Latest research news

What was the weather like when you were in the womb?
A few years ago John McGrath came up with the idea that the chances of developing schizophrenia depended on how sunny it was in the months before you were born. Now he has evidence that too little vitamin D in early development "does something nasty to the brain", which he suspects may lead to schizophrenia. (New Scientist)

Cost of depression pills hits £310m
In less than 15 years, the new family of antidepressants headed by Prozac has become one of the big success stories of the pharmaceutical industry. More than 22 million prescriptions were written for antidepressants in England in 2000, at a cost of £310 million, compared with nine million in 1991. (Independent, Daily Telegraph)  

British scientists discover dinosaur vomit
British scientists have unearthed the most fragile evidence yet of dinosaur dining habits. They have identified Jurassic vomit in a claypit in Peterborough. "We believe that this is the first time the existence of fossil vomit on a grand scale has been proven beyond reasonable doubt," said Peter Doyle, a geologist at the University of Greenwich. (Guardian, Daily Telegraph)   

Underwater video reveals lobsters behaving badly
A lobster-pot is more like a Wild West saloon than a cunningly laid snare. Lobsters show up for food and a fight, and only the unlucky few get reeled in, underwater video footage is revealing. (Nature)