Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Chemistry
Nitrous oxide fingered as monster ozone slayer
Nitrous oxide has become the leading threat to the future integrity of stratospheric ozone, scientists report.
- Humans
Girls have head start on snake and spider fears
At 11 months of age, girls quickly learn to associate fearful faces with images of snakes and spiders, a new study suggests.
- Health & Medicine
Probiotics: Better off dead?
Treating the gut to microbial therapy doesn't necessarily require using live bacteria.
- Health & Medicine
Vitamin D may be heart protective
Vitamin D limits arterial plaque buildup in people with diabetes, early tests suggest.
- Health & Medicine
Herbal supplementation can be an empty gesture
Chemical analyses show some botanical extracts contain little of the plant material they were supposed to possess.
- Life
Excess folic acid sits idle
Humans metabolize folic acid at a slow rate, suggesting that additional folic acid may yield no more benefits than recommended doses do, researchers report.
- Archaeology
Exhuming a violent event
Four graves containing 13 skeletons have given scientists a glimpse of a lethal raid that occurred in central Europe 4,600 years ago.
- Chemistry
Styrofoam degrades in seawater
Study suggests besides the visible plastic, smaller bits are fouling the waters
- Psychology
How to walk in circles without really trying
People walk in circles when landmarks and other directional cues are not available.
- Humans
Nostril rivalry
Like the eyes and ears, each nostril vies for the brain’s attention, a new study suggests.
- Health & Medicine
Docs writing fewer scripts
The number of antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory infections has declined since the mid-1990s, a new study shows.
- Health & Medicine
Better BBQ through chemistry
Food chemists reveal their secrets to juicier, tastier barbecue.
