Humans

  1. Health & Medicine

    Brave New Drug: Compound stops cowpox and smallpox viruses

    A new drug called HDP-CDV stops smallpox virus from replicating in lab tests and cowpox virus from replicating in mice, suggesting it could work as a treatment for smallpox in people.

    By Nathan Seppa
  2. Anthropology

    Unified Erectus: Fossil suggests single human ancestor

    A newly found fossil skull may clear up an ongoing debate about whether the human ancestor Homo erectus was a single or several species.

    By John Pickrell
  3. Health & Medicine

    Computer sharing tackles anthrax

    A drug-discovery effort using more than a million personal computers worldwide has identified thousands of compounds that could form the basis of a cure for anthrax.

    By John Travis
  4. Health & Medicine

    Clot busters may put elderly people at risk

    Very elderly people who get clot-dissolving drugs immediately after a heart attack are more likely to die during their hospital stay than similar-age patients who don't get them.

    By Nathan Seppa
  5. Humans

    Science Smarts: Talent search honors top student projects in math, science, and engineering

    Forty students reaped rewards for their excellence this week when the Intel Science Talent Search handed out the top awards in its 2002 competition for high school seniors.

    By Sid Perkins
  6. Health & Medicine

    Clever Combo: Hybrid vaccine prevents West Nile virus in mice

    A vaccine fashioned from pieces of dengue virus and West Nile virus protects mice against West Nile fever, suggesting it might work in people.

    By Nathan Seppa
  7. Health & Medicine

    Troubled Hearts: Antibiotic might fend off second attack

    An antibiotic might protect people with heart disease from future coronary events, according to the results of a small-scale trial.

    By Ben Harder
  8. Health & Medicine

    Stem Cell Success: Mice fuel debate on embryo cloning

    In mouse studies, scientists have used a technique called therapeutic cloning to create personalized replacement tissue.

    By John Travis
  9. Health & Medicine

    Eight hours of sleep may not be so great

    Sleeping 8 to 9 hours a night doesn't necessarily translate into a longer life.

    By Nathan Seppa
  10. Health & Medicine

    Alzheimer’s disease vaccine abandoned

    Safety concerns forced the shelving of tests of an experimental vaccine for Alzheimer's disease.

    By John Travis
  11. Health & Medicine

    Lack of nutrient turns flu nasty

    A dietary deficiency in selenium, an essential trace mineral, may cause a usually harmless strain of the flu to mutate into a virulent pathogen.

    By Ben Harder
  12. Health & Medicine

    New human virus tied to obesity

    Researchers have identified the second member of a class of human viruses that may increase people's susceptibility to obesity.

    By Ben Harder