Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
Brain’s white matter diminished in isolated mice
Experiments may offer a biological explanation for the social and emotional problems of neglected children.
- Health & Medicine
First dengue vaccine trial disappoints
The shots protect against three of the four viral subtypes, failing to deliver full protection, a study in Thailand shows.
- Health & Medicine
Anti-inflammatories tied to cardiac risk
Heart attack survivors who take ibuprofen or diclofenac appear more likely to die or suffer another attack, a large Danish study finds.
- Life
New swine flu virus could infect people
Strains found in Korean pigs contain gene mutations that make them potentially transmissible to humans.
- Humans
Herders, not farmers, built Stonehenge
Farming’s temporary demise in ancient Britain may have spurred the creation of the iconic stone circle.
- Health & Medicine
MRI spots silent heart attacks
Scanning elderly population finds many people with telltale cardiac damage that was not diagnosed.
- Health & Medicine
Military combat marks the brain
Regions involved in memory and attention changed after soldiers' deployment, though most eventually returned to their pre-combat state.
- Humans
DNA unveils enigmatic Denisovans
Technical advances amplify the genetic record of a Stone Age humanlike population, ancestors of modern Melanesians.
- Health & Medicine
Low-cal longevity questioned
Limited food intake in rhesus monkeys fails to extend the animals’ survival, in a departure from earlier reports.
- Health & Medicine
Brain learns while you snooze
Mind can make associations between smells and sounds during sleep.
- Humans
Young scientists make the cut
With the naming of the 30 finalists, middle school students will vie for top prize in national Broadcom MASTERS competition.
- Health & Medicine
Infrared light offers promise of laser-sharp cancer therapy
Laser technique targets tumors with reduced risk of side effects compared with conventional chemotherapy.
