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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Tech

    To tame traffic, go with the flow

    Lights should respond to cars, a study concludes, not the other way around.

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  2. Psychology

    Why cell phone talkers are annoys-makers

    Overhearing half of a conversation is so aggravating at least in part because it inordinately distracts a listener from tasks at hand.

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  3. Life

    Streetlights turn young duds into studs

    Nocturnal illumination starts youthful male blue tits chirping earlier in the morning, tempting the mates of their still-snoozing elders.

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  4. Health & Medicine

    Scottish kids’ asthma declined after smoking ban

    Hospitals report a drop in asthma emergencies among children since a law prohibiting lighting up in public buildings went into effect in 2006.

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  5. Life

    Environmental DNA modifications tied to obesity

    Chemical changes that affect gene activity could underlie many common conditions, a new study suggests.

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  6. Health & Medicine

    DNA-damaging disinfection by-products found in pool water

    A study detects subtle changes in swimmers’ cells after 40 minutes of laps.

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  7. Psychology

    Video mayhem enlivens decision making

    People who play action-oriented video games show improved ability to make quick decisions based on what they see and hear.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    Defining normal in the brain

    A new growth curve paves way for scans to be used to spot early signs of autism, schizophrenia or other disorders.

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  9. Health & Medicine

    A cellular secret to long life

    Longevity may depend in part on histones, proteins that keep DNA neatly spooled in the cell’s nucleus and help regulate gene activity.

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  10. Ecosystems

    Climate’s link to plague

    Scientists have correlated changes in long-term Pacific Ocean temperature patterns with the incidence of a deadly bacterial pestilence, one spread by fleas living on and around mice and other rodents.

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  11. Computing

    Most influential media Twitter feeds

    Computer scientists find surprises when they rank top 100.

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  12. Health & Medicine

    Mutated gene cited in some ovarian cancers

    The finding may help researchers devise a way to screen women with endometriosis for cancer risk.

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