Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Science & Society
Banks err by confusing risk, uncertainty
Too much information prompted bad currency projections by international money firms, a psychologist contends, and may have blinded them to the global financial crisis.
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- Life
Scent Into Action
Rodent responses to a whiff of predator may offer clues to instinct in the brain.
- Humans
Social Media Sway
Worries over political misinformation on Twitter attract scientists’ attention.
- Humans
Human-Neandertal mating gets a new date
Late Stone Age interbreeding between Neandertals and people may have left a mark on Europeans’ DNA.
- Life
Black mamba bite packs potent painkiller
Scientists find that a component of snake venom blocks pain-sensing nerve signals.
- Humans
Car-crazy kid wins middle school science competition
First place at Broadcom MASTERS goes to 14-year-old who studied automotive aerodynamics.
- Health & Medicine
Common heart treatment fails to help
People prescribed beta blockers are no more likely to avoid a heart attack or stroke than those not getting them.
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- Health & Medicine
Male DNA found in female brains
Postmortem sampling suggests fetal cells can slip through the blood-brain barrier.
- Tech
Degradable devices vanish after use
Technique combines silicon, magnesium and silk for medical implants, transistors and digital cameras that can melt away.
- Humans
In New Guinea, peace comes with a price
Conflict resolution in small-scale societies may have contributed to declines in state-sponsored violence.
