Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
Bats live with some viruses. But others can do them in
Bats can carry some deadly human pathogens without signs of illness. A new survey shows that other viruses can still be bad for bats.
- Health & Medicine
A handheld ‘bone printer’ shows promise in animal tests
Demonstrated in rabbits, the 3-D printer might someday print bone grafts directly onto fractures, complete with antibiotics to ease healing.
- Health & Medicine
Why are so many young people getting cancer?
Diagnoses for several cancers before age 50 have been increasing rapidly since the 1990s. Scientists don’t know why, but they have a few suspects.
- Health & Medicine
Cancer patients froze reproductive tissue as kids. Now they’re coming back for it
Saving reproductive tissue from kids treated for cancer before adolescence could give them a chance at having biological children later in life.
- Health & Medicine
Brains don’t all act their age
A slew of new research attempts to zero in on what happens as our brains get older — and what can bring about those changes early.
- Health & Medicine
A new drug shows promise for hard-to-treat high blood pressure
Results from a large trial suggest baxdrostat could provide a new option for people whose blood pressure remains high despite standard treatment.
- Health & Medicine
COVID-19 is still a threat, but getting a vaccine is harder for many people
Vaccination is still important to ward off the worst of the coronavirus. Three experts discuss the concerns with restricting access.
- Psychology
People with ADHD may have an underappreciated advantage: Hypercuriosity
ADHD is officially a disorder of deficits in attention, behavior and focus. But patients point out upsides, like curiosity. Research is now catching up.
- Anthropology
The oldest known mummies have been found — in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asian groups mummified bodies over smoky fires before burying them as early as 12,000 years ago, long before Egyptians began making mummies.
- Humans
Want to avoid mosquito bites? Step away from the beer
A Dutch music festival turned into a mosquito lab, revealing how beer, weed, sleep and sunscreen affect your bite appeal.
- Health & Medicine
The brain preserves maps of missing hands for years
Countering the idea of large-scale rewiring, women whose hands were removed retained durable brain activity patterns linked to their missing fingers.
- Health & Medicine
Chemicals in marijuana may affect women’s fertility
THC in marijuana may help eggs become ready for fertilization. But this may come at the cost of more eggs with wrong numbers of chromosomes.
