Humans

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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Health & Medicine

    Weight-loss surgery linked to better survival

    Obese middle-aged and older people fare better if they have had bariatric surgery, a long-term study of veterans finds.

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  2. Health & Medicine

    HPV vaccination not linked to multiple sclerosis

    Getting vaccinated against human papillomavirus, or HPV, is not associated with developing multiple sclerosis or similar diseases, a new study shows.

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  3. Archaeology

    Stones challenge dating of Easter Island collapse

    Despite losing ground in some areas, Polynesian farmers outlasted European contact.

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  4. Life

    Cold coddles colds

    Antiviral responses aren’t as effective against common cold viruses in cooler temperatures.

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  5. Health & Medicine

    ‘AIDS’ gives inside view of science, politics of epidemic

    In ‘AIDS Between Science and Politics,’ pioneering HIV expert Peter Piot discusses the factors and events that shaped the epidemic.

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  6. Psychology

    ‘Survival of the Nicest’ demonstrates altruism all around

    Selfishness is not the rule in human society, new book argues.

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  7. Oceans

    Feedback

    Readers discuss oil spills, the dangers of fracking and what teams need to succeed on long space missions.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    A bilingual brain is prepped for more than a second language

    Bilingual and multilingual people make efficient decisions on word choices, neural exercise that may protect the aging brain.

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  9. Health & Medicine

    Priming the elderly for flu shots

    A drug that shuts down a potent signaling molecule in cells might boost protection elicited with flu vaccination, a study finds.

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  10. Humans

    Precursors of human sperm and eggs made from stem cells

    Reprogrammed adult human cells can produce germ cells, precursors of sperm and eggs.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    Online favorites of 2014

    Science News' website traffic reveals the most-read news stories and blog posts of 2014.

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  12. Life

    Hydrogen sulfide offers clue to how reducing calories lengthens lives

    Cutting calories boosts hydrogen sulfide production, which leads to more resilient cells and longer lives, a new study suggests.

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