Humans

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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Humans

    Mafia informants fail acid test

    Tests of sulfuric acid on pig carcasses cast doubts on Mafia claims of dissolving murder victims in a matter of minutes.

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  2. Health & Medicine

    Cell phones may affect brain metabolism

    Activity increases near phones pressed to users' ears, a new study finds.

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  3. Humans

    Humans

    Subliminal messages can help fight phobias, plus more in this week’s news.

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  4. Tech

    Model copes with chaos to deliver relief

    A computer program can get supplies to disaster areas efficiently even when the transportation system is part of the problem.

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  5. Humans

    Justifying research, basic or otherwise

    A neuroscience panel at the annual AAAS meeting is asked to weigh in on the value of curiosity-driven, versus applied, investigations

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  6. Humans

    Some kids’ remorseless road to later conduct problems

    A callous, unemotional style in a small proportion of 7-year-olds heralds years of severe misconduct.

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  7. Psychology

    Bilingual babies cue in to languages

    Babies exposed to two native tongues gain an early advantage in recognizing different languages.

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  8. Humans

    Sweeps weak in human evolution

    Contrary to conventional wisdom, the rapid spread of beneficial mutations has been relatively rare in the evolutionary history of Homo sapiens, a new study shows.

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  9. Health & Medicine

    Body & Brain

    A high-fiber diet may prolong life, plus more in this week’s news.

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  10. Life

    Hibernation mystery

    Somehow overwintering bears slow their metabolic rates far more than their slightly decreased body temperatures would predict.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    Saving preemies’ vision

    A drug designed to fight cancer also may thwart aberrant blood vessel growth in the eyes of babies born preterm, a study finds.

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  12. Humans

    Ice Age cups crafted from crania

    An English cave serves up the oldest known vessels made from human skulls

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