Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- 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.
- Health & Medicine
Global access to quality health care has improved in the last two decades
Health care quality and availability improved worldwide from 1990 to 2015, but the gap between countries with the lowest and highest levels of care widened.
- Genetics
Hybrid protein offers malaria protection
Rare hybrid protein that spans red blood cell membranes offers some protection against malaria.
- Health & Medicine
Transplanted stem cells become eggs in sterile mice
Sterile mice that received transplanted egg-making stem cells were able to have healthy babies.
- Animals
Orangutans take motherhood to extremes, nursing young for more than eight years
Weaning in orangutans has been tricky to see in the wild, so researchers turned to dental tests to reveal long nursing period.
- Health & Medicine
Readers ponder the randomness of DNA errors
Readers sent feedback on cellular slip-ups, moon mayhem and more.
- Archaeology
Chaco Canyon’s ancient civilization continues to puzzle
A dynasty may have risen from the dead in an ancient Chaco great house.
- Genetics
Jumping genes play a big role in what makes us human
Jumping genes have been a powerful force in human evolution.
