Humans

Sign up for our newsletter

We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Psychology

    When good moods go decisively bad

    Positive feelings may lead seniors to weigh fewer options and make poorer choices in some situations.

    By
  2. Humans

    Crime numbers may mislead

    Criminologists argue that city safety rankings should consider underreporting and other sources of error in compiling statistics.

    By
  3. Health & Medicine

    Protein tweak may trigger Alzheimer’s

    An unusual version of the disease-linked amyloid-beta molecule sows destruction in mouse brains.

    By
  4. Health & Medicine

    Weight loss reduces cancer risk factor

    Indicators of inflammation drop with diet and weight loss.

    By
  5. Humans

    A result of zero doesn’t always mean zero results

    Two recent astrophysics studies found meaningful results in nothing.

    By
  6. Humans

    DNA tracks ancient Mediterranean farmers to Scandinavia

    Modern genetic profile emerged from mating with resident hunter-gatherers, a new study suggests.

    By
  7. Health & Medicine

    Test drug eases behavioral symptoms seen in autism

    In mouse experiments, the compound curbs repetitive behaviors and improves sociability.

    By
  8. Health & Medicine

    Snakes swirl in blink (and jump) of an eye

    The Rotating Snakes optical illusion is preceded by blinking and tiny ocular movements, a new study shows.

    By
  9. Health & Medicine

    Pinpointing the G-spot, or not

    A gynecologist claims to have anatomical evidence of a center of female sexual pleasure, but noted sex researchers are skeptical.

    By
  10. Humans

    Science denial in the 21st century

    MADISON, Wis. — The arc of science has faced roadblocks for centuries, but the pattern of denying the weight of evidence has taken on new virulence recently. Highly motivated people openly cast doubt on well-established evidence — the theory of evolution, the human effects on climate change, the value of vaccines and other findings that […]

    By
  11. Health & Medicine

    Rats avoiding mental workloads offer clues to lower motivation in depression

    By
  12. Psychology

    Two heads sometimes better than one

    Group decisions rise or fall based on what the most confident member knows or doesn’t know.

    By