Heart disease was rife among affluent ancient Egyptians
X-rays of mummies reveal signs of atherosclerosis, suggesting there may be more to the disease than bad diet and smoking
Viagra: The profitable pill
Since its launch in 1998, Pfizer's treatment for erectile dysfunction has earned the company more than £1bn a year
‘Female Viagra’ boosts sexual desire in women with flagging libido
Women who took the drug during a trial reported more satisfying sexual encounters and a higher libido
Why is there an epidemic of short-sightedness?
Increasing numbers of children are suffering from myopia. One sufferer looks for the reasons behind it
Close encounters of the faked kind
Professor of anomalistic psychology Chris French explains why he thinks The Fourth Kind is dangerously misleading
Nanoparticles could damage DNA at a distance, study suggests
Lab tests find that metal nanoparticles might affect DNA without actually coming into contact with it
Stem cell study leads to breakthrough in understanding infertility
'Hidden stage of human development' is opened up by Stanford University scientists
The waking nightmare of sleep paralysis
Imagine awaking to intense fear and hallucinations but being incapable of moving a muscle. Chris French explains this surprisingly common phenomenon
Primary sources
John Crace rounds-up research news from around the globe, this week: the chimpanzees that have developed their own tool kits
Smoking bans may reduce heart attacks by more than a third
The number of heart attacks has fallen steeply in countries where bans on smoking in public places have been introduced