Humans

  1. Earth

    Here’s a look at the world’s deadliest volcanoes — and the ways they kill

    Scientists gathered data on nearly 280,000 global volcano deaths from 1500 to 2017 and sorted fatalities by cause of death, such as lava flows or gas.

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  2. Health & Medicine

    ‘Outbreak’ puts the life cycle of an epidemic on display

    At the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the exhibit “Outbreak” highlights how infectious diseases shape our world.

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  3. Health & Medicine

    Blame opioids for a fifth of young adult deaths in the United States

    Of young adults aged 25 to 34 who died in 2016, 20 percent of those deaths were opioid-related.

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  4. Health & Medicine

    Experts advise: Start colorectal screening at 45, not 50

    The American Cancer Society recommends that colorectal screening begin at the age of 45 for average-risk individuals.

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  5. Climate

    The first Americans could have taken a coastal route into the New World

    Alaskan glaciers retreated in time for ancient coastal entries of the first Americans.

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  6. Health & Medicine

    Finally, a plan on how to include pregnant women in clinical trials

    The FDA is providing initial guidance on how to include pregnant women in clinical trials that study drugs, research that has largely excluded this group in the past.

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  7. Health & Medicine

    Hurricane Maria killed at least 4,645 people in Puerto Rico, a study estimates

    Researchers estimate Puerto Rico’s death toll from Hurricane Maria at more than 4,500 people based on household surveys — dwarfing the official count of 64.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    Keeping people within U.S. blood pressure guidelines saves lives

    Big reductions in heart attacks, strokes and deaths may be possible under 2017 blood pressure guidelines.

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  9. Health & Medicine

    Even in the shade, a car’s interior can get lethally hot

    A car’s interior can get lethally hot on summer days, even when it’s parked in the shade.

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  10. Health & Medicine

    Here’s what we know about the deadly Nipah virus

    The deadly and rare Nipah virus has killed at least 11 people in southern India, causing concern among epidemiologists.

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  11. Animals

    Pregnant bonobos get a little delivery help from their friends

    As in humans, female bonobos become helpers for mothers giving birth, data from captive apes suggest.

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  12. Genetics

    Genetic sleuthing again IDs a murder suspect in a cold case

    The arrest of a second murder suspect with the help of genetic genealogy raises worries that suspicionless searches may be next.

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