Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Ecosystems
Artifacts, fossils tell story of changes to Egypt’s animals
Ancient Egyptian artifacts and fossils from the Nile Valley show a correlation between species extinctions and a growing human population in a drying climate.
- Health & Medicine
Viruses can zoom through workplaces in hours
A virus on an office door handle can spread to more than half the people working there within a few hours.
- Health & Medicine
Injectable flu drug could add to weapons against infection
The experimental drug, given in a single shot, could prove useful in the event of a lethal flu pandemic.
- Archaeology
Pyramid builders could have used rolling blocks
Instead of sliding blocks on a ramp, ancient Egyptians could have rolled the massive bricks to the pyramids, a physicist suggests.
- Health & Medicine
Autism treatment for babies shows promise in small study
A small study finds that changing how parents interact with infants may reduce autism symptoms.
- Archaeology
More signs emerge of New World settlers before 20,000 years ago
Controversial stone tools of pre-Clovis humans have been excavated in South America.
- Health & Medicine
Two-part vaccine protects monkeys from Ebola
An experimental vaccine protected macaques from infection with the Ebola virus up to 10 months after receiving the two-shot regimen.
- Genetics
Molecular biologist honors ancient bones
After deciphering an ancient skeleton’s genetic secrets, molecular biologist Sarah Anzick helped reinter the remains.
- Health & Medicine
Test Ebola treatments to be rushed to West Africa
The World Health Organization has announced that it will use test treatments in West Africa starting this fall.
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- Genetics
A story about why people get fat may be just that
In this issue, reporters look at efforts to find the genes that could be responsible for the obesity crisis and how evolution acts on diseases such as Ebola and tuberculosis.
- Psychology
Simple rules can ease complex financial decisions
Straightforward strategies, known as heuristics, can be indispensable tools for keeping credit card debt in check as well as for making complex business decisions.
