Here is some of the best drama you're going to see in science: two major studies are published six weeks apart and report exactly opposite results. Their subject? A squirrely syndrome that is anything from a devastating infectious disease to a made-up malaise, depending who you ask.
Chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS, is (quick overview!) pretty much what it sounds like. Its trademark is a crippling exhaustion that lasts for months or years. There's no test or cure for CFS. Doctors first rule out every other possibility--such as hormonal problems, mental illnesses, sleep disorders, or lupus--before giving a diagnosis of CFS.
The syndrome jumped into headlines last year when Science published a paper announcing a correlation between CFS and a certain retrovirus called XMRV. A retrovirus is (quick overview!) a virus that cleverly inserts its own genes into your DNA, so your body keeps replicating it. HIV is one.
The ...
