Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- 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.
- Health & Medicine
Mini stomachs grown in lab
Clumps of human gastric cells could help researchers study stomach diseases.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Genetics
Men who lose Y chromosome have high risk of cancer
Losing the Y chromosome in blood cells may bring on cancer and shorten men’s lives.
- Genetics
Easter Islanders sailed to Americas, DNA suggests
Genetic ties among present-day populations point to sea crossings centuries before European contact with Easter Island.
- Humans
Oldest human DNA narrows time of Neandertal hookups
A 45,000-year-old Siberian bone provides genetic clues about the timing of interbreeding between ancient humans and Neandertals.
- Health & Medicine
There’s no need to panic about enterovirus
The enterovirus behind this year’s outbreak, EV-D68, has been around for decades and generally causes mild symptoms.
