Plants normally flower in response to seasonal changes, such as those associated with the end of winter or beginning of spring. Scientists have now identified a signaling pathway that allows plants to blossom even without positive signals from the environment. The concentration of a small RNA snippet in plants cells operates like an hour glass: a decline in its level awakes the plant from its...

During a cave diving expedition to explore the Tunnel de la Atlantida, the world's longest submarine lava tube on Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, a team of scientists and cave divers have discovered a previously unknown species of crustacean, belonging to the remipede genus...

Insights into the function of Parkinson's genes can help to understand the causes of this neurodegenerative disease -- and to develop new therapies. Researchers have now discovered that two Parkinson's genes ensure the energy supply of neurons involved in Parkinson's disease.

Psychology researchers studied how positive work experiences extend into family life and facilitate family interactions. They found that employees who are engaged in their work, which includes higher levels of vigor, more dedication and absorption in daily activities, have better moods and more satisfaction at...

More than a half billion people use online social networks, posting vast amounts of information about themselves to share with online friends and colleagues. A new study has found that the practices of many popular social networking sites typically make that personal information available to companies that track Web users' browsing habits, and allow them to link anonymous browsing habits to...

Scientists have successfully grown multiple types of retina cells from two types of stem cells -- suggesting a future in which damaged retinas could be repaired by cells grown from the patient's own skin.

Marine biologists have shown that young lemon sharks born in Bimini, Bahamas, tend to stay near their coastal birthplace for many years. Knowledge about these intermediate-aged animals -- the breeders of tomorrow -- has been limited. Thus, tropical island-nations that sacrifice their nursery habitats to coastal development are therefore likely to lose both babies and much older sharks, with...

Apologizing for negative outcomes -- a practice common even with children -- may lead to more favorable verdicts for auditors in court, according to researchers.

"Thick" blood can cause heart attack and stroke, but also prevent them. Scientists have explained the mechanism of this clinical paradox for the first time on an animal model. Mice with a greater tendency to form blood clots have larger plaques in their vessels, but they are more stable. Thus, there is less risk that these plaques will rupture and obstruct...

Impoverished fishermen along the coast of tropical African countries like Mozambique and Madagascar may have only a few more years to eke out a profit from one of their nations' biggest agricultural exports. Within a few decades, they may no longer have a livelihood at all. That's because swampy mangrove forests – essential breeding grounds for fish and shellfish in these countries – are being...

Solar cells could soon be produced more cheaply using nanoparticle "inks" that allow them to be printed like newspaper or painted onto the sides of buildings or rooftops to absorb electricity-producing sunlight.

Researchers may have a new way to stop and even prevent the urinary tract infections that plague more than a third of all adults, some of them repeatedly.

Low levels of vitamin D are known to nearly double the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes, and researchers now think they know why.

AP - All seven astronauts on space shuttle Discovery's mission are parents, and they have 20 children among themselves.

AP - NASA fueled space shuttle Discovery for an early morning flight to the international space station on Tuesday as a TV comedian whose treadmill is on board gave a "go" for launch and urged, "Let's light this...

A study of 7,689 admissions from 178 adult intensive care units in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has revealed the factors associated with a higher mortality rate in haematological malignancy. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care found that certain factors have a significant impact on the risk of death.

(AP) -- It will likely be Thanksgiving before a significant number of Americans who get the swine flu vaccine are protected, health officials said Monday.

AP - The people who multitask the most are the ones who are worst at it. That's the surprising conclusion of researchers at Stanford University, who found multitaskers are more easily distracted and less able to ignore irrelevant information than people who do less multitasking.

SPACE.com - CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Comedian Stephen Colbert is go for the space shuttle Discovery's Tuesday launch, even if he can't watch the spacecraft send a treadmill named after him into orbit with his own two eyes.

(AP) -- All seven astronauts on space shuttle Discovery's mission are parents, and they have 20 children among themselves.

The last stand in the battle to keep Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes is under way. The Army Corps began tests last week to see whether it can permanently crank up the power on its new electrical fish barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to a strength that will actually turn back all sizes of the fish.

(AP) -- Space shuttle Discovery is fueled and ready for an early morning flight to the international space station.

Training methods for surgeons who perform breast cancer sentinel lymph node resection were found to be effective in almost 97% of surgeons assessed, according to a new study published online August 24 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Weight Watchers is the world's largest support group, with more than 1.5 million members worldwide. What makes overweight consumers turn to this organization for help? A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research says dieters are attracted to its combination of spirituality and therapy.