Kecia Lynn
Kecia Lynn has worked as a technical writer, editor, software developer, arts administrator, summer camp director, and television host. A graduate of Case Western Reserve University and the Iowa Writers' Workshop, she is currently living in Iowa City and working on her first novel.
Unlike a traditional pacemaker, which requires surgical insertion and involves hooking up lead wires, the Nanostim device is installed via a catheter and attaches directly to the heart muscle.
Scientists put an interactive robot in an enclosure inhabited by 16 chimpanzees. Their reactions were surprisingly similar to those of humans, opening up potential new ways to observe them without humans being present.
A three-year project conducted by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds found that only one in five kids had a “realistic and achievable” connection with nature. Unsurprisingly, adults’ attitudes may be to blame.
A report suggests that by 2030, nearly 325 million people could be living in the countries expected to be the most affected by natural hazards. In response, focus should be placed on disaster prevention, not just disaster relief.
A network of probes that communicate with each other using the power of the stars isn’t within the reach of current technology, but it could be someday, according to a new paper.
University of Tokyo researcher Huai-Chien Chang says that a missile outfitted with supplies and programmed to land softly could provide help within an hour.
Law texts that include online citations are less effective if the Web sites they link to no longer exist. That’s why over 20 law schools are getting together to create Perma CC, a site that will preserve those links forever.
Two Newcastle University researchers have developed a canine version of a device that tracks its wearer’s behaviors. They theorize that changes in those behaviors could indicate a problem at home with the dog’s owner.
A new startup, Flirtey, plans to roll out its service next year, which they say will represent “the first use of fully automated commercial zones for package delivery in the world.”
The government has announced a plan to force cable companies to unbundle their services so that customers can pick and choose their channels. Could this happen in the US? It’s unlikely.
Researcher Saif Mohammad’s data mining tool analyzes emails for eight different emotions, including joy, trust, and anger. Next up: A Gmail app that could help improve online communication.
The planned replacement of the city’s famous gas-powered streetlamps with more efficient LED versions is being met with swift objections from locals as well as the World Monument Fund, which put them on its watch list this month.
Executives for the country’s only major coffee chain says the multinational company’s planned entry into their market should help entice more Colombians to try coffee drinks.
A 2002 book that describes a world “without killing, threats to kill, or conditions conducive to killing” is spearheading a global movement that questions what many assume is a natural fact of human existence.
The move is in response to allegations that the US government spied on online and phone communications in the country. One expert says it should work for domestic traffic, but international transactions will require more attention.
The decision rescinds a 2009 court order that originally allowed a Malay-language Catholic newspaper to use the word to refer to God and instigated a wave of church attacks across the country.
Brigham Young researchers say their findings prove the value of social media as a possible tool in suicide prevention.
Obsessively searching the Internet for fixes to real or perceived health problems creates more anxiety in those who have a lower tolerance for uncertainty, says a Baylor University researcher.
Particularly for people who are new to wine, the design of the label can affect both the bottle’s ability to attract attention and the perceived flavor.
At least three days a week, sets of employees at UCLA Health participate in a short “Bruin Break” with dance music and easy workout moves. It’s part of a growing nationwide initiative to incorporate more movement into the work day.
Not exactly, say the authors of a new study. However, they have identified a certain gene variation that causes people to notice the negative more quickly while also experiencing emotional events more vividly.
A cross-cultural study involving employees at multinational corporations in nine countries confirmed that cultural attitudes affect how absenteeism is viewed. What does this mean for an increasingly mobile and global workforce?
A pilot study involving teenage girls at three UK schools found that those who took a six-lesson course on body image had “significant effects” on their self-esteem.
Researchers at the Netherlands’ Leyden Academy on Vitality and Aging admit to being “baffled” by the findings of a study that focused on citizens in 19 developed countries, including the US.
Philadelphia Children’s Hospital is the first in the nation to remove supplements such as echinacea and coenzyme Q10 from its list of approved medications. One reason given is that they may cause harmful interactions with other drugs.
More tests are needed, but if the chemical can be made into a drug, it could represent a powerful weapon in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis.
Avegant’s wearable goggles work by projecting images directly onto the user’s retinas, allowing the eyes to relax in a way that focusing on a screen doesn’t.
Thailand’s capital has long been a dangerous and unfriendly environment for cyclists. However, various public and private efforts are resulting in a slow increase on city roads.
A petition garnered 120,000 signatures, which is more than enough to merit a government vote, possibly before the end of this year. If it passes, it will apply to every member of the working adult population.
Both are being exacerbated by climate change, but the threat to civilization caused by drought is more immediate, with one study suggesting that it may have influenced current Middle East unrest.