Humans

  1. Life

    Having an extra chromosome has a surprising effect on cancer

    Extra chromosome copies may protect against, not cause, cancer.

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  2. Ecosystems

    Losing tropical forest might raise risks of human skin ulcers, deformed bones

    Bacteria that cause Buruli ulcer in people flourish with tropical deforestation.

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  3. Neuroscience

    Brain waves show promise against Alzheimer’s protein in mice

    Flickers of light induce brain waves that wash amyloid-beta out of the brain, mouse study suggests.

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  4. Science & Society

    Virtual reality raises real risk of motion sickness

    New research confirms anecdotal reports that virtual reality headsets can cause motion sickness, and may affect women more than men.

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  5. Health & Medicine

    Database provides a rare peek at a human embryo’s first weeks

    A new 3-D atlas charts the growth of each and every organ in the developing human embryo, from the heart to the gut to the brain.

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  6. Psychology

    You’ve probably been tricked by fake news and don’t know it

    In the fight against falsified facts, the human brain is both the weakest link and our only hope.

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  7. Anthropology

    Readers ponder hominid hookups and more

    Neandertal evolution, quantum internet and more in reader feedback.

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  8. Astronomy

    Scientific success depends on finding light in darkness

    Editor in chief Eva Emerson discusses using cleverness and persistence to uncover scientific truths.

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  9. Anthropology

    Buff upper arms let Lucy climb trees

    Australopithecus afarensis’ heavily built arms supported tree climbing, scans of Lucy’s fossils suggest.

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  10. Life

    Mitochondria variants battle for cell supremacy

    Some mitochondria are more competitive than others, which could complicate treatments for mitochondrial diseases.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    Low social status leads to off-kilter immune system

    Low social status tips immune system toward inflammation seen in chronic diseases, a monkey study shows.

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  12. Animals

    Dogs form memories of experiences

    New experiments suggest that dogs have some version of episodic memory, allowing them to recall specific experiences.

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