Humans

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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. 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 Nathan Seppa
  2. Health & Medicine

    Women: How bad is a regular nip?

    Featured blog: A new study on alcohol and cancer deserves to be interpreted with a bit of caution.

    By Janet Raloff
  3. Life

    Prions complicit in Alzheimer’s disease

    A study in mice suggests a version of prion proteins, which are known to cause the brain-wasting mad cow and Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseases, may also play a role in neuron malfunction.

    By Laura Sanders
  4. Humans

    DOE wants to become more like Bell Labs

    Steven Chus prizes DOE's research prowess, but not it's ability to marshall its discoveries into marketable innovations.

    By Janet Raloff
  5. Life

    Tastes like metal

    Scientists have discovered that proteins that help sense sweet and spice also help taste metals.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  6. Math

    Mathematician answers Supreme Court plea

    New, fair method for dividing states into congressional districts could reduce political squabbles.

    By Julie Rehmeyer
  7. Health & Medicine

    B vitamins, folic acid may protect vision

    Vitamin B and folic acid supplements might defend against macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the elderly.

    By Nathan Seppa
  8. Health & Medicine

    Sunshine vitamin diminishes risk of colds, flu

    A study of nearly 19,000 adults shows that people with low levels of vitamin D are more likely to develop colds, flu and pneumonia.

    By Janet Raloff
  9. Health & Medicine

    Breast cancer drug gets boost

    Natural protein could make the most aggressive breast cancers vulnerable tamoxifen, and may even prevent the cancer’s spread.

    By Solmaz Barazesh
  10. Health & Medicine

    Taking age stereotypes to heart

    A long-term investigation indicates that young and middle-aged adults who hold negative attitudes about the elderly are more likely to have heart ailments and strokes later in life.

    By Bruce Bower
  11. Health & Medicine

    Possible genetic flag for brain cancer

    Mutations in IDH genes show up in many brain cancers, but the genes’ role remains unclear.

    By Nathan Seppa
  12. Agriculture

    Where do you eat?

    Here's proof that we spend too much time mindlessly consuming food.

    By Janet Raloff