Health & Medicine
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, a flu pandemic spurred vaccine research
A half-century after the Hong Kong flu pandemic, scientists are getting closer to a universal vaccine.
- Health & Medicine
Kidney stones grow and dissolve much like geological crystals
Kidney stones are dynamic entities that grow and dissolve, a new study finds, which contradicts the prevailing medical assumption.
- Health & Medicine
Drug overdose deaths in America are rising exponentially
Tracking rising numbers of deaths from a variety of drugs over the past 38 years shows that it isn’t just an opioid problem.
- Agriculture
Can science build a better burger?
Researchers hope to replace whole animal agriculture and feed the world with lab-made meats or plants.
- Health & Medicine
Daily low-dose aspirin is not a panacea for the elderly
Healthy elderly adults don’t benefit from a daily dose of aspirin, according to results from a large-scale clinical trial.
- Science & Society
Readers focus on fake news, neutrinos, and more
Readers pondered how to effectively combat fake news, questioned the result of a clinical trial, and wanted to know more about neutrinos.
- Tech
A sensor inspired by an African thumb piano could root out bogus medicines
An inexpensive, user-friendly device that’s based on an mbira could help identify counterfeit and contaminated medications.
- Health & Medicine
Here’s how many U.S. kids are vaping marijuana
A new study suggests that nearly 1 in 11 middle and high school students in the United States has vaped marijuana, raising concerns about addiction.
- Neuroscience
Brain features may reveal if placebo pills could treat chronic pain
Researchers narrow in on how to identify people who find placebos effective for treating persistent pain.
- Chemistry
A new antibiotic uses sneaky tactics to kill drug-resistant superbugs
Scientists have developed a molecule that kills off bacteria that are resistant to existing antibiotics.
- Health & Medicine
Marijuana use among pregnant women is rising, and so are concerns
Pediatricians are urging caution as data show more pregnant women are using marijuana. More research is urgently needed on the drug’s effects during pregnancy.
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, a pessimistic view for heart transplants
Surgeon Christiaan Barnard performed the first successful human-to-human heart transplant in 1967. In 1968, he predicted that patients would survive five years at best. Fortunately, he was wrong.
