Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Humans
This ancient Canaanite comb is engraved with a plea against lice
The Canaanite comb bears the earliest known instance of a complete sentence written in a phonetic alphabet, researchers say.
- Health & Medicine
Here’s how mysterious last-resort antibiotics kill bacteria
Scientists are finally getting a grip on how a class of last-resort antibiotics works — the drugs kill bacteria by crystallizing their membranes.
- Health & Medicine
Cat allergies may be tamed by adding an asthma therapy to allergy shots
Adding an antibody already used to treat asthma to standard allergy shots improved cat allergy symptoms for a least a year, a small study finds.
- Health & Medicine
The U.S.’s alcohol-induced death rate rose sharply in the pandemic’s first year
Studies suggested cases of alcoholic liver disease rose in the first pandemic year, and new data show the death rate from alcohol use climbed too.
- Health & Medicine
Where are the long COVID clinics?
For people with long COVID, finding a place to get appropriate medical care is a challenge.
- Animals
Deer-vehicle collisions spike when daylight saving time ends
In the week after much of the United States turns the clock back, scientists found a 16 percent increase in crashes between vehicles and deer.
- Health & Medicine
A major malaria outbreak in Ethiopia came from an invasive Asian mosquito
Malaria may become a much bigger problem in Africa’s cities if the invasive mosquito continues to spread.
- Archaeology
King Tut’s tomb still has secrets to reveal 100 years after its discovery
More of Tut’s story is poised to come to light in the coming years. Here are four things to know on the 100th anniversary of his tomb’s discovery.
- Psychology
A new treatment for debilitating nightmares offers sweeter dreams
A new study combines standard nightmare disorder therapy with a memory-enhancing technique to create happier dreams and bring greater, lasting relief.
- Health & Medicine
Need a fall read? ‘The Song of the Cell’ offers tales from biology and history
Siddhartha Mukherjee’s new book, The Song of the Cell, explores the world of cell biology through the lens of scientists, doctors and patients.
- Health & Medicine
What is long COVID and who’s at risk? This NIH project may find out
Scientists with the National Institutes of Health’s RECOVER project are working to define long COVID and figure out who’s at risk of developing it.
- Health & Medicine
A study questioning colonoscopy screening’s benefits has big caveats
The study included a lot of people who were invited to get the procedure but didn’t. That’s one limitation of several.
