Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Archaeology
An old perfume bottle reveals what some ancient Romans smelled like
Chemical analyses reveal that an unopened flask of perfume from 2,000 years ago contained patchouli, a common ingredient in modern perfumes.
- Anthropology
These ancient flutes may have been used to lure falcons
Seven bird-bone flutes unearthed from a site in northern Israel are about 12,000 years old and may have been used as bird calls.
- Health & Medicine
Taurine slows aging in mice. Will it ever work for people?
The amino acid taurine — found in meats, produced by the body and common in energy drinks — may have a role in health and aging, a new study suggests.
- Neuroscience
Brain cavities that swell in space may need at least 3 years to recover
MRI scans of astronauts show that duration in space and time between flights affect how much the brain’s fluid-filled cavities expand during missions.
- Animals
When and why did masturbation evolve in primates? A new study provides clues
In a first-of-its-kind comparative study, researchers show that primates were masturbating 40 million years ago and that the behavior may help males keep their sperm fresh.
- Anthropology
Homo naledi may have dug cave graves and carved marks into cave walls
Proposed discoveries of humanlike activities by these ancient, small-brained hominids have elicited skepticism from some researchers.
- Health & Medicine
With tools from Silicon Valley, Quinton Smith builds lab-made organs
Tissues made with 3-D printing and other techniques could offer insights into diseases such as fatty liver disease and preeclampsia.
- Humans
Oldest traces of a dysentery-causing parasite were found in ancient toilets
Scientists have found traces of giardia in two toilets used by wealthy residents of Jerusalem in the 7th and 6th century B.C.
- Chemistry
19th century painters may have primed their canvases with beer-brewing leftovers
Several paintings from the Danish Golden Age contain remnants of brewer’s yeast, barley and other grains commonly used to brew beer.
- Neuroscience
A brain implant helped a man with paralysis walk more naturally
A successful test of a system that restores communication between the brain and spine could ultimately help many people with paralysis.
- Tech
Deblina Sarkar is building microscopic machines to enter our brains
The ultratiny devices can communicate wirelessly from inside living cells and may one day help cure brain diseases.
- Humans
Race car drivers tend to blink at the same places in each lap
Blinking is thought to occur randomly, but a new study tracking blinks in racing drivers shows it can be predictable — and strategic.
