Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- 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.
- Anthropology
Ice Age hunters’ leftovers may have fueled dog domestication
Ancient people tamed wolves by feeding them surplus game, researchers suggest.
- Health & Medicine
Severe allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines are extremely rare, CDC says
Out of the first 1.9 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine given in the United States, there were 21 reported cases of anaphylaxis, a CDC study finds.
- Genetics
Plague may have caused die-offs of ancient Siberians
DNA suggests that the deadly bacterium that causes the plague reached northeast Asia by 4,400 years ago.
- Health & Medicine
Against all odds, 2020 featured some good health news
Good health news in 2020 included a first treatment for peanut allergies, a rare self-cure for HIV, and an Ebola outbreak ends.
