Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
22 pesticides show links to prostate cancer
The new finding comes from an analysis of pesticide use and prostate cancer incidence in over 3,100 U.S. counties.
- Psychology
Researchers seek, and find, a magical illusion for the ears
A contest to design a sound-only magic trick could help psychologists learn about differences between visual and auditory perception.
- Health & Medicine
Lizard spit can help detect a rare pancreatic tumor
A protein found in Gila monster saliva flags tiny pancreatic tumors in PET scans.
- Anthropology
Fossil teeth hint at a surprisingly early start to humans’ long childhoods
Signs of temporarily delayed tooth development in the skull of an ancient Homo species youth spark debate about the origins of humanlike growth.
- Anthropology
How does a fossil become a superstar? Just ask Lucy.
Geologic good fortune, skilled scientific scrutiny and a catchy name turned Lucy into an evolutionary icon.
- Health & Medicine
The virus behind an outbreak in Brazil can spread from mother to fetus
Transmission of Oropouche virus to the womb has been confirmed in two stillbirths and one birth with congenital anomalies that occurred in Brazil.
- Health & Medicine
A twisted protein sheds light on chronic wasting disease in deer
The detailed structure of a misfolded protein from a diseased deer could help explain why the disease hasn’t made the leap to humans.
- Genetics
A common drug may help treat a rare genetic disease
Ibuprofen counters problems caused by mutations in the MAN1B1 gene, fruit fly tests show. Early results in three children are ”fairly positive.”
- Health & Medicine
‘The Power of Prions’ explores misfolded proteins’ role in brain diseases
Michel Brahic’s new book spotlights prions’ role in diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
- Archaeology
A digital exam reels in engraved scenes of Stone Age net fishing
Nearly 16,000-year-old portrayals of fish surrounded by nets had evaded detection until a new technique took magnification to a new level.
- Archaeology
A huge, ancient Maya city has been found in southern Mexico
Lasers revealed that the city spanned roughly the same area as Beijing and may have been among the most densely populated in the region.
- Anthropology
The ‘midlife crisis’ is too simple a story, scientists say
Some scientists want to shift focus to the teen mental health crisis. But the course of happiness is too complex for simplistic theories, experts warn.
