Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Anthropology
Mosquitoes began biting humans more than a million years ago
A DNA analysis suggests mosquitoes shifted from nonhuman primates to early humans nearly 2 million years ago.
- Health & Medicine
Can you trust the results from gut microbiome tests? Maybe not
Seven firms reported inconsistent results on the same sample, some over multiple tests. These gut microbe discrepancies could have health consequences.
- Life
An African monkey ate a rope squirrel and came down with mpox
Fecal analyses and necropsies suggest a fire-footed rope squirrel was the source of a 2023 mpox outbreak among sooty mangabeys in Côte d’Ivoire.
- Health & Medicine
A lab on wheels is tracking HIV spread in war-torn Ukraine
During a test drive, the mobile lab van uncovered a drug-resistant HIV strain that sprung up after the ongoing war with Russia started.
- Archaeology
Iron Age mass grave may hold unusual victims: mostly women and children
A land dispute may have led to the massacre 3,000 years ago, suggesting Europe’s transition to farming wasn’t always peaceful.
- Genetics
Wanderlust may be written in our DNA
A new study suggests that inherited traits explain a small but measurable share of why some people relocate far from where they were born.
- Health & Medicine
This itch-triggering protein also sends signals to stop scratching
The TRPV4 protein’s dual nature, found in studies with mice, may complicate the hunt for human itch treatments
- Health & Medicine
Meds like Ozempic could ease arthritis
A study in mice and people with osteoarthritis suggests semaglutide can bulk up cartilage between bones, though bigger trials are needed to confirm.
- Science & Society
Project Hail Mary made us wonder how to survive a trip to interstellar space
We can take some clues from hibernation and cryogenics, but humans aren't yet built for that kind of deep sleep.
- Chemistry
Machine learning streamlines the complexities of making better proteins
The framework predicts how proteins will function with several interacting mutations and finds combinations that work well together.
- Health & Medicine
Home HPV tests won’t replace the ob-gyn
Breast exams, birth control and family planning are just some of the reasons not to skip your annual ob-gyn appointment.
- Artificial Intelligence
Real-world medical questions stump AI chatbots
Subtle shifts in how users described symptoms to AI chatbots led to dramatically different, sometimes dangerous medical advice.
