We all have an innate ability to pick a face out of a crowd. But some can memorise thousands of people – often seen only fleetingly on CCTV. Alex Moshakis meets the ‘super recognisers’

Our weight might not be controlled solely by what we eat. When we eat, and when we get to sleep, may be just as important. A small study published this week in Current Biology found people who had been thrown off their circadian rhythms burn more calories in the late afternoon and evening hours than in the morning, when calorie burn is at its lowest. Later in the day, calorie burn increases by 10 percent, or about 129 calories.

The research, published in Mucosal Immunology, found that the presence of intestinal parasites provides long-lasting protection against infection from other species of parasites in other organs. The Malaghan Institute of Medical Research's Dr Kara Filbey, said worms had evolved to manipulate their host's immune system, to prevent it from killing them.

An international team of researchers, including from the University of Washington, has completed a 3D virtual reconstruction of a Neandertal thorax a model that indicates an upright individual.

Appendectomy decreases risk of the neurodegenerative disease, though we can’t yet explain why

Scientists may have found brain cells to control posture. These neurons could explain spatial awareness in everything from yoga to sitting on the couch. 

Our ability to see colors develops in the womb. Now scientists have replicated that process, which could help accelerate efforts to cure colorblindness and lead to new treatments for diseases.

Being unfit should be treated as a disease that has a prescription, called exercise, the study's author said.

A small study of 10 cosmonauts found that spaceflight led to changes in gray and white matter volume in the brain.

The conventional wisdom is that morning people are high achievers, go-getters, while late risers are lazy. But what if going to bed in the wee hours is actually an advantage?

Ever wonder why some people seem to feel less pain than others? A study conducted at Wake Forest School of Medicine may have found one of the answers—mindfulness. "Mindfulness is related to being aware of the present moment without too much emotional reaction or judgment," said the study's lead author, Fadel Zeidan, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurobiology and anatomy at the medical school, part of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. "We now know that some people are more mindful than others, and those people seemingly feel less pain."

History and literature are filled with warnings about the danger of seeking eternal life. But in the latest episode of Crazy/Genius, some scientists say that a dramatic expansion of human lifespans is within reach.

If you have a large brain, certain regions are much bigger than expected and others are smaller – but we don’t know how this affects brain function yet

Over the ages our teeth and our tongue have become ever more crowded by the shrinking of the human jaw.

A paper in the influential scientific journal Nature 25 years ago suggested that left-handed people die younger than right-handed people - but the research was flawed.

Its segments make up 17 percent of our genome, but scientists are only just starting to understand what it does.

Mice given a drug combo see a reverse of some problems caused by senescent cells.

New Zealand scientists have performed the first-ever 3-D, colour X-ray on a human, using a technique that promises to improve the field of medical diagnostics, said Europe's CERN physics lab which contributed imaging technology.

In separate studies published online in Nature on Aug. 1, two independent research teams report the discovery of a new, rare type of cell in the human airway. These cells appear to be the primary source of activity of the CFTR gene, mutations to which cause cystic fibrosis, a multiorgan disease that affects more than 70,000 people worldwide.

A hypothetical model to understand how “touch” is represented in the brain.

Blue light from digital devices and the sun transforms vital molecules in the eye's retina into cell killers, according to optical chemistry research at The University of Toledo.

Light from digital devices triggers creation of toxic molecule in the retina that can cause macular degeneration

Every day a lot of people cycle to and from work or visit the gym to lift heavy weights. Regardless of the form of training they choose, almost everyone does it to improve their health. But we actually know surprisingly little about exactly how different forms of training affect our health.

The first simple blood test to identify your body’s precise internal time clock as compared to the external time has been developed by Northwestern Medicine scientists. The test, TimeSignature – which requires only two blood draws – can tell physicians and researchers the time in your body despite the time in the external world. For instance, even if it’s 8 a.m. in the external world, it might be 6 a.m. in your body.

All your life, you thought you just had an odd-looking little mole. From 2011, what it’s like when a doctor says that you belong in the ranks of Marky Mark, centuries of witches, and Krusty the Clown.

Tigar, a newly discovered protein in the world of Parkinson's, could be the key to stopping the degenerative disease according to research from the University of Sheffield.

Here is the thing about ACL tears: They're not just another injury. They are the Godzilla of injuries. They are painful beyond tolerance, they take eons to rehab, and they always leave a lingering doubt in the athlete's mind that he will ever be whole again. An ACL tear tests one's mettle. An ACL tear goes to the very heart of resilience and mental toughness. An ACL tear is the standard against which the athlete himself measures his determination. An ACL tear is the absolute limit.

People have been fixated on Napoleon's penis since Napoleon's doctor allegedly cut it off during his autopsy in 1821 and gave it to a priest in Corsica. The penis, which was not properly preserved, has been compared over the years to a piece of leather, a shriveled eel and to beef jerky.

Drugs that boost brainpower are increasingly being taken by healthy people to study or work harder. Could this become the norm, or a condition of employment? Would you let your child get on a bus driven by someone on mind-altering drugs? What about having an operation conducted by a surgeon taking stimulant pills? Unappealing at first glance; however would your opinion change if you knew those drugs made the driver less likely to crash, and the surgeon better able to keep a steady hand?

A difference at the smallest level of DNA - one amino acid on one gene - can determine whether you find a given smell pleasant. A different amino acid on the same gene in your friend's body could mean he finds the same odor offensive, according to researchers at Duke University.

Intellectually, a man knows that the size of his penis shouldn’t be specifically relevant in a relationship, to him or to a woman. His common sense tells him that it will certainly not be the major or controlling factor in a woman’s response to him. And yet … he can’t help believing that it is.

Yippee! Let's poison ourselves with beverages that will make us violently ill! It was your battle cry last night, and today you're paying the price. But what is that hangover you're experiencing, exactly?

Jet lag, shift work, and even late nights staring at your tablet or smartphone may be making you sick. That's because the body's internal clock is set for two 12-hour periods of light and darkness, and when this rhythm is thrown off, so is the immune system. One reason may be that the genes that set the body clock are intimately connected to certain immune cells, according to a new study.

The curious case of the now virally famous man with no ass crack suggests that the battle between Darwinists and Creationists may come down to … the cloaca.

In this short video, the folks at Head Squeeze explain why we get car sick (and sea sick, and motion sickness in general). While the explanation is interesting, the most useful bit may be the tip about moving farther forward in the vehicle—I have several relatives who can survive a front-seat ride but simply won't make it in the back.