Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
In some cases, getting dengue may protect against Zika
A Zika outbreak in a Brazilian slum suggests that the timing of dengue infections may matter for protection against Zika.
- Health & Medicine
Pills equipped with tiny needles can inject a body from the inside
High-tech pills equipped with medicinal needles could administer painless shots inside the body.
- Life
Evolutionarily, grandmas are good for grandkids — up to a point
Women may live past their reproductive years because they help their grandchildren survive, but there are limits to that benefit.
- Health & Medicine
In the third trimester, a pregnant woman’s sense of personal space grows
Women’s sense of personal space grows to accommodate a larger belly during pregnancy, a small study suggests.
- Health & Medicine
Why some children may get strep throat more often than others
Kids with recurrent strep throat appear to have a defective immune response to the bacteria that cause the infections, a study finds.
- Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is learning not to be so literal
Artificial intelligence is learning how to take things not so literally.
- Humans
Why it’s key to identify preschoolers with anxiety and depression
With mounting evidence that very young children can experience anxiety and depression, efforts are underway to identify and treat them early.
- Humans
Here’s what makes satire so funny, according to science
Analysis of headlines from the satirical newspaper The Onion could help you — or a computer — write humorous news headlines.
- Anthropology
New dates narrow down when Denisovans and Neandertals crossed paths
Mysterious ancient hominids called Denisovans and their Neandertal cousins periodically occupied the same cave starting around 200,000 years ago.
- Health & Medicine
Chinese ‘tweets’ hint that happiness drops as air pollution rises
A study of more than 210 million social media posts reveals a link between people’s sense of well-being and pollution.
- Anthropology
Why modern javelin throwers hurled Neandertal spears at hay bales
A sporting event with replica weapons suggests that Neandertals’ spears may have been made for throwing, not just stabbing.
- Health & Medicine
Readers have questions about Parkinson’s disease, moth wings and more
Readers had questions about Parkinson’s disease, the new definition of a kilogram’s mass, Saturn’s moon Dione and more.
