Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Psychology
DNA variant may make heavy boozing a team sport
People who inherit a particular gene variant may find it more appealing to drink a lot of alcohol when they see others doing so.
- Health & Medicine
Genetics may underlie some kidney failure in blacks
Gene variants that offer protection against African sleeping sickness may also put carriers at renal risk, a new study finds.
- Health & Medicine
Everyone poops his or her own viruses
The viral denizens of a person’s intestines are unique and don’t change much over time, a study suggests.
- Health & Medicine
Body shape may affect mental acuity
Among women 65 to 79, big apples performed better than plump pears on tests of memory and reasoning.
- Health & Medicine
Antiaging protein also boosts learning and memory
An antiaging molecule also helps keep the mind sharp.
- Health & Medicine
Proteins last longer in the brain
A study in mice could lead to a better understanding of aging, Alzheimer’s and other degenerative processes.
- Health & Medicine
Critics point to flaws in longevity study
BLOG: A study showing a genetic basis for exceptionally long life in humans has come under fire from critics.
- Health & Medicine
Newly discovered antibodies may boost AIDS vaccine research
Inducing production of these potent HIV neutralizers will pose a challenge.
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- Health & Medicine
Fish oil may fight breast cancer
Other popular dietary supplements fail to show protection, a large study shows.
- Earth
Africa’s bumper crop of dust
Seafloor sediments show that agriculture has greatly boosted airborne dust in the last two centuries.
- Psychology
Ancient hominids grabbed early northern exposure
Newly recovered stone tools indicate that hominids lived in chilly northwestern Europe more than 800,000 years ago.
