Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
Americans are sleeping less than they were 13 years ago
A survey suggests that nearly one-third of American adults are sleeping fewer than 6 hours a night, and minority groups are most affected.
- Health & Medicine
How decorating for Christmas sends people to the ER
A study takes a stab at quantifying Christmas-related mishaps.
- Health & Medicine
E-cigarettes caught fire among teens
High schoolers’ use of e-cigarettes shot up from 2017 to 2018, and public health officials are concerned that a new generation is at risk for nicotine addiction.
- Health & Medicine
Tumor ‘organoids’ may speed cancer treatment
Growing mini tumors in a lab dish, researchers can screen compounds to find promising combinations for treating rare cancers.
- Animals
Humans wiped out mosquitoes (in one small lab test)
An early lab test of exterminating a much-hated mosquito raises hopes, but is it really such a great idea?
- Health & Medicine
Drinking studies muddied the waters around the safety of alcohol use
Studies claiming that alcohol in even small amounts is dangerous weren’t designed to address risks of moderate drinking.
- Anthropology
Human smarts got a surprisingly early start
Human ingenuity began on treks across Asia and in fluctuating African habitats.
- Psychology
Sometimes a failure to replicate a study isn’t a failure at all
Ego depletion is one of the most well-known concepts in social psychology. A recent study can’t confirm an old one showing it exists. Who is right? Probably everyone.
- Archaeology
Corn domestication took some unexpected twists and turns
A DNA study challenges the idea people fully tamed maize in Mexico before the plant spread.
- Health & Medicine
Babies born in opioid withdrawal have unusually small heads
Infants born dependent on opioids had heads that were smaller than babies whose moms didn’t use the drugs during pregnancy.
- Health & Medicine
Many babies are crummy sleepers, confirming what millions of parents already know
A new survey suggests that lots and lots of babies aren’t sleeping through the night. The results may prompt new parents to lower their expectations.
- Humans
‘Little Foot’ skeleton analysis reignites debate over the hominid’s species
Long-awaited analyses of the Little Foot skeleton have researchers disagreeing over resurrecting a defunct species name.
