The Science of Pain

In chapter 1, “The Bad Language Brain: Neuroscience and Swearing,” author Emma Byrne sets the scene for her book by telling the story of the hapless and potty-mouthed Phineas Gage.

Screaming obscenities when you stub your toe makes perfect biological sense.

Meet some of the people featured in the January 2018 issue of The Scientist.

Life is filled with pleasure and pain. Science and society are struggling mightily with both.

Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.

Selected Images of the Day from the-scientist.com

New research shows humans aren’t that different from our winged cousins.

Researchers are beginning to tease apart the mechanisms underlying differences in how males and females respond to powerful painkillers.

Combining genomic, clinical, and patient-reported data, the Metastatic Breast Cancer Project provides a unique resource for the cancer community.

Researchers find consistent behaviors and brain activity in an international study.

A combination gene-and-cell therapy has given a boy with a grievous skin disease a new lease on life, and resolved a dermatology debate to boot.

The DIY devices collect data and enable light stimulation, chamber agitation, and gas infusion.

Researchers map brain activity associated with a person’s anticipation of or direct confrontation with danger.

After an initial wounding, genes needed for repair remain ready for action.

Researchers uncover a family of compounds that may be involved in pain transmission.

For nearly 30 years, the UC San Francisco researcher has delved into unexplored corners of the nervous system.

A background in physiotherapy helps the Oxford-based researcher mix basic science with clinical work to better understand pain stemming from nerve compression.

Emerging technologies help researchers draw mechanistic links between metabolism and epigenetic modification of DNA.

From basic research in academic labs to Phase 3 clinical trials, myriad efforts are underway to divorce opioids' pain-relieving potential from their undesirable downsides.

Giovanni Schiaparelli’s maps of Mars sparked the belief that intelligent life exists on the planet.