It is not the louse we hate. Nor is it the mosquito, shirt tag, wool sweater, chicken pock, or sudden rash that torments us—the itching itself is what drives us mad. But finally, scientists have finally been able to identify the molecule that signals our brain to start scratching us raw—and removing it kills itchiness forever. But don't we itch for a reason? Read More >>

When Kaiba Gionfriddo was born, his parents never expected to have to look on, helpless, as his windpipe collapsed daily and stopped him from breathing. They were desperate—so when a team of researchers suggested that a 3D printer could help, they leapt at the chance. Read More >>

Cocaine addictions, which carry a notoriously high relapse rate, may have finally met their match in the form of a simple, long lasting booster vaccine. Read More >>

WebMD, the hypochondriac's wet dream turned digital, is notorious for convincing invalid-hopefuls that their pounding headache is actually just a tricky little combination of diabetes and cyanide poisoning. But apparently crippling neuroticism isn't the only negative side effect of our dependence on the site. At least, not for one mother who delayed taking her freshly shot 14-year-old son to the hospital for seven hours because searching WebMD for "gunshot wound" seemed like a good first step. Read More >>

The little magnets sure make the iPad's Smart Covers useful — but they could switch off pacemakers, too, if a new series of experiments is anything to go by. Read More >>

Hospital infection rates are on the rise, according to CDC estimates, and in some instances people wind up more sick in hospital than when they arrived. These infections kill around 100,000 vulnerable patients and cost the healthcare industry £20 billion annually. To combat hyper-infectious agents like Clostridium difficile (C-diff) or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), doctors are turning to a different method of disinfection to destroy bacteria by tearing their DNA apart with UV light. Read More >>

Epilepsy affects some 60 million people worldwide, and for 40 per cent of them, the drugs don't work—conventional treatments show no effect against their disease. And while the seizures themselves are generally brief, the constant gnaw of not knowing when the next one will strike severely impacts patients' quality of life. This prototype early warning implant could give epileptics the freedom to live their lives. Read More >>

High fidelity motion control is awesome, but for most of us it's not quite essential. For surgeons and murders(?) though, a motion-controlled interface like this one could be super useful. Read More >>

A team of Chinese researchers have deliberately created deadly new strains of influenza in a veterinary laboratory — and are now on the receiving end of severe criticism from across the wider scientific community. Read More >>

The dream of one day completely doing away with frustratingly long transplant lists in favour of made to order, 3D-printed organs is closer to becoming a reality. Scientists at Organovo in San Diego have, for the very first time, been able to 3D print tiny replicas of human livers. Read More >>

The sense of euphoria and release that comes from taking prescription painkillers can often lead to users getting addicted, and possibly even overdose if things get out of hand. So to prevent this from happening, students at Brigham Young University have developed an advanced pill dispenser that only releases medication on a doctor's or pharmacist's preset schedule. Read More >>

For the first time ever, a whole lab-grown kidney has been successfully transplanted into a rat, where it allowed the creature to process urine like a really kidney would — and it could someday save your life. Read More >>

Back in 2008, Jason Koger had the misfortune of running over a downed power line on his four-wheeler, being shocked with 7,200 volts of electricity, and ultimately having both his hands amputated. Now, he's had the good luck to get a pair of new ones that can be controlled by an iPhone app. Read More >>

People inject all kinds of unhealthy things into their bodies for fun, but most stick to illegal drugs and stop short at electronics. But that doesn't mean it's not possible; scientists have developed LEDs so small you can shoot them up, and they literally light up your brain. Read More >>

Stanford scientists have developed a technique which lets them turn a brain completely transparent — without causing any damage at all to its structure. Read More >>