Tag Archives: science

But this isn’t a case involving gay men. Via CNN: A New Jersey father has been ordered to pay child support for one girl in a set of twins after DNA tests proved he is not the father of both, according to court documents. The mother testified in a paternity case that, within a week’s time, she had sexual intercourse …

Via Science Daily: Scientists from the Oak Crest Institute of Science, in Pasadena, CA, report that they have developed a matchstick size implant, similar to a contraceptive implant, that successfully delivers a controlled, sustained release of ARV drugs for up to 40 days in dogs with no adverse side effects. “To our knowledge this is the first implant to be …

From NASA: The brilliant tapestry of young stars flaring to life resemble a glittering fireworks display in the 25th anniversary NASA Hubble Space Telescope image, released to commemorate a quarter century of exploring the solar system and beyond since its launch on April 24, 1990. “Hubble has completely transformed our view of the universe, revealing the true beauty and richness …

NPR reports: A New York judge has granted two research chimps the writ of habeas corpus – a move that allows them to challenge their detention. The decision, says Science magazine, effectively recognizes chimps as legal persons, marking the first time in U.S. history that an animal has been given that right. The order, dated April 20, requires Stony Brook …

Slash Gear reports: EnChroma wants to color your world, especially if your vision is missing a few colors. Showcasing the new EnChroma specs is a short documentary entitled “Color for the Colorblind.” This video will tug at your heart-strings. It puts a face on the perception of colorblindness, as we get to see how impaired color vision affects individual lives, …

USA Today reports: Gay and bisexual men in the United States are twice as likely as heterosexual men to get skin cancer, a new study shows. One likely reason: Gay and bisexual men are three times more likely to engage in indoor tanning, according to the study to be presented Friday in San Francisco at a meeting of the American …

Mashable reports: The Northern Lights could be seen pulsating through the sky in several cities throughout North America on Tuesday evening due to a rare geomagnetic storm. The colorful display was also caught on camera in areas within Canada and Europe. The geomagnetic storm, which is just one notch below the highest category of solar storm, began at about 10 …

The Washington Post reports: In a nine-hour surgery, a South African medical team successfully transplanted the penis of a dead donor to a young man without one. Three months later, they say, the recipient, who lost his penis because of complications from a ritual circumcision, has a totally functional sexual organ. That makes him the first successful recipient of a …

Via Medical Daily: A possible “functional cure” for HIV has recently been granted FDA approval for further human testing. The method uses genetic modification to cause a specific mutation in the white blood cells of HIV patients which mirrors those found in the naturally immune. It has so far shown to be both receptive and long-lasting. The novel therapy involves …

Via Science Magazine: Show me the monkey. Seeing is believing, and a study in rhesus macaques with a new imaging technique reveals for the first time a real-time map of an AIDS virus replicating in the entire body of a living animal. The results point to some unexpected hideouts of the simian AIDS virus, or SIV. And the experiments also …

Via the Associated Press: For the first time, a study shows that a drug used to treat HIV infection also can help prevent it when taken before and after risky sex by gay men. The results offer hope of a more appealing way to help prevent the disease beyond taking daily pills and using condoms, although those methods are still …

Via press release from the CDC: More than 90 percent of new HIV infections in the United States could be averted by diagnosing people living with HIV and ensuring they receive prompt, ongoing care and treatment. This finding was published today in JAMA Internal Medicine by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Using statistical modeling, the authors …

From the American Foundation for AIDS Research: amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, today announced that it has created a $100 million investment strategy in support of its Countdown to a Cure for AIDS initiative, launched last year with the aim of developing the scientific basis of a cure by 2020. The establishment of the amfAR Institute for HIV Cure …

The original Sunday Times article is behind a paywall. The Daily Mail recaps: Babies with two fathers or two mothers could become a reality after a breakthrough by researchers at Cambridge. They have shown that it is possible to make human egg and sperm cells using skin from two adults of the same sex. The development could help men and …

Via Science Daily: In a remarkable new advance against the virus that causes AIDS, scientists from the Jupiter, Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have announced the creation of a novel drug candidate that is so potent and universally effective, it might work as part of an unconventional vaccine. The research, which involved scientists from more than a …

The Mars One mission has named the 100 finalists for its proposed one-way trip to colonize the red planet. More than 200,000 people applied to Mars One in 2013, hoping to be chosen to colonize Mars. Applicants had to be at least 18 years old, healthy and between 5’2″ and 6’3″ tall, as well as fulfilling various personality requirements such …

Researchers have identified a new fast-moving strain of HIV in Cuba. Some patients have reportedly progressed to full-blown AIDS in under three years. Without treatment, HIV infection usually takes 5 to 10 years to turn into AIDS, according to Anne-Mieke Vandamme, a medical professor at Belgium’s University of Leuvan. According to the study, published in the journal EBioMedicine, Vandamme was …

Via BBC News: MPs have voted in favour of the creation of babies with DNA from two women and one man, in a historic move. The UK is now set to become the first country to introduce laws to allow the creation of babies from three people. In a free vote in the Commons, 382 MPs were in favour and …

Via UPI: Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has been made the chair for the Senate subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness, which oversees NASA. Cruz said in 2013 it is “critical” the United States show continued leadership in space exploration and development. However, his opinion on climate change, which NASA is heavily involved in studying, has been a skeptical one. “The …