Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Archaeology
The oldest known plague outbreak struck hunter-gatherers 5,500 years ago
Plague DNA in ancient graves near Siberia's Lake Baikal suggests the disease threatened people long before farming and crowded settlements.
- Health & Medicine
A blood test for dementia may tell you if you have more than one type
AI helped researchers develop an experimental blood test that might let doctors diagnose overlapping dementias.
- Health & Medicine
Why more male than female newborns may get the crucial vitamin K shot
Vitamin K lowers the risk of bleeding, including in a circumcision. That procedure may explain a disparity in which infants are more likely to get the shot.
- Health & Medicine
A popular sunscreen ingredient can finally be sold in the United States
The FDA will allow bemotrizinol in sunscreen. The chemical is long-lasting and defends against solar radiation that ages skin.
- Chemistry
A new method could spot fentanyl variants no one has cataloged yet
Researchers used machine learning to help predict chemical signatures for over 1 billion possible fentanyls, including variants never seen before.
- Health & Medicine
No, mastic gum won’t reshape your jaw
Chewing gum made from mastic resin is a Greek staple that has some benefits for the mouth and gut. But it won’t change your face shape.
- Health & Medicine
Measles has no treatments. Changing that may not be easy
Vaccination remains the priority, but some researchers are looking for drugs to fight the virus in people who don't get the shot.
- Psychology
Neuroscientists left the lab to study memory loss. The results were surprising
Using smartphone-based tools, researchers find that older adults’ recollections of past events may remain more intact than previously thought.
- Health & Medicine
A new guideline links care for heart, kidney and metabolic diseases
A guideline treats heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and obesity as connected conditions under one umbrella: CKM syndrome.
- Health & Medicine
Sleep and exercise may dampen genetic drivers of heart disease
Over time, immune cells acquire mutations that promote atherosclerosis. Lifestyle changes may offset these DNA glitches, new mouse data suggest.
- Health & Medicine
Engineered hookworms could one day dispense drugs from inside your gut
In a first, researchers genetically modified hookworms. It’s a step toward turning the parasites into living pharmacies.
- Health & Medicine
A drug may help people on GLP-1 meds preserve muscle
In a clinical trial, an experimental antibody reduced lean-mass loss in people on a GLP-1 drug. Whether that improves health is unclear.
