Catherine Griffin : Science World Report

Jan 02, 2014 10:02 AM EST

New Year Resolutions: Why It's Harder to Shed Pounds Each Year

As you get older, it's easier to pack on the pounds. As people make resolutions to lose weight this New Year, though, scientists have taken a closer look at why this is. Now, they've discovered why as we age, we tend to gain fat more easily and lose it more slowly.

Jan 02, 2014 09:36 AM EST

The Pressures of Guide Dogs: Forces at Work on Canine Harnesses

During their working day, guide dogs communicate with a blind person via a harness and its handle. Yet how comfortable are these harnesses for the dogs? Scientists have investigated the forces guide dogs are exposed to during their work and have found the best types of harnesses to use for both owne...

Jan 02, 2014 09:08 AM EST

Distracted Drivers at Major Risk for Crashes

Driving may be more dangerous than you realized. It turns out that drivers eat, reach for the phone, text or otherwise take their eyes off the road about 10 percent of the time that they're behind the wheel. The findings could have major implications for the road and how important it is to pay atten...

Jan 02, 2014 08:32 AM EST

How Plants Survive in the Desert: Competing for Water with Climate Change

Many think of deserts as inhospitable landscapes devoid of life. Yet many species have adapted to these harsh conditions as they compete for limited resources. Now, scientists have uncovered the unusual mechanisms that plants use in order to survive the desert environment, revealing how they compete...

Jan 02, 2014 08:07 AM EST

High Blood Pressure is More Dangerous for Women Than Men

High blood pressure can be dangerous. Now, though, researchers have shown that it just might be more dangerous for women than men. They've found that there are significant differences in the mechanisms that cause high blood pressure in women as compared to men.

Jan 02, 2014 07:53 AM EST

Florida Mangroves and Salt Marshes Reveal New Climate Change

What are good indicators of climate change? Mangroves along Florida's Atlantic coast are fulfilling that role. As the frequency of hard frosts has declined, these trees have expanded dramatically, revealing how environmental conditions can drastically impact the environment.

Jan 02, 2014 07:29 AM EST

Scientists Map Emotions in the Human Body

It turns out that we may be able to map our emotions. Scientists have found that the most common emotions trigger strong bodily sensations and that the bodily maps of these sensations were different for different emotions.

Jan 01, 2014 06:55 PM EST

New Star System Supports Binary-Star Formation Theory

Scientists have made a new discovery using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). They've found a previously-unseen binary companions to a pair of very young protostars. The new discovery gives strong support for one of the competing explanations for how double-star systems form.

Jan 01, 2014 06:29 PM EST

DNA Barcoding Reveals New Insight into 147 Bird Species

DNA barcoding could help scientists conserve species, such as whales, and even identify new species. Now, researchers have used the method to sequence 388 individuals of 147 different bird species from the Netherlands, revealing a bit more about the evolutionary history of these birds.

Jan 01, 2014 06:23 PM EST

Young Tropical Forests Contribute Less to Biodiversity Conservation

While a section of tropical forest may look green and healthy, that doesn't necessarily mean it's contributing greatly to biodiversity. Scientists have found that young tropical forests, which constitute about half of the world's tropical forests, contribute little to tree-biodiversity conservation.

Jan 01, 2014 06:15 PM EST

Mountain Erosion Accelerates with Cooling Climate: Impact of Glaciers

Earth's mountains, while well understood in some ways, are poorly understood in others--especially when it comes to erosion. Now, scientists have taken a closer look at the coupling of climate and erosion on a global scale, revealing that under a cool climate, erosion rates increase significantly.

Jan 01, 2014 05:51 PM EST

High School Poll Reveals Most Students are Concerned About Mass Shootings

While most high school students feel relatively safe in their schools, it turns out that a significant number of these same students are concerned about the possibility of a mass shooting in their school or community. A new poll reveals that high school seniors are more gun conscious than ever befor...