Humans

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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Humans

    Altruistic kidney donors help many

    Mass exchanges result in more kidneys for difficult-to-match recipients.

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  2. Humans

    Blog: Remembering Sally Ride

    Astronomy writer Nadia Drake looks back on the astronaut’s reach.

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  3. Earth

    Night lights may foster depression

    In animals, chronic dim light triggers brain changes that disappear with the return of nightlong darkness.

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  4. Health & Medicine

    Sperm analyzed, one by one

    A close look at the sex cell’s DNA reveals basic molecular processes.

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  5. Health & Medicine

    Egg in tiny doses curbs allergy

    Giving allergic kids minuscule bits of problem food and gradually increasing it over many months wipes out reactions in some, a study finds.

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  6. Humans

    Mideast violence goes way back

    One-quarter of skulls excavated in troubled region display injuries from clubs or other weapons.

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  7. Tech

    FDA bans BPA in baby bottles, cups

    From now on, U.S. manufacturers may no longer produce polycarbonate baby bottles and sippy cups (for toddlers) if the clear plastic had been manufactured from bisphenol A, a hormone-mimicking compound. Long-awaited, the announcement is anything but a bold gesture. The Obama administration decided to lock this barn door after the cow had died.

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  8. Humans

    Putting BPA-based dental fillings in perspective

    A new study finds that children who have their cavities filled with a white composite resin known as bis-GMA appear to develop small but quantifiable drops in psychosocial function. To put it simply: Treated kids can become more moody, aggressive and generally less well adjusted.

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  9. Humans

    Afghanistan on 240 incidents a week

    A computer simulation forecasts insurgent activity by analyzing U.S. military logs released on WikiLeaks.

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  10. Anthropology

    Scientists can’t decide if shoulders of giants were broader or just better organized

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  11. Health & Medicine

    White dental fillings may impair kids’ behavior

    Effects seen only for fillings that used bis-GMA, a resin derived from bisphenol A.

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  12. Health & Medicine

    Catching a Cancer

    The official figure for the percentage of human cancers caused by viruses is around 20 percent — but most experts concede that number is largely an educated guess

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