Lab Report: Health, Science and Medicine

Lighting up has long been known to increase the risk of cancer. Now there's evidence of how malignancies may develop. A genetic analysis of cigarette smokers before and after they picked up the habit revealed a change in a gene that suppresses tumor growth. Scientists believe the alteration, which can trigger cancer, was likely caused by smoking.

WHY THE DEAF SEE BETTER

Losing one sense can enhance others, and now there's a clue about why that occurs. In a study comparing deaf and hearing cats, they found that brain regions normally dedicated to hearing were co-opted for visual duties in the deaf animals. Nerves normally assigned to pick up peripheral auditory cues, for example, were used to enhance the cats' peripheral vision instead.