Christopher Wanjek
Live Science
Washington, DC, United States
Contact Christopher
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Christopher:
Skin microbes betray your age
Scientists have found that the profile of the microbes on your skin can predict your chronological age to within a few years. → Read More
Take That Back: The Top Scientific Retractions of 2019
This past year was rich in scientific retractions of papers filled with poor processes and, in many cases, blatant fabrications. → Read More
Barefoot Walking Gives You Calluses That Are Even Better for Your Feet Than Shoes, Study Suggests
Foot calluses have evolved to protect the feet and provide comfort in perhaps ways that shoes can't match, a new study says. → Read More
Scott Kelly's Year in Space May Have Aged Him — But He's Mostly Fine
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has mostly recovered from his year on the International Space Station, but the experience may have left him slightly more aged compared to his identical twin brother, Mark Kelly. → Read More
What Are Superfoods?
'Superfoods' are all the rage, popularized by consumers turning to nutrient-rich fruits, seeds and leafy greens to maintain health and wellness. But scientists say these foods, while often treated as exotic fare, aren't a silver bullet. → Read More
Being a Night Owl Really Can Hurt Your Mental Health
Morning people have a lower risk for depression and other mental health concerns compared with night owls, but your natural sleeping pattern is strongly controlled by genes, a study finds. → Read More
The Real Fake News: Top Scientific Retractions of 2018
From unintentional irony to flat-out fraud, it has been another banner year for scientific retractions. Here are five notable ones. → Read More
Men Who Smoke Pot May Have Lower Sperm Count
Recreational marijuana use is becoming increasingly legal across the U.S., but that doesn't mean that it's safe. → Read More
Babies Create a Mental Map of Their Body Before They Ever Leave the Womb
When babies kick and jab in the womb, they are paving an "information superhighway" of neural connections in their brain to better understand movement and touch after birth. → Read More
It Might Stress You Out to Know What Stress Is Doing to Your Brain
If you're already feeling stressed out, sorry, but there's one more thing you might need to worry about: A new study finds that stress may impair your memory now and quicken cognitive decline later in life. → Read More
Salmonella Hides Its Tail to Stay Invisible to Immune System
Salmonella bacteria can hide their tail-like flagella to avoid detection by the immune system. The discovery of this behavior could lead to a drug that stops such trickery. → Read More
Brain Cancer's 'Immortality Switch' Turned Off with CRISPR
Researchers have found a way to short-circuit the "immortality switch" that cancer cells use to divide indefinitely. → Read More
How Close Are We, Really, to Curing Cancer with CRISPR?
The promise of CRISPR is being realized today in the lab through the creation of special animal models and cell lines. And the technology is finally entering the clinic to treat humans directly. → Read More
Could Aspirin Help Prevent Alzheimer's Disease? Mouse Study Says Maybe.
Scientists have found how aspirin might help prevent Alzheimer's disease by helping cells clear the debris that leads to amyloid plaque formation. → Read More
Here's How Much Exercise You Need to Give Your Brain a Boost
Any physical exercise will improve thinking, as long as you do it somewhat consistently and stick with it long enough, according to an analysis of 98 previous studies. → Read More
Game-Changing Study Finds Dozens of Genes Tied to Depression
Scientists find 44 genes tied to depression in a massive analysis of nearly a half million human genomes. → Read More
Here's Why Antibiotics May Give Viruses a Leg Up
Why are infections from the viruses that cause West Nile fever, dengue and even Zika deadly for some people but mild in others? → Read More
Your Pee May Reveal Your True Biological Age
Could your pee reveal your youth? → Read More
No Needles: Contact Lens Could Monitor Glucose for People with Diabetes
Many people with diabetes need to prick their finger for a drop of blood up to eight times a day to monitor their glucose levels, an uncomfortable and cumbersome task. It can all add up to tens of thousands of finger pricks over a person's lifetime. → Read More
Lies, Mistakes & More: These Scientific Papers Got Nixed in 2017
Lies, exaggerations, criminal acts, unbridled irony, alternative facts, fake news … No, we're not talking about 2017 politics. This is the 2017 world of science. → Read More