Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
A genetic test may predict which weight loss drugs work best for patients
Variants of obesity-related genes influence how much weight patients lose on specific weight loss drugs like liraglutide, two studies report.
- Health & Medicine
How one mom is navigating vaccines’ uncertain future
With CDC upheaval, new limits on who can get some vaccines and an ongoing measles outbreak, parents like me face unfamiliar hurdles to protecting our kids.
- Archaeology
A 43,000-year-old Neandertal fingerprint has been found in Spain
An ochre dot in Spain may hold one of the oldest, most complete Neandertal fingerprints, hinting at symbolic behavior in our ancient relatives.
- Physics
How to get the biggest splash at the pool using science
Move over belly flops and cannonballs. Manu jumps, pioneered by New Zealand’s Māori and Pasifika communities, reign supreme.
- Humans
FDA cuts imperil food safety, but not how you might think
Layoffs at the FDA, USDA and CDC could erode the U.S. food safety system. Experts aren’t so worried about milk or chicken today; they’re concerned about the future.
- Health & Medicine
A cup of chickpeas a day lowers cholesterol
Adding a cup of chickpeas or black beans to people’s daily diets could improve health by lowering cholesterol and inflammation, a new study suggests.
- Archaeology
Precolonial farmers thrived in one of North America’s coldest places
Ancestral Menominee people in what’s now Michigan’s Upper Peninsula grew maize and other crops on large tracts of land despite harsh conditions.
- Health & Medicine
A diet full of tiny plastics triggered health problems in mice
Mice exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics developed problems in their guts and livers. It’s not yet clear if humans are similarly affected.
- Health & Medicine
U.S. moms say their mental health is getting worse
A national survey finds that mothers of children ages 0 to 17 years report mental health declines from 2016 to 2023.
- Chemistry
Lotions and perfumes affect the air near our skin
The personal care products suppress reactions between skin oils and ozone. It's not clear how, or if, this chemistry change might impact human health.
- Anthropology
Males of this ancient human cousin weren’t always bigger than females
Molecular evidence from a 2-million-year-old southern African hominid species indicates sex and genetic differences in P. robustus.
- Science & Society
Students’ mental health imperiled by $1 billion cuts to school funding
The Trump administration is cutting $1 billion in grants that support student mental health. That has educators worried.
