Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
Feds won’t cover PET scans during isotope crisis
One alternative procedure for scouting bone cancers is theoretically available, but currently may be an option only for people with deep pockets.
- Tech
How medicine is ‘barely managing’ the isotope crisis
Medicine is managing a prolonged and record shortfall in the principal diagnostic-imaging isotope by triaging the most urgent patients, substituting less effective procedures and working longer hours.
- Chemistry
Drugged money
U.S. greenbacks are especially effective at pocketing tiny traces of cocaine.
- Tech
Isotope crisis threatens medical care
Global production of the feedstock for the leading medical-imaging isotope is low and erratic, putting health care in jeopardy.
- Archaeology
Fire engineers of the Stone Age
New evidence indicates that people used fires to heat stones in preparation for making cutting instruments at least 72,000 years ago in southern Africa.
- Health & Medicine
Brain doesn’t sort by visual cues alone
Blind and sighted people’s brains sort the living from the nonliving in the same way, suggesting this ability may be hard-wired.
- Earth
Big Gulp, Asian style
Satellite data reveals that increased irrigation pressure is rapidly depleting groundwater in northern India.
- Health & Medicine
Bone-preserving drug passes tests in men, women
New drug limits bone fractures in elderly women and men fighting prostate cancer
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- Agriculture
Pesticide potency can depend on bug’s clock
The daily rhythms in gene activity can affect the toxicity of some poisons.
- Anthropology
Humanity’s upright gait may have roots in trees
A comparison of wrist bones from African apes and monkeys indicates that human ancestors began walking by exploiting the evolutionary legacy of ancient, tree-climbing apes.
- Health & Medicine
Collins takes helm at NIH
Renowned geneticist will lead the world's largest biomedical research enterprise.
