Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Archaeology
Tailored Egyptian dress is the oldest ever found
A pleated dress found in an ancient Egyptian cemetery called Tarkhan was cut, fitted and tailored between 5,400 and 5,100 years ago.
- Health & Medicine
There’s more than one way to quit smoking
Three therapies to quit smoking are all about equally effective in the long term, a new study finds.
- Oceans
Gulf oil spill could hasten corrosion of shipwrecks
Oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster could hasten the corrosion of historical shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico, new studies of marine microbes suggest.
- Neuroscience
Brain cells aglow after viral delivery
The virus AAV-PHP.B proves best at delivering genes to brain cells in mice. Similar viruses may eventually be used for gene therapy in humans.
- Health & Medicine
Vaginal ring somewhat effective at preventing HIV infection
Studies of vaginal ring for HIV protection show promise, challenges.
- Psychology
Psychologist probes possible link between prodigy, autism
The Prodigy’s Cousin explores the baffling world of child prodigies and people with autism.
- Genetics
Dads pass health effects of stress on to sons, mouse study finds
In mice, males exposed to repeated psychological stress developed high blood sugar — and so did their unstressed male offspring.
- Microbes
Missing gut microbes linked to childhood malnutrition
The right mix of gut microbes could prevent kids from succumbing to malnutrition.
- Archaeology
Easter Island people used sharpened stones as tools, not weapons
Sharp-edged stone tools enabled daily survival, not warfare, on Easter Island.
- Health & Medicine
Mini-stomachs brew insulin in mice
Scientists transform stomach cells into insulin factories and grow mini-stomachs for diabetic mice.
- Humans
Human DNA found in a Neandertal woman
Interbreeding between humans and Neandertals happened earlier than thought, leaving traces in the Neandertal genome.
- Health & Medicine
Lead’s damage can last a lifetime, or longer
Scientists have known for decades that lead is toxic to the brain, but the mark lead exposure leaves on children may actually stretch into adulthood, and perhaps even future generations.
