Deaths

Space

Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden dies age 88

Apollo astronaut Colonel Alfred Merrill "Al" Worden has died at the age of 88. Worden was the Command Module Pilot for the 1971 Apollo 15 lunar landing mission, where he remained in orbit while his crewmates descended to the lunar surface.

Cancer death rates in the US have steadily declined over the past three decades, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society

Medical

US cancer death rates report reveals sharpest ever single-year decline

A newly published report from the American Cancer Society has shone a light on increases in cancer survival rates over the past few decades, with the period examined also including the largest one-year decline ever recorded.

Space

Alexey Leonov, the first spacewalker, passes away

Alexy Leonov, the world's first spacewalker, has died at age 85. He was the first person to leave a spacecraft in orbit on March 18, 1965.

A new study found subjects suffering from high blood pressure or diabetes did not display increased risk of early death if they slept more than six hours each night

Health & Wellbeing

Less than six hours sleep increases death risk from chronic disease

A new study has now found that less than six hours sleep a night increases the chances of early death in subjects suffering from some chronic diseases.

An individual has died after a recent hospitalization associated with severe lung disease thought to be connected to e-cigarette use

Medical

First death in US tied to e-cigarette use

The death is being linked to e-cigarette use, with the CDC now reporting 200 vaping-related cases of lung disease across the US.

Researchers have combined 14 different mortality risk biomarkers into the one blood test

Medical

Blood test predicts likelihood of dying within 10 years

Provocative study suggests blood tests can predict a person's risk of dying within the next 10 years.

The FDA's latest alert reports on a patient death following a fecal transplant undertaken in the course of a clinical trial

Medical

FDA issues safety alert for fecal transplants after reported death

A new safety alert, issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is recommending extra precautions for those medical and scientific professionals using fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) after revealing one person recently died due to a bacterial infection.

He Jiankui (pictured) was sentenced to three years jail and fined three million yuan

Science

Chinese CRISPR gene-edited babies at risk of early death

A massive genome study by two scientists from UC Berkeley has found the CRISPR gene edit, administered by a Chinese scientist last year that led to the birth of two healthy babies, may be associated with a higher rate of early mortality in later life.

A new study is rekindling a long-standing hypothesis linking a powerful psychedelic drug, which had anecdotally become known as the "businessman's trip", and near-death experiences

Science

Psychedelic Medicine 101: DMT and the near-death experience

A study has found significant overlap between experiences reported by subjects who have had near-death experiences and volunteers administered with a powerful psychedelic called DMT. The research builds on a long-standing body of work hypothesizing a strange correlation between the two experiences.

A new study suggests heavily physical occupations could lead to a greater risk of early death

Health & Wellbeing

Can a strenuous physical occupation really increase your risk of early death?

A large-scale meta-analysis is suggesting that men with jobs that involve a high level of physical activity have a greater risk of early death than those with more inactive jobs. However many experts are not convinced by the study’s conclusions with some suggesting its findings are misleading.

Remarkable People

Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle Commander John Young dies age 87

America's most experienced astronaut has passed away at the age of 87. In a statement, acting NASA said that Captain John Young (US Navy, retired) died on January 5 due to complications from pneumonia. He was the only astronaut to command three different kinds of spacecraft.

A new study suggests that higher coffee consumption could reduce the risk of death from all causes

Health & Wellbeing

Study: Upping coffee consumption could help you live longer

A new study drawing on data from over half a million Europeans suggests that our penchant for a little pick-me-up could have a range of health benefits, by revealing an association between higher coffee consumption and a reduced risk of death from all causes.