Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
A Pap smear can scoop up fetal cells for genome testing
Pap smear during pregnancy could offer an early way to test for fetal genetic disorders.
- Archaeology
For some early monks, impaired hearing amplified sounds of silence
Middle-ear ailments probably had little impact on early Christian monks’ lives.
- Humans
Oldest alphabet identified as Hebrew
Contested study indicates ancient Israelites developed first alphabet from Egyptian hieroglyphics.
- Health & Medicine
This week in Zika: Vaginal vulnerability, disease double trouble and more
Puerto Rico cases of Zika suggest that the virus prefers women. And two new findings reveal more about Zika’s transmission and ability to survive outside the body.
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, fluoridation was promoted as a bone protector
In 1966, scientists hoped fluoride might protect adult bone health. While the results broke down over time, the benefits for teeth remain clear.
- Health & Medicine
Heartburn drugs may raise stroke risk
Drugs used by millions for heartburn linked to increased risk of stroke.
- Neuroscience
Despite Alzheimer’s plaques, some seniors remain mentally sharp
Plaques and tangles riddle the brains of some very old and very healthy people.
- Neuroscience
Protein linked to Parkinson’s travels from gut to brain
Parkinson’s protein can travel from gut to brain, mouse study suggests.
- Health & Medicine
Downside of yo-yo dieting is rise in heart disease risk
Yo-yo dieting hurts the heart, even if you’re not overweight.
- Health & Medicine
Chinese patient is first to be treated with CRISPR-edited cells
Researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 to engineer immune cells that were then injected into a patient with lung cancer, the journal Nature reports.
- Neuroscience
Sounds and glowing screens impair mouse brains
Too much light and noise screws up developing mice’s brains.
- Health & Medicine
Restless sleep associated with heart rhythm problems
Poor sleep, even without apnea, is tied to heart rhythm problems.
