Among defendants sentenced to death in the United States since 1973, at least 2.3 percent — and possibly more — were falsely convicted. So says a study co-authored by U-M law professor Samuel Gross.

Nearly a third of veterans treated at Veterans Affairs health care centers have significant depressive symptoms, and about 13 percent have clinically diagnosed depression. Depression is bad enough; it’s also a serious risk factor for suicide.

Chronic snoring could be a symptom of sleep apnea, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Two newly described fossil whales—a pregnant female and a male of the same species—reveal how primitive whales gave birth and provide new insights into how whales made the transition from land to sea.

Environmental conditions are much more powerful than genetic influences in determining intelligence, says U-M social psychologist Richard Nisbett: “Believing that intelligence is under your control—and having parents who demand achievement—can do wonders.”

Related:

• Podcast: Intelligence: How to get it
• Education Is All in Your Mind (NY Times, Feb. 7, 2009).

A year and a half after the I-35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis, and with a new national emphasis on rebuilding infrastructure, U-M is leading a new project to engineer smart bridges that can thoroughly discuss their health with inspectors.

Is obesity all in your head? New research by an international team co-led by U-M suggests that genes that predispose people to obesity act in the brain — not on metabolic functions such as fat storage — and that perhaps some people are simply hardwired to overeat.

Bad news for a promising new idea about cancer. The cancer stem-cell model must be reassessed because it is based largely on evidence from a laboratory test that is surprisingly flawed when applied to some cancers, U-M researchers have concluded.

Going outside, even in the cold, improves memory and attention.