What's this? Do we finally have robot monkeys? Are there pirate ninjas as well? Nah. Scientists hooked up robotic arms to the brains of monkeys (live ones, mind you), and the primates were actually able to move it as surely as if they were their own arms. Check out a video of monkey-robot in the full article.

Imagine, if you will, a man who accidentally cut off the tip of his finger, nail, skin, bone, and all. After sprinkling some special white powder on it, all the parts grew back after a month. Magic? No. It's the cutting edge (pun intended) in stem cell research. The holy grail of medicine in powder form. Full story and a mini-documentary in the full article.

If you find yourself succumbing to the call and lure of the mall every time you're feeling a bit down, you just might have been hit by the loneliness bug. But never fear, because the mall just has the right therapy for you: retail therapy.

Researchers got interested enough and conducted a study to show the link between feeling bad and compulsive shopping. To know about what the researchers found out, go to our full article.

Scientists from Stanford University and Jennerex Biotherapeutics have further modified the cancer killing vaccinia virus (JX-963) to make it even more potent. The researchers have found a way to allow this strain to stimulate its host to create cancer-fighting white blood cells.

Ever since it was first developed, virus therapies have had limited success in eliminating all the cancer cells in the body. This new method calls upon the body's own defenses to help defend itself against cancer. The modifications on the virus has it producing a substance called granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a protein that stimulates the production of white blood cells.

Dr. Stephen Thorne, Co-author of the study and professor of surgical oncology at the University of Pittsburgh, spoke about their experiments saying that "The results are very encouraging. I would envisage clinical trials starting next year." His optimism is shared by other scientists such as Dr. Antonio Chiocca, a professor from Ohio State University, who said that "This is a very powerful and potent approach. You can think of each of these viruses as a new drug."

Before people get excited about the potential of this new virus, we have to remember that there is a risk in using these viruses since they could mutate into a deadlier form. Hopefully, the scientists find a way to get around that problem and finally develop a cure for cancer.

Brain damaged after an assault, this 38-year old man has only been able to communicate through slight eye and thumb movements for the past six years. Through experimental technology, he has recently been able to speak and demonstrate mobility.

For six years the man demonstrated only partial consciousness. Though he wasn't in a coma, he couldn't do much else that a comatose patient could. The procedure that doctors used to try and get him up again is called deep brain stimulation and it works by putting electrodes inside the brain to induce activity.

For six months the scientists have been turning the electrodes on and off to test the effects. Now it is constantly on. Although he can move, he still can't move much. One of the reasons for this is because he hasn't moved for such a long time so his muscles have contracted. He has shown he can eat though, and demonstrate brushing his teeth (though he can't actually brush his teeth because his muscles are too weak - he just demonstrates the motions of brushing his teeth).

A woman who received a similar procedure did not benefit from the procedure though. Her case was different because she was in a vegetative state. However, the recent success of the procedure holds potential. Dr. Ross Zafonte of the University of Pittsburgh, says that the findings are "very interesting and holds great promise."