Watch this robotic water-strider hop on top of water

Why swim when you can jump? An international team of scientists led by Seoul National University has designed a tiny mechanical water-strider - a robot that can leap off the water's surface the way the pond-skimmers do in real life.

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Swimming can be terrifying for some. How one man beat aquaphobia

On an unusually chilly Friday evening, Culver City's public pool bustled with activity. Dozens of swimmers kicked and splashed as bundled-up coaches called instructions from the deck. At one end of the pool, Joe McCauley swam a lap of freestyle. His arms circled slowly, deliberately. His torso...

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Ebola vaccine highly effective in Guinea trial

An experimental vaccine tested in more than 7,500 people in Guinea was highly protective against Ebola in a preliminary analysis.

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Indoor cycling charges ahead in L.A. fitness scene

In the late 1980s, a handsome, muscle-bound transplant to Santa Monica from South Africa called Johnny G (for Goldberg) came up with an idea for indoor cycling classes he called Spinning. Indoor cycling soon became a fitness mainstay, but he could hardly have anticipated the scene today.

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Well: The Weekly Health Quiz: Getting Fit, a Banned Drug and Girls vs. Boys

Test your knowledge of this week’s health news.











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The New Health Care: Taking Questions: Artificial Sweeteners

A recent column generated many reader comments and questions. Here are some answers.











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Well: Ask Well: Late Menopause

A nervous reader wonders if there’s any good news on health risks for those who experience menopause later.











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After a bounce, Rosetta's Philae lander serves up cometary surprises

Scientists with the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission may have had a scare when the Philae lander bounced off of the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, but the bumpy touchdown actually had a silver lining: It allowed them to take measurements in two separate spots instead of one.

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As a killer fungus looms, scientists call for a ban on salamander imports

If it makes its way to our shores, a newly discovered fungus from Asia could wipe out large numbers of salamander species and spark a major North American biodiversity crisis, scientists are warning.

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Well: A Balloon to Treat Glue Ear, a Common Childhood Problem

A simple do-it-yourself home treatment – which involves inflating a balloon by blowing out through the nose – may help clear fluid buildup in the ears without drugs or surgery.











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Well: Blood Pressure Fluctuations May Signal Risk

Variability in blood pressure from one visit to another is associated with a higher risk for cardiovascular disease and mortality, according to a large prospective study.











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When brain-dead organ donors were cooled, their kidneys worked better in transplant recipients

Allowing brain-dead organ donors' body temperatures to fall slightly after brain death - rather than following the accepted protocol of keeping donors warmed to a normal body temperature - resulted in more successful kidney transplants in a recent clinical trial, with fewer organ recipients requiring...

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'Start-up studio' Science helps entrepreneurs find a path to profitability

Mike Jones hunts for small companies with "fantastically large" ambitions.

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Well: Changing Our Perceptions of Beauty

Rick Guidotti, a fashion photographer, once defined beauty by supermodels, hairstylists and magazine covers, but a chance encounter at a Manhattan bus stop changed his perspective.











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