A Manhattan judge ruled Monday that two genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer are "the law of nature," thereby nullifying seven patents by Myriad Genetics of Utah. Prior to the decision, women wishing to be tested for the indicators would have had to consult with the patent holder—at a cost of $3,000—but now the monopoly no longer applies. more ›

For almost four decades, Carolyn Klass toiled in a lab at Cornell University identifying insects. For a $25 dollar fee, people from all over the world would send her pests they wanted identified, and in recent years business was booming because of the bedbug renaissance. Klass would examine each specimen and reply back with a thoughtful note, such as: more ›

Escolar, a fish famous for causing diarrhea and anal leakage, has been found masquerading as tuna at sushi restaurants, according to a DNA research study recently published by a group of scientists. The escolar was found five times during the brief research project, which included visits to 31 sushi restaurants in NYC and beyond. The study also found that some restaurants are also selling endangered southern bluefin tuna. more ›

The office products giant that owns a 16-acre Long Island site used by visionary inventor Nikola Tesla is trying to sell the property for $1.6 million, and promises to demolish the remaining buildings for potential buyers. But historians and scientists want the property and the century-old laboratory turned into a science museum, and they've launched a campaign to save the site, called Wardenclyffe. In addition to his laboratory, there was once a 187 feet tall tower, which Tesla used in early 1900s experiments to try to wirelessly transmit information and electricity. The Agfa Corporation has spent some $5 million cleaning up poisonous cadmium that had contaminated the site, and insists it can't afford not to sell the property. Marc Seifer, author of Wizard, a Tesla biography, tells the Times, "It’s hugely important to protect this site. He’s an icon. He stands for what humans are supposed to do — honor nature while using high technology to harness its powers." The online version of the Times article comes with a neat slideshow about Tesla and the site, and there's a lot more on The Tesla Wardenclyffe Project website. more ›