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An unfathonable number of bacteria, live in and on our bodies; most providing some benefits. Now researchers have discovered that some species of bacteria are actually protecting cancer cells. This finding could inspire new strategies to fight cancer.

This is a sample of the alkaline earth metal magnesium. But you can't consume it in this form. For magnesium to be absorbed, it must be consumed in forms bonded to other substances. That said, magnesium supplements may not curb anxiety or deliver the deep sleep you need.

A colored scanning electron micrograph of Lactobacillus acidophilus. This bacterium occurs naturally in the human intestine, mouth, and vagina. The acidic environment it lives in inhibits the growth of many other bacteria and protects the vagina from pathogenic infection. L. acidophilus also produces lactase, the enzyme that breaks down the milk sugar (lactose) into simple sugars.

These are tablets containing probiotic bacteria. The grainy ones contain Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria and the plain ones, Lactobacillus salivarius. Probiotics are supposed to colonize the gastrointestinal tract and help digest food, produce essential vitamins, maintain normal bowel functions, and counter pathogenic bacteria. They may even improve the recovery of intestinal disorders and stimulate the immune system.

Tablets containing a probiotic can deliver essential nutrients, and improve the function of the gut and immune system.

Heart surgery on humans will one day be revolutionized through using tiny robots to crawl our arteries and remove plaque.

A piece of deer bone carved with slanted lines suggests Neanderthals were capable of creative expression.

A newly developed, on-demand birth control for males works by targeting sperm motility, preventing the sperm from swimming to a mature egg for fertilization.

Alan Turing finishing second in a three-mile race in the U.K. on December 26, 1946. Beyond being a brilliant mathematician, Turing was a talented long-distance runner—and even just missed qualifying for the 1948 Olympics.

Comet Hyakutake in the night sky. Among the brightest comets observed in the 20th century, Hyakutake passed 15 million kilometers from Earth on March 25, 1996. It is a long-period comet: it last appeared at least 10,000 years ago, and its next visit will be in about 20,000 years.