All posts by Nicholas Gerbis

How the Brain Tunes in to the Music of Speech

Ken Probst/UCSF

Human voices convey meaning and emphasis by changing pitch. Now, scientists at University of California, San Francisco believe they have found the brain area that makes this possible.

Scientists increasingly believe home sapiens achieved language not only by evolving a sophisticated larynx, or voice box, but also by developing the neurological capacity to use it in a variety of ways.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Scientists Identify The Brain’s Pitch Area, Essential For Language

Scientists Spot Stutterstep in San Andreas Fault

Different segments of the San Andreas Fault display different behavior. Image courtesy USGS.

A new study suggests that a geologic “pressure release valve” in California’s San Andreas Fault might work more sporadically than previously thought, putting more stress on neighboring segments to the north and south.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
ASU Study Raises Concerns Over San Andreas Fault ‘Release Valve’

Vaginal Microbes Might Explain Why Only Some HPV Cases Result in Cancer

Lactobacillus organisms and vaginal squamous epithelial cell. Photo courtesy CDC.

A new study could help explain why some women with HPV develop cervical cancers while others do not.

The research suggests healthy vaginal microbes correspond to reduced risk of cervical cancer.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Arizona Study Links HPV, Cervical Cancer to Vaginal Microbes