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JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 20, 2015

U.S. trans fat ban prompts call for better Japan labeling

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's move last month to phase out artificial trans fats over three years from all processed foods has made few ripples in Japan, where there are currently no regulations on the oil.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 17, 2015

The mystery of America's productivity bust

U.S. productivity is slowing down at a time when it should be booming.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 13, 2015

Reducing the health risks of electronic devices

The best way to avoid some of the negative effects of portable electronic devices such as cellphones is to use them in moderation and to store them far away from the body.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
May 14, 2015

How DNA sequencing is transforming the hunt for new drugs

Drug manufacturers have begun amassing enormous troves of human DNA in hopes of significantly shortening the time it takes to identify new drug candidates, a move some say is transforming the development of medicines.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 13, 2015

Takeda threatens to end Orexigen partnership over data release

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. has threatened to end its collaboration with Orexigen Therapeutics Inc. after a safety study of the obesity drug Contrave was halted by researchers who criticized Orexigen for an early release of trial data.
WORLD / Science & Health
May 12, 2015

Blue whales, unused to dodging, at risk from ship strikes

Blue whales are vulnerable to cargo ship strikes because they are so used to being the largest animal in the ocean that they often fail to avoid the vessels, a Stanford University biologist has found.
COMMENTARY / World
May 5, 2015

Ukraine's other Chernobyls

Ukraine should take its reactors' expiration dates as an opportunity to pursue a safer, more sustainable energy future.
WORLD / Science & Health
Mar 25, 2015

Alzheimer's debate revived as Biogen's drug trial advances

Just days after Biogen Inc. revealed promising early data from an experimental Alzheimer's treatment, new research from the Mayo Clinic may revive a long-running debate over whether the drug industry is focusing on the right target in developing therapies to treat the disease.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 20, 2015

American-style shareholder capitalism on trial

Shareholder capitalism in the U.S. seems caught in a vicious circle as consumers spend less and save more to protect themselves against future economic shocks, thus prompting businesses buy back more of their stock and return the money to shareholders rather than launch major investment projects.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 13, 2015

Distinguishing good wage increases from bad

Any acceleration of wage gains in the U.S. could be taken as evidence of greater inflationary pressures and justification for the Federal Reserve to make quicker and steeper increases in interest rates. But the risk is that this conventional interpretation is mistaken.
WORLD / Science & Health
Feb 27, 2015

Stone Age Britons imported wheat in surprise sign of sophistication

Stone Age Britons imported wheat about 8,000 years ago in a surprising sign of sophistication for primitive hunter-gatherers long viewed as isolated from European agriculture, a study showed on Thursday.
WORLD / Science & Health
Feb 25, 2015

Depressed people are three times more likely to commit violent crime

People diagnosed with major depression are three times more likely than the general population to commit violent crimes such as robbery, sexual offenses and assault, psychiatric experts said on Wednesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 10, 2015

Obama's gamble on free community college

Is U.S. President Barack Obama's proposal to make community college free mostly an exercise in political brand management?
WORLD / Science & Health / FOCUS
Jan 30, 2015

Safety concerns cloud promise of powerful new cancer drugs

A new wave of experimental cancer drugs that directly recruit the immune system's powerful T cells are proving to be immensely effective weapons against tumors, potentially transforming the $100 billion global market for drugs that fight the disease.
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Jan 17, 2015

Longevity, genetics and the whale

The oldest person in the world — and the oldest ever Japanese person — is Misao Okawa. She lives in Osaka and is 116. She'll be 117 in March.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jan 2, 2015

Biological bad luck blamed in two-thirds of cancer cases

Plain old bad luck plays a major role in determining who gets cancer and who does not, according to researchers who found that two-thirds of cancer incidence of various types can be blamed on random mutations and not heredity or risky habits like smoking.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Dec 29, 2014

Most heavy drinkers are not alcoholics

Contrary to popular opinion, only 10 percent of U.S. adults who drink too much are alcoholics, according to a study released on Nov. 20.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 23, 2014

In Jakarta, that sinking feeling is all too real

The Ciliwung River flows from a volcano south of the Indonesian capital, through the heart of one of the world's most densely populated cities and almost into Jakarta Bay. Almost, because for the final mile or so of its course, the river would have to flow uphill to reach the bay.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Dec 19, 2014

South Africa struggles to tackle obesity

At lunchtime outside South Africa's biggest shopping mall, hungry workmen in hard hats pour out of a building site to buy cheap loaves of bread and jumbo bottles of fizzy drinks.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 5, 2014

Shocking news: Electric eels exert remote control over prey

Electric eels, those perilous predators of South America, can unleash a potent electrical jolt to wallop their hapless prey. But this zap is not used merely to stun other fish.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 28, 2014

South China Sea competition takes a toll on reefs

Competing territorial claims and rogue fishermen are taking a toll on the South China Sea's coral reefs.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Nov 22, 2014

Climate change versus solution aversion

No doubt you are relieved to hear that climate change is no longer a concern. At least that's the consensus of powerful Republicans who will lead the newly elected majority soon to take control of both houses of the U.S. Congress.
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Nov 21, 2014

Face masks

Dear Alice,
EDITORIALS
Nov 8, 2014

Universities get yen for ranking

The central government has announced additional funding for 37 leading public and private universities as a way to increase their global ranking and competitiveness. No mention was made of the other 67 schools that applied.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Nov 7, 2014

Scientists devise family tree of the world's insects, the first animals to colonize land

They pollinate our flowers, vegetables and fruit. They spread deadly diseases. They flash in the summer night. They bore into the wood in our homes. And they serve as supper for birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals — including people.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Oct 31, 2014

Teen cancer patient asks Aichi governor to arrange schooling in hospital

A 17-year-old boy being treated for kidney cancer has appealed to the governor of Aichi Prefecture to set up a high school education program in his hospital.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji