Artificial Muscles Power Nanobots

Tiny robots, called nanobots, may one day be able to propel themselves through the human body during the diagnosis and treatment of disease, thanks to the development of carbon nanotubes recently reported in an October issue of Science. Researchers from the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute at University of Wollongong in Australia have developed an artificial muscle that gives the nanobots their own power source and greater mobility during their journey throughout the body.

Study Suggests "Early to bed, early to rise" Can Keep Kids Healthier

A recent study from the University of South Australia has suggested that adolescents who go to sleep and wake up later are at higher risk of becoming obese.The study, published in the October 1 issue of Sleep, compared the weight and free-time activities of 2,200 young Australians between the ages of 9 and 16. Adolescents who both went to bed and woke up late (termed "late-nighters") were 1.5 times more likely to become obese. The body-mass index (BMI) scores of late-nighters was found to be higher (0.66 vs. 0.45) than those of kids who both went to sleep and got up early (termed "early-risers").

Curcumin: Old Spice, New Drug

Over the last decade, curcumin, best known as the yellow color of turmeric a spice in many Indian foods, has been shown to be an important ally in the fight against disease. Over the past few years, scientists have found that curcumin has antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antiprotozoal properties. In addition, it has been found to be a powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory drug. These properties allow curcumin to fight some of the most prevalent diseases in the world, including Alzheimer's disease, malaria and cancer.