you'd get from the real thing. This ScienCentral News video explains.

Could future hurricane forecasters learn about hurricane intensity simply by listening to them? As this ScienCentral report explains, researchers are finding a way to match the sound below the ocean's surface to the hurricane's wind speed.

Scientists are using virtual reality to help alcoholics cope with situations that might get them in trouble. This ScienCentral News video explains.

Feeling sad and bad about ourselves is not only unpleasant -- it can also be hard on our wallets. Psychology researchers have found that these emotions can cost you three times more for the same item than being in a better mood, as this ScienCentral News video reports.

DEET is the most widely used mosquito repellent for the last five decades. So isn't it time scientists discovered a better one? This ScienCentral News video explains how new research could bring us a better bug spray.

Scientists are trying to decode the genetic causes of schizophrenia. But as this ScienCentral News video explains, new research suggests that nearly every person with the illness has a different genetic defect.

It's "chilling" detective work as scientists try to figure out the mystery of exactly how global warming is causing Greenland's glaciers to speed up on their way to the sea. As this ScienCentral News report explains, however, the leading suspect in this case has been cleared...mostly.

Why does food look more appealing when you are hungry? Scientists are finding that the same chemical in your stomach that causes hunger also changes how your brain perceives food, as this ScienCentral News video explains.

A dying and blind dog was given a last opportunity to see, thanks to a veterinarian who has figured out why some dogs suddenly go blind. This ScienCentral News video explains.

Scientists are finding more about how that bulge around your belly is more harmful than the pounds you may have elsewhere on your body. As this ScienCentral News video reports, belly fat may cause blockages in the arteries, and the finding could lead to better drugs to protect against heart disease.

This Mothers' Day, thank your mom for listening. That's because psychologists now say that explaining things to your mom actually helps you learn better.

Allergy season is here, and along with your hay fever, you may be experiencing the annoying side effects of today's drugs. But a new treatment for allergies--with fewer side effects--might come from the same substance blamed for global warming, carbon dioxide. This ScienCentral News video explains.

Whether it's hitting the books for exams or extreme situations like combat, lack of sleep often comes at times when we need to perform at our best. Now, as this ScienCentral News video reports, brain researchers studying how sleep deprivation impairs memory have found a potential remedy.

Curly or straight? Too much or too little? If you don't like the hair you were born with, this ScienCentral News video reports that a scientific solution might be in the near future.

Scientists have found a way to convert wood fiber from trees into fuel for your car. As this ScienCentral News report explains, the surprisingly simple process might put biofuels in your car's tank without using the world's food supply.