Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
Moms’ voices get big reactions in kids’ brains
Mothers’ voices get big responses in kids’ brains, a neural reaction that may lead to feelings of calm.
- Psychology
Kids’ anxieties, depression need attention
Psychological troubles in childhood are no longer considered a part of normal development.
- Neuroscience
Abnormal sense of touch may play role in autism
Autism-related genes are important for touch perception, a sense that may help the brain develop normally, a study of mice suggests.
- Life
Refined ‘three-parent-baby’ procedure improves chances for healthy infant
Improved technique could reduce risk of passing on faulty mitochondria.
- Life
Obesity’s weight gain message starts in gut
Acetate made by gut microbes stimulates weight gain, research in rodents suggests.
- Anthropology
Hobbit history gets new preface
Jaw, tooth fossils put new spin on evolution of Homo floresiensis.
- Genetics
Ancient DNA tells of two origins for dogs
Genetic analysis of an ancient Irish mutt reveals complicated history of dog domestication.
- Archaeology
Earliest evidence of fire making in Europe found
Clues to Stone Age fire making surface in a Spanish cave.
- Neuroscience
Morphine may make pain last longer
Instead of busting pain, morphine lengthened the duration of pain in rats with a nerve injury.
- Tech
Nanoparticles beat back atherosclerosis
Nanoparticles that find and destroy waxy plaques in blood vessels could be the next big treatment for heart disease.
- Life
Bacteria resistant to last-resort antibiotic appears in U.S.
For the first time in the United States, scientists have reported a patient infected with a strain of bacteria carrying the gene mrc-1, making it resistant to the last-ditch antibiotic colistin.
- Climate
Climate probably stopped Mongols cold in Hungary
Mongol cavalry was no match for cold, wet climate in medieval Hungary, researchers think.
