University of Southern California

Exercise can be a means to an end, namely better health. Now scientists at USC have studied a hormone that the human body releases during exercise, and found that administering it to even elderly mice improves their fitness and overall health.

Researchers at the University of Southern California looking to crack the renewable energy storage problem have developed a new version of a redox flow battery from inexpensive and readily-available materials.

Most people would tackle hangovers with plenty water and some greasy food, rather than a herbal remedy. But dihydromyricetin (DHM) does seem to have some effect, and now researchers from USC have investigated just how it works in the liver.

A recent analysis of previously-unearthed pterosaur bones reveals that they belonged to a new genus and species.

In recent tests, it has been shown that a depth perception-boosting headset could help legally-blind users to avoid collisions.

The potential for micro flying-robots in areas like search and rescue, agriculture and hazard detection is huge, but so are the hurdles. Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have been working on these problems with their Bee+, drawing inspiration from the insect world.

Researchers pondering the potential of compounds found in green tea and carrots to treat Alzheimer's have conducted a study with some promising results, with the engineered mice demonstrating unimpaired cognitive function following a carefully designed bout of treatment. ​​

A study has found a huge new potential source of carbon emissions: reservoirs of gases trapped at the seafloor, which could be released as the oceans warm up. And the team suggests that these gases belched up from the deep thousands of years ago and put an end to the last ice age.

​Although polio is now rarely heard of in First World countries, it still occurs in developing nations which lack facilities for refrigerating the vaccine. That may soon no longer be a problem, however, as scientists have developed a freeze-dried vaccine which can be stored at room temperature.

Neuroscience is stumped by what’s going on in the brain when we feel joy or sadness. In an effort to peek inside our moody minds, researchers have developed a technique to read brain signals and infer what mood a patient may be in, which could lead to new treatments for depression and anxiety.

If you feel like you’ve had some drawn-out breakups, think of the supercontinent of Pangaea, which took tens of millions of years to split up. Now a unique fossil skull might readjust the timeline, with a strange creature turning up on a different continent to its previously-discovered relatives.

​There may be new hope for people who are losing their hearing, thanks to research being conducted by scientists from the University of Southern California and Harvard University. They've developed a solution intended to stay put in the inner ear, where it will help repair cells.