Humans
- Science & Society
How seeing ‘Star Wars’ satisfies your narcissistic tendencies
Participating in geek culture allows self-identified geeks to satisfy a narcissistic need for expert status, a new study hypothesizes.
- Health & Medicine
Gene behavior distinguishes viral from bacterial infections
Researchers have identified signatures of viral infection, a distinction that may help doctors tell whether bacteria or a virus is causing trouble.
- Science & Society
In science, a lack of replication shouldn’t kill your reputation
The proof is science is when a study is replicated. When it’s not, do scientists suffer? A new study says researchers may overestimate the negative effects.
- Health & Medicine
Anatomy of the South Korean MERS outbreak
The Middle East respiratory syndrome virus, which infected 186 people in South Korea in 2015, quickly spread within and between hospitals via a handful of “superspreaders.”
- Health & Medicine
Cow bites and spacecraft injuries enliven new medical diagnostic codes
The 10th edition of International Classification of Diseases went into effect in 2015, and it included some interesting additions.
By Bruce Bower - Anthropology
Thigh bone adds to mystery over 14,000-year-old Homo species
Controversial Chinese leg fossil may point to hybrid humans 14,000 years ago.
By Bruce Bower - Health & Medicine
To treat the heart, start with the gut
Preventing gut bacteria from making certain chemical compounds reduced artery clogging in mice, researchers report.
- Science & Society
Links between scrapie and MS less likely
Five decades later, scientists still puzzle over what causes multiple sclerosis.
- Life
In the body, cells move like flocks of birds or schools of fish
Cells move in groups similarly to flocks of birds and schools of fish
- Neuroscience
Mini microscope is a window into live muscle tissue
A tiny microscope offers unprecedented views of live human muscles.
- Life
Cancer cells get help migrating through the body
Helper cells may give cancer a straight shot to spread through the body.
- Humans
Year in review: Early human kin could shake up family tree
From a South African cave to an East African rift valley, fossil and archaeological finds reported in 2015 added new twists to the evolution of the human genus.
By Bruce Bower