Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
One-shot COVID-19 vaccine is effective against severe disease
The effectiveness of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine at preventing hospitalization and death holds up against a South Africa variant of the coronavirus.
- Health & Medicine
Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine is effective, but less so with some variants
Novavax’s vaccine fends off the original coronavirus and a U.K. variant, but had more trouble with a South Africa variant.
- Anthropology
Humanlike thumb dexterity may date back as far as 2 million years ago
A computer analysis suggests early Homo species developed a powerful grip, giving them an evolutionary edge over some other tool-using hominids.
- Health & Medicine
How coronavirus variants may pose challenges for COVID-19 vaccines
Some coronavirus mutations may make vaccines less effective, but the immune system is multifaceted and vaccines can be updated.
- Psychology
The COVID-19 pandemic made U.S. college students’ mental health even worse
College students struggled with mental health problems before the pandemic. Now, some vulnerable students are even more at risk.
- Archaeology
The oldest known abrading tool was used around 350,000 years ago
A flat-ended rock found in an Israeli cave marks an early technological shift by human ancestors to make stone tools for grinding rather than cutting.
- Science & Society
Biden administration outlines its ambitious plan to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic
Epidemiologist Michael Osterholm, an adviser to the Biden transition team, talks about the plans to tackle the public health crisis COVID-19 created.
- Health & Medicine
The more contagious coronavirus variant may soon be the U.S.’s dominant strain
More rigorous efforts to vaccinate, wear masks and social distance are needed to curb the variant’s spread, CDC says.
- Health & Medicine
Could delaying a second vaccine dose lead to more dangerous coronavirus strains?
Some experts worry extending the time between vaccine doses could help the virus evolve in potentially harmful ways, but viral evolution is complex.
- Archaeology
One of the oldest known cave paintings has been found in Indonesia
A drawing of a pig on the island of Sulawesi dates to at least 45,500 years ago.
- Health & Medicine
A new polio vaccine joins the fight to vanquish the paralyzing disease
Work on the ground to vaccinate children continues in the push to finally eradicate polio.
- Genetics
Some identical twins don’t have identical DNA
Mutations arising early in development may account for genetic differences between identical twins.
