Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests give inaccurate predictions of disease risks and many European geneticists believe that some of them should be banned.

Two different studies presented at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) followed different routes to the same conclusion. One focused on the predictive ability of DTC tests, while the other surveyed clinical geneticists on their experience and attitudes.

Boston, MA, USA. The world's largest meeting of bioengineers will focus on the rapid convergence of medicine and technology, providing a glimpse into the future of medicine.

In many hospitals, advancements ranging from point-of-care health technologies like telemedicine to surgical robots are fast becoming commonplace. So, what's next?

München, Germany.. Exposure to nuclear radiation leads to an increase in the sex ratio of male births relative to female births.

According to a new study, radiation from atomic bomb testing before the Partial Test Ban Treaty in 1963, the Chernobyl accident, and from living near nuclear facilities, has had a long-term negative effect on the ratio of male to female human births.

Stockholm, Sweden. Scientists have extended the body-swapping illusion to how for the first time that the size of our bodies has a profound effect on how we perceive the space around us.

When we experience our bodies as integral to our self, we are centered in our own self-awareness. We take it for granted. However, disruptions to this personal sense of unity can interfere with how we relate to our own body and distinguish it from from its surroundings.

Chapel Hill, NC, USA. New evidence shows that the pelvis hipbones continue to widen as people advance in age from 20 years to 79 years, even though growth in height has ceased.

By the age 20, most people have reached skeletal maturity and do not grow any taller. Until recently it was assumed that skeletal enlargement elsewhere in the body also stopped by age 20 and any observed widening was the result of increased body fat.