The 7.2 quake that rattled south of the border over Easter earlier this year could have a powerful impact on Los Angeles, thanks to increased tension on local fault lines that has shifted since the springtime shaker, according to The LA Times. more ›

If you've ever given or sought consolation for receiving an A- instead of an A, you'll feel right at home in Whiz Kids. The documentary, which opens this weekend at Laemmle's Music Hall, charts three teen scientists as they prepare for the Intel Science Talent Search, high school's equivalent of the Nobel Prize. There's a lot of hard work and a little heart break along the way, but this trio is hell-bent on forging their destinies and a new world. Harmain, raised on food stamps by a Pakistani single mother, plots human evolution by carbon-dating crocodile fossils (human fossils from the same sites are too fragile to be examined). Ana, the first in her family looking to attend college, analyzes plant root systems to increase crop yields. more ›

When was the last time you had someone give your lady parts a good once-over? And by “someone,” I mean an individual with a medical degree from an accredited university. That’s right; it’s time for us ladies of Los Angeles to schedule our yearly gynecological appointment, affectionately known as “the Annual”. more ›

The holidays are over, the merriment has ceased, and that means that reality now rears its ugly head. It's time to make resolutions to be better this year than we were last year, or any other year, or ever will be in the future. For a lot of us, this means promises to get healthy. Well, LAist believes in you, and so for the month of January, we'll be running articles on health, wellness, and fitness to help make sure those promises aren't empty. Good luck, and godspeed. - Health Editor, Jessica Pauline more ›

Honestly, at 31 years of age, I'm not afraid of too many things. Those that struck fear in my heart as a child - heights, for instance - have been supplanted by the wondrous world of science. If I'm on the balcony of a holiday party located on the 10th floor and g = 10m/s2, ignoring air resistance, when I fall off because I'm on my third vodka soda (extra lime) and am taking that bet that I can't do a handstand on the edge, then...carry the 2...I'll hit the ground and be dead and likely not feel it. No sense in worrying about heights. more ›

With gas prices dropping, it seems likely that people will ramp up their holiday travel plans in an effort to reconnect with far-away family and friends (or a tropical island and a Mai Tai). While we are disappointed to see more cars on the road as we move farther and farther away from $4/gallon, December will surely be about planes, trains, and automobiles, hotels and relative's homes, airports and truck stops. more ›

It's hard to believe, but December 1, 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Today we come together as friends and family, as a city, as a state, as a country, and (most importantly) as a global community to educate and inform on the world AIDS epidemic. While others will (and should) debate the politics of this crisis, we here at the ScientIST feel it’s our duty to share some basic Health 101 behind the virus, transmission, and prevention. We turn to the experts at the Center for Disease Control for the latest in on-going research. more ›

This year, with the official start of the holiday season tragically mired in a financial fiasco, the fires and soaring temperatures feeling more Summer than Fall, and Prop 8’s passage reminding us all we’ve still a long way to go, it’s enough to think drowning your sorrows in gravy and cheese balls is the answer to all of life’s problems. So, as tempting as it is to stress eat (think Jack Donaghy of "30 Rock") and entirely abandon 2008’s diet and exercise resolutions, a recent and highly publicized article in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) is reminding us yet again that it’s crucial to be smart about food choices. With the belly fat-wielding juggernaut of Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hanukkah, and the Holiday Party on the horizon, we here at the ScientIST bring you a helping of science and common sense to successfully navigate the next few months. Your waistline can thank us later.
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As the saying goes, “Mom knows best”. This is especially true when we’re under the weather, and though there are but few PTA members with legit science and medical degrees, it seems like most Moms could whip up an acute care clinic from the trunk of their Volvo if pressed. We turn to them for tummy aches and acne, scrapes and sunburns, chickenpox and colds (and nearly everything in between), and though their specialized mixture of Eastern and Western medicine comes with Care Bear band aids and kisses, it’s quite possible that hand me down remedies work because they’ve got some serious science behind them. Thus, in homage to Moms everywhere, we bring you this special ScientIST segment – Dr. Mom Knows Best – to reveal the truth behind the folklore. more ›

Now that it’s November and the fall is officially here LA-style (the rain this past weekend totally counts), we feel that it’s our ScientIST duty to gently put aside the upcoming holiday season to focus on YOU. To that end, we hope you’ll join us each Monday this month to discover ways to keep you healthy and sane through butter-laden pecan pies, overbearing relatives, and the seasonal flu. more ›

Photo by GarySe7en via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr more ›