Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
Americans eat faster, and more
More and more people are eating at fast-food restaurants, and they down significantly more calories on the days they do.
- Health & Medicine
Statins might fight multiple sclerosis
Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs might work against multiple sclerosis by reducing inflammation, preliminary evidence suggests.
- Humans
From the June 2, 1934, issue
The first chimpanzee twins born in captivity, increased speed and safety for aircraft, and a new pH indicator.
- Health & Medicine
Gender Neutral: Men, women face same cancer risk from smoking
Women who smoke are no more susceptible to lung cancer than are male smokers.
- Humans
Letters from the June 5, 2004, issue of Science News
Blackened reputation Again, humans are implicated in the promotion and distribution of our own misery (“Medieval cure-all may actually have spread disease,” SN: 4/3/04, p. 222: Medieval cure-all may actually have spread disease). However, if bitumen was wrongly credited with darkening the skin of mummified remains, what caused it? Robert FizekNewton, Mass. The coating on […]
- Humans
Simple water filter can nail arsenic
Field tests suggest that people who live in areas with arsenic-tainted aquifers may be able to purify their drinking water by passing it through a low-tech, low-cost filter that includes a bed of iron nails.
- Health & Medicine
Breast milk may lower cholesterol
Feeding a newborn baby breast milk instead of formula during the first month of life improves the child's cholesterol readings later on.
- Health & Medicine
Cardiovascular Showdown—Chocolate vs. Coffee
Chocolate appears to be good for your arteries, whereas coffee—or at least its caffeine—does damage.
- Humans
From the May 26, 1934, issue
Extracting bromine from the sea, a new treatment for cancer, and a novel altimeter.
- Humans
Letters from the May 29, 2004, issue of Science News
Judging by science “Forensics on Trial” (SN: 3/27/04, p. 202: Forensics on Trial) was an eye-opener. Our courts may be accepting many analytical techniques that haven’t been adequately validated. We should be careful, especially where the death penalty is involved, not to be guilty of hubris in the application of scientific knowledge. Bob SauerPrinceton, Mass. […]
- Humans
Famous Engineers
Did you know that Scott Adams, cartoonist and creator of Dilbert, has an engineering background? Others who have been engineers or have an engineering background include astronaut Neil Armstrong, first man to walk on the moon, as well as film director Alfred Hitchcock, former Dallas football coach Tom Landry, and television talk show host Montel […]
- Humans
Travels with the War Goddess
A botany expedition to Samoa turns out to be as much about the people as about the plants.
