Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
Plant spills crucial details for making cancer drug
By injuring the Himalayan mayapple, researchers worked out how the plant makes an important ingredient in a common cancer drug.
- Health & Medicine
Less vitamin D and melatonin bad for multiple sclerosis
Vitamin D and melatonin play important roles in multiple sclerosis.
- Anthropology
Fossils suggest new species from human genus
Undated South African cave fossils may reveal a new species in the human genus.
- Anthropology
Immortality and more in reader feedback
This week in reader feedback: Immortality and tracing ancient humans.
- Neuroscience
Misfolded proteins implicated in more brain diseases
Alzheimer’s, other disorders show similarity to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other prion infections.
- Anthropology
Minutes after encountering danger, lemurs yawn
Madagascar primates yawn within minutes of encountering threats.
- Animals
A monkey uses a stick to pick its teeth and nose
A wild bearded capuchin monkey in Brazil was caught using tools to pick its nose and teeth.
- Environment
Latest BPA replacement seeps into people’s blood and urine
Replacements for BPA called BPS and BPSIP may raise health risks for cashiers.
- Health & Medicine
With flibanserin approval, a complicated drug takes the spotlight
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug to increase women’s sexual desire. But whether the benefits outweigh the side effects depends on who you ask.
- Health & Medicine
How farm life can prevent allergies
Farm dust prevents allergies by turning on an anti-inflammatory enzyme in the cells lining mice’s lungs.
- Science & Society
Why enforced ‘service with a smile’ should be banned
If management wants workers to maintain false cheer, those workers should be trained, supported and compensated for the emotional labor, a new review suggests.
- Anthropology
Ancient pottery maps route to South Pacific
New Guinea pottery points to a key meeting of island natives and seafarers at least 3,000 years ago.
