Francis Crick Institute

Major depression now believed to be caused by abnormalities in immune cells of the brain; may revolutionize next-generation psychiatric medication treatment, according to Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers. “Microglia” cells in the brain, acting as first and main form of active immune defense of central nervous system, may be a key to causing depression. Latest

Researchers at the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw, using the liquid crystal elastomer technology, originally developed in the LENS Institute in Florence, demonstrated a bioinspired micro-robot capable of mimicking caterpillar gaits in natural scale. The 15-millimeter long soft robot harvests energy from green light and is controlled by spatially modulated laser beam.

Image via Wikipedia Some countries believe climate change will increase the need for food aid Poor countries considered vulnerable to climate change have pledged to embark on moves to a low-carbon future, and challenge richer states to match them. The declaration from the first meeting of a new 11-nation forum calls on rich countries to

Scientists are reporting development and successful lab tests on the first potential drug to pack a lethal one-two punch against melanoma skin cancer cells. Hit number one destroys cells in the main tumor, and the second hit blocks the spread of the cancer to other sites in the body, according to their report in the

A well-known experiment with young people bouncing a ball showed that when an observer focuses on counting the passes, he does not detect if someone crosses the stage disguised as a gorilla. According to researchers at the University of Cádiz (Spain), something similar could be happening to us when we try to discover intelligent non-earthly

Korean scientists are developing a powerful new sound and motion sensor that could someday give people, buildings and more the equivalent of “Spidey sense.” This isn’t some fantastical plot twist from a new Spider-Man movie, but rather a practical application of the discovery of how spider legs function in the real world. These “crack sensors”

For millennia, philosophers have debated whether or not the self exists solely in the mind, the body, or both. Well, it’s unclear whether this will help clear things up or just muddy the waters further, but Swedish neuroscientists are now claiming that the human brain can add outside objects such as a third arm to

A team of MU researchers are applying one of the first uses of artificial intelligence principles to the field of materials science Discovering how atoms — such as a single layer of carbon atoms found in graphene, one of the world’s strongest materials — work to create a solid material is currently a major research

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill earlier this year prompted many researchers to concentrate their efforts on developing better ways to clean up oil after such disasters. We’ve looked at approaches such as autonomous robots andunderwater separators to collect the oil while it is still at sea, but students at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)