News
- Humans
A gene variant partly explains why Peruvians are among the world’s shortest people
A gene variant reduces some Peruvians’ height by about 2 centimeters, on average, the biggest effect on stature found for a common variation in DNA.
- Health & Medicine
The new COVID-19 drug remdesivir is here. Now what?
Remdesivir may shorten recovery time for some people, but it isn’t available to everyone and it won’t end the pandemic on its own.
- Health & Medicine
Kids can develop severe complications from COVID-19 in rare cases
Respiratory failure has occurred in some infected children and an emerging inflammatory disease may be connected to the coronavirus.
- Health & Medicine
Loss of smell and taste may actually be one of the clearest signs of COVID-19
Data from a symptom tracker smartphone app used by millions of people shows two-thirds of positive patients reported losing these senses.
- Anthropology
The earliest known humans in Europe may have been found in a Bulgarian cave
New finds from Bulgaria point to a relatively rapid expansion of Homo sapiens into Eurasia starting as early as 46,000 years ago, two studies suggest.
- Space
Salty water might exist on Mars, but it’s probably too cold for life
Salty liquids may last for several hours on the Red Planet but be too chilly for any known microorganisms from Earth to survive, simulations suggest.
- Health & Medicine
A multiple sclerosis drug may speed COVID-19 recovery
One form of interferon may boost the immune system’s ability to fight the coronavirus early in infections, a small study suggests.
- Health & Medicine
Door-to-door tests help track COVID-19’s spread in one Oregon town
Surveying neighborhoods directly may give a more accurate view than mail-in tests and other methods, researchers say.
- Earth
Deadly temperatures expected to arrive later this century are already here
Temperatures near humans’ physiological limit have doubled in frequency since 1979, exposing millions of people to dangerously hot and humid conditions.
- Physics
Physicists have found a way to foil a classic oobleck science trick
Cornstarch and water solidifies under impact, but a new technique can make it remain a liquid.
- Space
How tiny ‘dead’ galaxies get their groove back and make stars again
Computer simulations explain how puny galaxies can sustain star formation: Gas falls into them and billions of years later begins to create new stars.
- Archaeology
Brewing beer may be an older craft than we realized in some places
Newly discovered microscopic signatures of malting could help archaeologists detect traces of ancient beer.
