Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
COVID-19 is still a threat, but getting a vaccine is harder for many people
Vaccination is still important to ward off the worst of the coronavirus. Three experts discuss the concerns with restricting access.
- Psychology
People with ADHD may have an underappreciated advantage: Hypercuriosity
ADHD is officially a disorder of deficits in attention, behavior and focus. But patients point out upsides, like curiosity. Research is now catching up.
- Anthropology
The oldest known mummies have been found — in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asian groups mummified bodies over smoky fires before burying them as early as 12,000 years ago, long before Egyptians began making mummies.
- Humans
Want to avoid mosquito bites? Step away from the beer
A Dutch music festival turned into a mosquito lab, revealing how beer, weed, sleep and sunscreen affect your bite appeal.
- Health & Medicine
The brain preserves maps of missing hands for years
Countering the idea of large-scale rewiring, women whose hands were removed retained durable brain activity patterns linked to their missing fingers.
- Health & Medicine
Chemicals in marijuana may affect women’s fertility
THC in marijuana may help eggs become ready for fertilization. But this may come at the cost of more eggs with wrong numbers of chromosomes.
- Health & Medicine
Drugs like Ozempic might lower cancer risk
GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro might lower people’s risk of developing certain cancers, especially ones linked to obesity.
- Archaeology
Venice’s iconic winged lion statue originated in ancient China
European artisans turned a Tang Dynasty tomb guardian sculpture into a symbol of medieval Venetian statehood, researchers say.
- Health & Medicine
A cold today helps keep the COVID away
A recent cold appears to be a defense against COVID-19 and a partial explanation for kids’ tendency toward milder coronavirus infections.
- Health & Medicine
A bioengineered protein may someday treat carbon monoxide poisoning
Mice treated with the protein, which is found in bacteria, quickly eliminated carbon monoxide from their body in their pee.
- Environment
River turbulence can push toxic pollutants into the air
Levels of hydrogen sulfide gas soared near a raging section of the Tijuana River in San Diego, exposing residents to potentially harmful air pollution.
- Health & Medicine
A new antiviral blocks 6 deadly viruses in mice but faces a long road ahead
Scientists report that targeting sugars on virus surfaces stopped multiple infections, though the approach needs much refinement before human trials.
