Health & Medicine
Vaccine policy in the U.S. is entering uncharted territory
A key advisory group vows to base decisions on evidence, boost confidence in vaccines and protect health. Experts fear the opposite is happening.
Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
More Stories in Humans
- Health & Medicine
See how the herpesvirus reshapes our cells’ DNA in just eight hours
New imaging tools reveal how within an hour of infection, the virus begins to alter our chromosomes to kick-start its own replication.
- Climate
Harmful heat doesn’t always come in waves
Even without reaching heat wave levels, sustained high temperatures may contribute to a litany of health issues.
- Psychology
AI can measure our cultural history. But is it accurate?
Art and literature hint at past people’s psyches. Now computers can identify patterns in those cognitive fossils, but human expertise remains crucial.
- Health & Medicine
Many U.S. babies may lack gut bacteria that train their immune systems
Too little Bifidobacterium, used to digest breast milk, in babies' gut microbiomes can increase their risk of developing allergies and asthma.
- Health & Medicine
Mailed self-sample kits boosted cervical cancer screening
People who are uninsured or part of a minority racial or ethnic group are underscreened for cervical cancer. Mailing them a self-sample kit may help.
- Health & Medicine
Cancer DNA is detectable in blood years before diagnosis
Tiny, newly formed tumors shed small fragments of DNA that are swept into the bloodstream. Future cancer screening tests could detect them early.
- Health & Medicine
Want to eat healthier? Add to your diet, rather than limit it
Nutrition experts say add more greens and beans to your diet; cooking classes can teach people to make these nutrient-dense foods taste delicious.
- Health & Medicine
Summer is a great time to protect your hearing
Concerts, fireworks and other hallmarks of summer can hurt your hearing long-term. But there are safe ways to enjoy them.
- Anthropology
‘Dragon Man’ skull may be the first from an enigmatic human cousin
Ancient proteins and DNA may peg a 146,000-year-old Chinese skull as the most complete fossil to date from Denisovans, a puzzling line of Asian hominids.
