Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
Some heart patients do better when the doctor’s away
When cardiologists are away at national conferences, patients with acute heart conditions are more likely to survive, a study shows.
- Life
Bird flu follows avian flyways
A deadly bird flu virus spreads along wildfowl migration routes in Asia.
- Microbes
The year in microbiomes
This year, scientists pegged microbes as important players in several aspects of human health, including obesity and cancer.
- Archaeology
Ancient Egyptian blue glass beads reached Scandinavia
Chemical analysis of Danish discoveries extends northern reach of Bronze Age trade.
- Environment
Air pollution linked to autism
Air pollution may double a pregnant woman's risk of having a child with autism, a new study suggests.
- Health & Medicine
Eating only low glycemic index foods may not help the heart
Eating healthy carbs with high glycemic index scores is not bad for your heart, a new study suggests.
- Health & Medicine
Electric detection of lung cancer
In 1964, researchers hoped to improve lung cancer diagnosis by measuring the skin’s electrical resistance.
- Health & Medicine
Old product might help smokers quit
A drug used in Eastern Europe for decades by people trying to quit smoking outperformed a nicotine patch in a six-month test.
- Life
Fast test reveals drug-resistant bacteria
A new test uses time-lapse photography to see within a few hours whether individual bacterial cells are vulnerable to antibiotics.
- Humans
Year in review: Old humans reveal secrets
DNA of the oldest modern humans is rewriting the prehistories of Europe, Siberia and the Americas.
- Health & Medicine
Year in review: Risks of e-cigarettes emerge
Electronic cigarettes dispense water vapor laced with flavors and often a hefty dose of nicotine. These vapors may be far from benign, studies in 2014 suggested.
- Neuroscience
Year in review: Young blood aids old brains
Ingredients in young blood can rejuvenate old mice’s bodies and brains, scientists reported in 2014.
