Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
For babies exposed to opioids in the womb, parents may be the best medicine
A surge in opioid-exposed newborns has U.S. doctors revamping treatments and focusing on families.
- Health & Medicine
Researchers stumble onto a new role for breast cancer drug
At first, ophthalmologist Xu Wang thought her experiment had failed. But instead, she revealed a new role for the breast cancer drug tamoxifen — protection from eye injury.
- Archaeology
Peru’s plenty brought ancient human migration to a crawl
Ancient Americans reached Peru 15,000 years ago and stayed put, excavations suggest.
- Health & Medicine
The opioid epidemic spurs a search for new, safer painkillers
Today’s opioids stop pain — but they’re also dangerous. Scientists are hunting for replacements.
- Psychology
Running is contagious among those with the competitive bug
Can behaviors really be contagious? Runners log more miles when their friends do — especially if they want to stay leader of the pack, a new study finds.
- Health & Medicine
New test may improve pancreatic cancer diagnoses
Blood test that detects five tumor proteins may someday help doctors better screen for pancreatic cancer.
- Health & Medicine
Drugs for reflux disease in infants may come with unintended consequences
Infants prescribed proton-pump inhibitors for reflux disease may be at higher risk for broken bones later on.
- Archaeology
Tool sharpens focus on Stone Age networking in the Middle East
Stone Age tool’s route to Syrian site covered at least 700 kilometers.
- Health & Medicine
Older adults may not benefit from taking statins
Statins did not reduce heart attacks, coronary heart disease deaths or deaths from any cause in people age 65 and older, a new analysis finds.
- Anthropology
European fossils may belong to earliest known hominid
With new analyses of Graecopithecus fossils from Greece and Bulgaria, researchers argue for possible hominid origins in Europe, not Africa.
- Health & Medicine
40 more ‘intelligence’ genes found
A study of nearly 80,000 people turns up 40 genes that may have a role in making brains smarter.
- Health & Medicine
Even short-term opioid use can set people up for addiction risks
A study of opioid prescriptions for sprained ankles finds that patients prescribed 30 or more pills are more likely to seek refills.
