Researchers are developing a blood test that can tell not only whether someone has cancer, but in what organ the tumors are lurking. The test could mean more prompt, potentially life-saving treatment for patients. Researchers describe their blood test as a kind of dual authentication process. It is able to …

Gorging on bacon, skimping on nuts? These are among food habits that new research links with deaths from heart disease, strokes and diabetes. Overeating or not eating enough of 10 specific foods and nutrients contributes to nearly half of U.S. deaths from these causes, the study suggests. ”Good” foods that …

Researchers at New York University’s School of Medicine found that diabetes increased the risk of cancer death among Asians by an average of 26 percent, a statistic similar in the West.  Data for the new study drew on an analysis of 770,000 people with Type 2 diabetes throughout East and …

Brazil’s federal environmental agency, Ibama, launched on Tuesday a centralized database to track timber from source to sale, a vital step in the fight against illegal logging in the Amazon. The system, known as Sinaflor, allows individual trees to be electronically tagged and monitored as they are cut down and …

Minor floods caused by rising sea levels may end up costing U.S. coastal communities as much money and resources as major hurricane disasters, U.S. scientists said. As climate change causes sea levels to rise, such “nuisance flooding” is expected to become more frequent and costly for cities like Washington, San …

The secret to better job satisfaction may be as easy as having a healthy sex life, a new study suggests. According to researchers at Oregon State University, married employees who “prioritized sex at home” were better workers and enjoyed work more. On the other hand, the research showed that people …

In a pediatric ward at Queen Elizabeth Central hospital, the largest referral health facility in Malawi, mothers look frustrated because of a long wait for a nurse to check on their children. A visit to other outpatient wards reveals more packed waiting rooms. Such is the situation in public hospitals …

It’s hard to teach young women about getting ahead through technology when they don’t even have enough light to study. That was the problem facing The Green Girls Project in Cameroon. So project leaders took a break from their lessons and focused on solving that problem. The result is enlightening. …

The generation gap is being bridged, one relationship at a time, through partnerships in an expiremental program between U.S. universities and retirement homes. Faith Lapidus explains. …

Children in Syria are suffering from “toxic stress,” a severe form of psychological trauma that can cause life-long damage, according to a report released Thursday. The report by the nonprofit Save the Children paints a horrifying picture of terrified children developing speech disorders and incontinence, and some even losing the …

A new U.S. satellite is mapping lightning flashes worldwide from above, which should provide better warning about dangerous strikes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Monday released the first images from a satellite launched last November that had the first lightning detector in stationary orbit. It includes bright flashes …

Three neuroscientists won the world’s most valuable prize for brain research Monday for pioneering work on the brain’s reward pathways — a system that is central to human and animal survival, as well as disorders such as addiction and obesity. Peter Dayan, Ray Dolan and Wolfram Schultz, who all work …

Scientists are developing an antibiotic from a microorganism found in soil to fight the tuberculosis bacterium. As TB becomes increasingly resistant to existing antibiotics, soil could hold the key to new drugs against this global killer. Tuberculosis is treatable with antibiotics, but in thousands of cases, antibiotic misuse has caused …

Thai veterinarians on Monday removed 915 coins from a 25-year-old sea turtle which had been swallowing items thrown into her pool for good luck, eventually limiting her ability to swim. The coins and other objects removed from the turtle named Omsin — piggy bank in Thai — weighed 5 kg (11 lb). …

Environmental pollution kills more than 1 in 4 children under the age of five every year – that’s 1.7 million children worldwide.    The World Health Organization warns these child deaths will increase dramatically if action is not taken to reduce environmental risks. WHO examines the impact of harmful environments …

Unless new antibiotics are developed quickly, people will once again die from common infections. The World Health Organization has issued an urgent call for scientists to develop these new drugs, and for governments to fund the research. Dr. Trish Perl, chief of infectious diseases at University of Texas Southwestern Medical …

Unless new antibiotics are developed quickly, people will once again die from common infections. The World Health Organization on Feb. 27 issued an urgent call for scientists to develop these new drugs, and for governments to fund the research. VOA’s Carol Pearson reports. …

Science students from across Africa met in Zimbabwe’s capital of Harare to share their ideas and inventions at the inaugural Africa Science Buskers Festival. The event, which organizers say targets more than 20,000 students in Zimbabwe alone, aims to inspire and develop a love of science among primary and secondary …

A genetic “mutational meltdown” helped push the woolly mammoth toward extinction, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, say they compared genetic material from mammoths when they were plentiful and material from when the population was in decline. What they found was “genome deterioration” that …

Friday is U.N. World Wildlife Day, which aims to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. This year’s theme is “Listen to the Young Voices,” but many campaigners warn that future generations may never see many of the species around today because they are on the …

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, better known as drones, are increasingly being used in emergency situations. But safety concerns in a congested airspace prompted the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, to limit their use. Researchers from the University of Maryland hope the regulations will be eased for drones making emergency medical deliveries. …

Friday marks the United Nations’ World Wildlife Day, which aims to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. Each year more species are added to the U.N.’s endangered list. Activists warn drastic action is needed to save many from extinction, as Henry Ridgwell reports. …

Scientists have long suspected a strong link between fat and cancer. But a recent study in the journal Science has found a direct link between a fat and cancer’s ability to spread. The finding could lead to a new way to treat cancer. Faith Lapidus narrates this report by Kevin …

A threatened gap in global health funding because of a new ban on some U.S. aid prompted a hastily called international meeting of about 50 governments in Brussels Thursday. The major concern is continuing to support family planning services for poor countries. At an estimated $10 billion a year, the …

Rates of microcephaly and certain other birth defects were 20 times higher in pregnancies affected by Zika compared with pregnancies in years before the virus arrived in the Americas, U.S. researchers said Thursday. The increase emphasizes the ongoing risk of Zika during pregnancy, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease …