http://www.newser.com/2008 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorMon, 06 Oct 2008 14:00:37 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/38997/multitasking-is-a-myth.html?refid=rss_all_defaultPull your ears away from that cell phone: Multitasking is a myth. New research shows we can’t really concentrate on two things at once; rather, the executive functions of the brain sweep quickly between multiple tasks. It’s thought that survival and the hunt made this rapid refocusing of attention an evolutionary boon. NPR checked in with researchers studying the phenomenon.http://www.newser.com/story/38997/multitasking-is-a-myth.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFri, 03 Oct 2008 12:23:40 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/39004/genetic-hiccup-causes-obesity-in-mice-study.html?refid=rss_all_defaultScientists have discovered an immune system pathway in the brain that they think is the root cause of diseases related to obesity, Reuters reports. When mice were overfed, the hypothalamus secreted a compound that suppressed the conversion of food into energy, and led to inflammation associated with heart disease and diabetes. Altering the gene responsible through genetic engineering kept the mice slim and healthy.http://www.newser.com/story/39004/genetic-hiccup-causes-obesity-in-mice-study.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 02 Oct 2008 14:37:51 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/37567/genome-project-is-a-bust-expert.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThe idea behind mapping the human genome (and spending $3 billion to do so) was to uncover common gene variants that cause disease. But a Duke University geneticist says that natural selection has worked better than we thought, that there are no common variants but rather a multitude of rare ones, the New York Times reports.http://www.newser.com/story/37567/genome-project-is-a-bust-expert.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 16 Sep 2008 9:10:28 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/37450/anglicans-making-nice-with-darwin.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWhen Charles Darwin came out with his theory of evolution by natural selection nearly 150 years ago, the Church of England opposed it. But now, 200 years after the celebrated scientist's birth, the church has launched a website exploring its history with Darwin, and the church's head of public affairs has issued a posthumous apology, the Guardian reports.http://www.newser.com/story/37450/anglicans-making-nice-with-darwin.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 15 Sep 2008 7:47:43 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/37346/americans-seek-immune-genes-in-mates-study.html?refid=rss_all_defaultAmericans pick mates with different immune genes while Africans prefer the genes they already have, New Scientist reports. A study of 60 couples from Utah and Nigeria showed that the Americans hitched up with partners whose genes recognized pathogens that theirs couldn't. The African marriages, however, appeared to be genetically random.http://www.newser.com/story/37346/americans-seek-immune-genes-in-mates-study.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSat, 13 Sep 2008 13:52:13 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/36976/invasive-species-getting-bad-rap-scientists.html?refid=rss_all_defaultInvasive species don’t always spell disaster for native ecosystems and animal life, scientists say after a study of the process and its effects on New Zealand. More than 22,000 non-native plants have been introduced to the islands, the New York Times reports, and only three native species have been driven to extinction. “I hate the ‘exotics are evil’ bit, because it’s so unscientific,” one researcher says.http://www.newser.com/story/36976/invasive-species-getting-bad-rap-scientists.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 09 Sep 2008 10:39:14 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/35237/madagascar-chameleon-has-shortest-life-on-4-legs.html?refid=rss_all_defaultA small chameleon native to Madagascar looks to own the world record for shortest life span for a creature with four legs and a backbone, the New York Times reports. The Furcifer labordi dies about a year after conception, with just 16-20 weeks on earth after it leaves its shell. The lizard's brief existence may provide scientists with valuable information on aging.http://www.newser.com/story/35237/madagascar-chameleon-has-shortest-life-on-4-legs.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 19 Aug 2008 10:14:24 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/34704/phelps-victory-dance-its-evolutionary.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThe classic chest-out, arms-outstretched victory dance Olympic champ Michael Phelps performed after Sunday's 4-x-100 relay final is older than humanity, the LA Times reports. The same display of pride is instinctive to all primates, researchers say, and the body language of victory and defeat is rooted in the age-old need to confirm one's place in the pecking order.http://www.newser.com/story/34704/phelps-victory-dance-its-evolutionary.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 12 Aug 2008 7:17:53 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/32739/roots-of-speech-found-in-humming-fish.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThe songs of birds, the hums and grunts of toadfish, and the lofty speech of humans all use the same ancient brain circuit, despite an evolutionary split 400 million years ago, reports National Geographic . Researchers have discovered that the base of the hindbrain and upper spinal cord is the starting point for all vocalizations.http://www.newser.com/story/32739/roots-of-speech-found-in-humming-fish.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 17 Jul 2008 23:42:14 CDT