News
- Health & Medicine
Unknowns about Zika virus continue to frustrate
As worry about the Zika virus outbreak continues to ratchet up, scientists are scrambling to understand what threats the virus poses and how to stop it from spreading.
- Environment
Vaping linked to host of new health risks
Animal studies and analyses of gene activity point to broad range of potential new health risks from vaping affecting everything from sperm to heart and immunity to mental health.
- Genetics
Neandertal DNA may raise risk for some modern human diseases
Neandertal DNA may once have helped humans, but now may contribute to disease.
- Physics
Gravity waves from black holes verify Einstein’s prediction
Gravitational waves, tremors in the cosmic fabric of space and time predicted by Einstein a century ago, have finally been detected, opening a new avenue for exploring the universe.
- Anthropology
Rise of human civilization tied to belief in punitive gods
Beliefs in all-knowing, punitive deities may have fueled the growth of human civilizations.
- Psychology
Don’t blame winter for that bleak mood
Contrary to popular opinion, depression doesn’t spike in winter, survey finds.
- Animals
White-tailed deer have their own form of malaria
The otherwise well-studied white-tailed deer turns out to carry the first malaria parasite discovered in any deer.
- Neuroscience
Mouse study offers clues to brain’s response to concussions
The brain needs time to recover between head hits, a study in mice suggests.
- Climate
Forest management not so hot at fighting warming
Forest management practices in Europe have slightly worsened climate change, new research shows.
- Life
Removing worn-out cells makes mice live longer and prosper
Senescent cells promote aging, and removing them makes mice live longer, healthier lives.
- Earth
Ancient tectonic plate blocks magma plume at Yellowstone, simulation shows
A rising plume of hot rock from Earth’s mantle may not be responsible for the Yellowstone supervolcano, new research suggests.
- Astronomy
Odd star’s dimming not aliens’ doing
A star’s flickering light and century-long dimming have astronomers hunting for exocomet storms, prowling dust clouds and even alien engineers.
