Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Psychology
Depression medication may offer mood lift via personality shift
A new study suggests that commonly used antidepressants may work after first altering personality traits.
- Climate
EPA: Greenhouse gases still endanger health
In April, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that based on its reading of the science, greenhouse gases threaten public health. Since then, the public and legions of interest groups have weighed in on the subject, shooting EPA some 380,000 separate comments. “After a thorough examination of the scientific evidence and careful consideration of public comments on the ruling,” EPA today reiterated its so-called “endangerment” assessment of greenhouse gases
- Climate
Newspapers issue strong warning on climate
SN senior editor Janet Raloff blogs from Hamburg, Germany, before going to Copenhagen to attend the climate talks.
- Health & Medicine
H1N1 hits sickle cell kids hard
Cases particularly acute in children with the chronic blood condition.
- Health & Medicine
Patients deficient in vitamin D fare worse in battle with lymphoma
A new study suggests that the sunshine vitamin may play protective role against common form of the blood cancer.
- Earth
Countering Copenhagen’s Carbon Footprint
The United Nations’ Climate Change Conference, beginning Monday (Dec. 7), will draw legions of people to Copenhagen from 192 countries. Traveling to Denmark — sometimes from the far corners of the Earth — will expend huge amounts of energy. And spew plenty of the very carbon dioxide that the meeting negotiators are trying to rein in. So several bodies will be offsetting the carbon footprint of this gathering — with bricks. Or brick ovens, anyway.
- Health & Medicine
Targeting microRNA knocks out hepatitis C
Blocking a small molecule, a new drug reduces levels of the virus, chimp study shows.
- Anthropology
Contested signs of mass cannibalism
A new study yields controversial evidence of mass cannibalism in central Europe 7,000 years ago.
- Health & Medicine
The apnea and the ecstasy
Users of the illicit drug have more bouts of sleep apnea, a dangerous nighttime breathing disorder.
- Health & Medicine
Amino acid recipe could be right for long life
In fruit flies, a low-calorie diet with extra methionine extends lifespan without harming fertility
- Life
Gene stops tumors, but only when it’s gone
When a single copy of the microRNA processor Dicer is disabled, cancer can become more deadly. Removing Dicer completely, though, stops tumors.
- Chemistry
Pollutants: Up in flames
Forest fires have the potential to release toxic industrial and agricultural pollutants previously trapped on soil. After glomming onto smoke particles, these chemicals can hitch long-distance rides — sometimes across oceans — before they’re grounded and contaminate some new region, scientists report.
