Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
Bacterial compounds may be as good as DEET at repelling mosquitoes
A bacterium’s metabolic by-products are as effective as DEET in deterring Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
- Anthropology
An ancient child from East Asia grew teeth like a modern human
Choppers from a youngster with an unknown evolutionary background indicate that hominids evolved a humanlike life span in East Asia by 100,000 years ago.
- Health & Medicine
A new 3-D printed ‘sponge’ sops up excess chemo drugs
Researchers have created “sponges” that would absorb excess cancer drugs before they spread through the body and cause negative side effects.
- Psychology
Easing test anxiety boosts low-income students’ biology grades
Wealthier students outperform their less advantaged peers in math and science. Decreasing test anxiety may help even the playing field.
- Anthropology
‘Little Foot’ skeleton reveals a brain much like a chimp’s
An ancient skeleton dubbed Little Foot points to the piecemeal evolution of various humanlike traits in hominids, two studies suggest.
- Health & Medicine
This protein may help explain why some women with endometriosis are infertile
Infertile women with endometriosis have a reduced amount of a protein found to be important for establishing pregnancy in mice, a study finds.
- Anthropology
Paint specks in tooth tartar illuminate a medieval woman’s artistry
Tooth tartar unveils an expert female manuscript painter buried at a German monastery.
- Health & Medicine
A new app tracks breathing to detect an opioid overdose
A smartphone app called Second Chance could help save opioid users who shoot up alone.
- Health & Medicine
Studies can be in vitro, in vivo and now ‘in fimo’ — in poop
Scientists have coined a new term — “in fimo” — to describe studies focused on feces.
- Health & Medicine
DNA tests of Lassa virus mid-outbreak helped Nigeria target its response
New technology for analyzing genetic data quickly in the field guided how Nigeria dealt with an outbreak of Lassa fever in 2018.
- Health & Medicine
Probiotics don’t help puking kids, two large trials suggest
Parents might want to spend their money on ginger ale and Jell-O instead.
- Health & Medicine
A new implant uses light to control overactive bladders
Experiments in rats show that a new soft device could help alleviate frequent, sudden urges to urinate.
