By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD

After a closer examination of the Antikythera Mechanism, a surviving marvel of ancient Greek technology, scientists have found that the device not only predicted solar eclipses but also organized the calendar in the four-year cycles of the Olympiad, forerunner of the modern Olympic Games.

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Scientists may have uncovered why some people naturally lose their ability to make new memories as they get older.

Using brain scans, University of Arizona scientists found differences in how older rats “replayed” their actions in the brain during sleep.

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Hurried Doctors, Economic Pressures, Fear of Pain Play a Role in Rapid Decline

By SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES

Pregnant with her first child, Julie Speier prepared to deliver with the help of a midwife at a New York City birthing center. But in June — three weeks before the due date and 600 miles from home — her water broke.

Speier gave birth at a Cincinnati hospital, where she and her fiancé tried desperately to keep the birth natural — a vaginal delivery without pain medication.

“I believe in the power of nature and that creation is next to perfect,” said Speier, a 34-year-old yoga teacher. “I knew what I wanted and I had the confidence.”

But as labor pains increased and Speier asked about breathing techniques, the doctor replied, “How do I know? I’ve only ever done two [natural childbirths].”

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By ANN PLESHETTE

Breast-feeding, what many believe to be the most intimate act between a mother and child, is also generally believed to be an act exclusively between a mother and child.

According to experts, however, there is a growing trend of cross-nursing, in which a mother will allow another woman to breast-feed her baby.

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Children carrying the first gene that has been clearly linked to obesity find it harder than others to tell when they are full, London-based researchers say.

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Anxiety, depression and sleepless nights increase the risk of diabetes in men, a Swedish study suggests.

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Patients with early Alzheimer’s disease who exercised regularly saw less deterioration in the areas of the brain which control memory, according to a study released Sunday at the 2008 International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease in Chicago.

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By Martin Hutchinson

A woman was left disabled after following a “detox” diet which involved drinking large quantities of water.

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Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for being overweight, regardless of whether or not they are currently receiving medications for the condition.

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