Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Chemistry
Why olive oil’s quality is in the cough
An anti-inflammatory compound found in the best presses tickles taste sensors in the throat, a study finds.
- Life
Making a worm do more than squirm
A laser used for locomotion control shines light on nematode behavior, one cell at a time.
- Health & Medicine
Tongue piercings worse with metal
Stainless steel or titanium studs collect bacteria more readily than do studs made of plastic or Teflon, a study finds.
- Humans
Reviving the taste of an Iron Age beer
Malted barley from a 2,550-year-old Celtic settlement offers savory insights into ancient malt beverage.
- Psychology
The write stuff for test anxiety
A brief writing exercise prompts higher exam scores for students struggling with academic stress.
- Humans
Night owls may want to dim their lights
People who spend their evenings in relatively bright light run the risk of stressing their bodies by ratcheting down the production of melatonin. This hormone plays a pivotal role in setting the body’s biological clock – and, potentially, in limiting the development of certain cancers.
- Humans
Marking penguins for study may do harm
Metal flipper bands used to tell birds apart hamper survival and reproduction, a 10-year study finds.
- Health & Medicine
When good cholesterol is even better
It's quality, not just quantity, of high-density lipoprotein that counts in heart disease, study suggests.
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- Health & Medicine
Shingles vaccine linked to lower disease risk
People 60 and over who get the shot are 55 percent less likely to develop the ailment, a large survey shows.
- Humans
Ancient farmers swiftly spread westward
A sudden influx of Neolithic farmers in southern Europe led to agricultural practices still in play today.
- Psychology
Lonely teardrops
Women’s tears appear to contain an odorless substance that, when sniffed, lowers men’s sexual arousal.
