Humans

  1. Archaeology

    Neandertals used tools with versatility

    Microscopic data from artifacts found at two Ukrainian sites indicate that Neandertals used stone tools in flexible ways that allowed them to maintain a broad diet for nearly 50,000 years.

    By Bruce Bower
  2. Health & Medicine

    Heard about Choline?

    This week, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to announce its authorization of food-labeling claims for choline. It marks the first nutrient to be approved for such claims under the FDA Modernization Act of 1997. Central Soya Central Soya Although choline is hardly a household name, its low visibility doesn’t reflect its importance. This […]

    By Janet Raloff
  3. Health & Medicine

    Two drugs may enhance recovery from stroke

    Two drugs, levodopa and dextroamphetamine, may help stroke patients to recover the ability to move and speak.

    By Nathan Seppa
  4. Anthropology

    Neandertals show ancient signs of caring

    A partial jaw unearthed in France indicates that Neandertals extensively cared for sick and infirm comrades beginning nearly 200,000 years ago.

    By Bruce Bower
  5. Health & Medicine

    Painkillers may damage hearts

    A retrospective study suggests that commonly used painkillers called COX-2 inhibitors may slightly increase a person's risk of having a heart attack.

    By Damaris Christensen
  6. Health & Medicine

    Placebos are dead, long live placebos

    A study provides new evidence for the placebo effect and suggests a mechanism through which placebos might benefit patients with Parkinson's disease.

    By Damaris Christensen
  7. Health & Medicine

    Study challenges surgery for lung disease

    Patients with the most severe emphysema shouldn't undergo major surgery that removes part of their damaged lungs.

    By Damaris Christensen
  8. Health & Medicine

    Walking and eating for better health

    A low-fat diet and regular exercise can ward off diabetes in people at high risk of developing the disease.

    By Susan Milius
  9. Health & Medicine

    Gene implicated in deadly influenza

    A strain of influenza virus that struck in Hong Kong in 1997 got some of its lethality from a mutation in the gene encoding an enzyme called PB2.

    By Nathan Seppa
  10. Health & Medicine

    Arteries may be vulnerable to HIV attack

    HIV may directly interact with cells in arteries, predisposing people to heart attacks.

    By John Travis
  11. Health & Medicine

    Immunity’s Eyes

    Proteins called toll-like receptors allow human immune cells to detect microbes.

    By John Travis
  12. Health & Medicine

    Milk seems to guard against breast cancer

    Norwegian scientists have linked high milk consumption to low incidence of breast cancer.

    By Janet Raloff