Humans
- Psychology
Mastering the art of self-control
Walter Mischel, the psychologist behind the marshmallow test, discusses his new book on self-control and willpower.
By Bruce Bower - Health & Medicine
Moms are more likely than dads to chat with newborns
Even when fathers are around, mothers tend to talk to their babies more and respond to infants’ vocalizations.
- Chemistry
Chemist tackles complex problems with simplicity
Harvard chemist George Whitesides applies his unique problem-solving philosophy to creating new diagnostic devices for the developing world.
By Sam Lemonick - Psychology
Rip-off victims prefer compensation to retribution
But those acting on behalf of victims favor a punishment that fits the crime.
By Bruce Bower - Neuroscience
A species of invention
From early humans painting on cave walls to modern-day engineers devising ways to help people move better, the drive to innovate is simply part of who humans are.
By Eva Emerson - Health & Medicine
Mini stomachs grown in lab
Clumps of human gastric cells could help researchers study stomach diseases.
By Meghan Rosen - Health & Medicine
Heavy milk drinking may double women’s mortality rates
In a study of 60,000 Swedes, drinking three or more classes of milk a day was associated with higher chances of death, cancer and hip fractures.
By Nathan Seppa - Humans
Human ancestor Lucy celebrates 40th anniversary
Paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson recalls the discovery 40 years ago of the human ancestor known as Lucy.
- Health & Medicine
Harmless bacterium edges out intestinal germ
Researchers treated C. difficile infections in mice with a closely related bacteria that blocks C. difficile growth.
- Health & Medicine
Daylight savings time tied to more exercise in children
Kids in Europe and Australia are slightly more active in longer-lit evenings, a new study shows.
By Nathan Seppa - Archaeology
Ice Age hunter-gatherers lived at extreme altitudes
Two archaeological sites in the Andes indicate that hunter-gatherers inhabited extreme altitudes earlier than previously thought.
- Health & Medicine
Cocoa antioxidants boost the aging brain
High doses of cocoa flavanols can improve some types of brain function in older individuals, a new study shows.