Humans

Sign up for our newsletter

We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Health & Medicine

    Popular acid blockers, anticlotting drug don’t mix

    Acid-blocking drugs commonly prescribed to cardiac patients upon hospital discharge seem to interfere with an anticlotting drug.

    By
  2. Health & Medicine

    One protein mediates damage from high-fructose diet

    A study in mice suggests that a liver protein mediates the harmful effects of consuming too much fructose, an increasingly common aspect of Western diets.

    By
  3. Health & Medicine

    Out-of-sync days throw heart and metabolism out of whack

    When people sleep may be just as important as how much they sleep. Altered sleep patterns can lead to heart disease and diabetes, a new study suggests.

    By
  4. Life

    Gene links autism, bellyaches

    Researchers have uncovered a genetic link between autism and gastrointestinal disorders in some families.

    By
  5. Health & Medicine

    Where choices happen

    Different types of decisions are made in different areas of the brain’s frontal lobes, scientists say.

    By
  6. Humans

    Playing for real in a virtual world

    Preteen boys and girls interacting in a virtual world display the same contrasting play styles that have been observed in real-world settings.

    By
  7. Humans

    U.S. science remains far from ‘its rightful place’

    Rush Holt, a plasma physicist by training, represents New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District in the U.S. Congress. From 1989 to 1998, Holt was assistant director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, a research institute focused on fusion as an alternate energy source. Holt was elected to the House of Representatives in 1998. Recently, staff writer […]

    By
  8. Physics

    Science Stimulus

    Researchers look to the new administration to bring fresh perspectives to health, energy, climate policy and science funding.

    By
  9. Anthropology

    Modern feet step back 1.5 million years

    Researchers say that 1.5-million-year-old footprints discovered in eastern Africa show that a human ancestor had modern-looking feet and walked much like people do today.

    By
  10. Health & Medicine

    What’s good for the heart is good for the prostate

    A new study finds that lower cholesterol levels slow the growth of prostate tumors in mice.

    By
  11. Climate

    Obama’s budget would boost science

    Featured blog: Here's a preview of what science programs the Obama administration plans to push in the coming year's federal budget.

    By
  12. Health & Medicine

    Stick to a low-cal diet and it will work

    Summary: Overweight people on low-calorie diets lose weight equally well despite differences in how much fat, protein or carbohydrates the diet allows.

    By