Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Anthropology
New dating suggests younger age for Homo naledi
South African fossil species lived more recently than first thought, study suggests.
- Neuroscience
Rewarding stimulation boosts immune system
Activating feel-good nerve cells boosts mice’s immunity, a new study suggests.
- Life
Letting parasites fight could help battle drug resistance, too
Helping one strain of malaria trounce another in lab mice demonstrates a way of avoiding the evolution of drug resistance.
- Science & Society
Readers debate gun violence research and more
Gun violence research, plaque-busting sugar and more in reader feedback.
- Science & Society
Empathy for animals is all about us
We extend our feelings to what we think animals are feeling. Often, we’re wrong. But anthropomorphizing isn’t about them. It’s about us.
- Health & Medicine
This week in Zika: vaccine progress, infection insights
Vaccine candidates for Zika virus take a step forward, birth defects span spectrum of problems and doubts about Zika’s link to microcephaly may be extinguished by new reports from Colombia.
- Health & Medicine
Vaccines could counter addictive opioids
Scientists turn to vaccines to curb the growing opioid epidemic.
- Health & Medicine
Tight spaces cause spreading cancer cells to divide improperly
Researchers are using rolled-up transparent nanomembranes to mimic tiny blood vessels and study how cancer cells divide in these tight spaces.
- Archaeology
Ancient Europeans may have been first wine makers
A new chemical analysis uncovers the earliest known wine making in Europe.
- Psychology
Moral dilemma could put brakes on driverless cars
Driverless cars race into a moral conflict over saving passengers or pedestrians.
- Psychology
New studies explore why ordinary people turn terrorist
New studies are examining the "will to fight" in ISIS soldiers and their opponents.
- Life
New species of bacteria found to cause Lyme disease
Camping? Don’t forget the bug spray. Lyme disease covers new ground.
