Optimism Is Key to Successful Aging

A resilient attitude may be the secret to successful aging, perhaps even trumping good physical health, finds a new study. Researchers surveyed 1,006 randomly selected adults in San Diego, Calif., between the ages of 50 and 99 (with a mean age of about 77) through a 25-minute phone interview, followed by a mail-in survey. In addition to evaluating the participants' physical health conditions, such...

Read More..

Volcanoes, Not Meteorite, Killed Dinosaurs, Scientist Argues

SAN FRANCISCO — Volcanic activity in modern-day India, not an asteroid, may have killed the dinosaurs, according to a new study. Tens of thousands of years of lava flow from the Deccan Traps, a volcanic region near Mumbai in present-day India, may have spewed poisonous levels of sulfur and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and caused the mass extinction through the resulting global warming and...

Read More..

Hovering Drone Grabs Spotlight with 6-Foot Arm

Look out humans — a robot floating in midair with a 6-foot arm now exists outside the realm of science fiction films like "Star Wars." The U.S. military recently tested a hovering drone's ability to attach its claw to a target object. The "V-Bat" is a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drone that can fly like a robotic aircraft and hover in place while standing upright on its tail, according to...

Read More..

Nail Salon Lamps Don't Raise Skin Cancer Risk

While the risk of developing skin cancer is known to be linked with exposure to ultraviolet light, it's been less clear whether the UV lamps used in nail salons might raise the risk of skin cancer. Now, a new study suggests these lamps don't increase skin cancer risk. In the study, researchers looked at three commonly used UV nail lamps. They measured the light, in terms of its likely carcinogenic...

Read More..