Humans

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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Archaeology

    Rat DNA points to Pacific migrations

    An analysis of mitochondrial DNA from Pacific rats supports a theory that ancestors of today's Polynesians migrated from Southeast Asia to a string of South Pacific islands in at least two separate dispersals.

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  2. Health & Medicine

    Caloric threats from sugarfree drinks?

    Regularly downing sweet drinks or sugar substitutes may foster overeating by reprogramming an individual's ability to judge a snack's caloric impact.

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  3. Health & Medicine

    Medical Advice

    Looking for medical advice? Medicine On-Line is one place to go. The site covers topics ranging from vaccines to snake bites to white-coat hypertension (the tendency for a patient’s blood pressure to rise in the presence of a doctor). Affiliated with the International Journal of Medicine, Medicine On-Line taps the knowledge and experience of physicians […]

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  4. Humans

    Letters from the July 10, 2004, issue of Science News

    Language of music The study by Hyde and Peretz about people inept at all things musical (“Brain roots of music depreciation,” SN: 5/8/04, p. 302: Brain roots of music depreciation) made me think of my spouse of 20 years. In addition to a lifetime of utter tone deafness, he also nearly didn’t receive his graduate […]

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  5. Humans

    From the June 30, 1934, issue

    A beetle's eye view of George Washington, cosmic rays, and visualizing air currents around airplanes.

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  6. Anthropology

    Erectus Experiment: Fossil find expands Stone Age anatomy

    A 930,000-year-old fossil cranium found in Africa widens the anatomical spectrum of Stone Age human ancestors and expands debate over how they evolved.

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  7. Health & Medicine

    Before the Booze: Cactus extract dulls hangovers

    An inflammation-fighting plant extract, taken hours before consuming alcohol, appears to suppress some of the symptoms brought on by a bout of heavy drinking.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    SARS Control: First nasal vaccine effective in monkeys

    An experimental SARS vaccine, tested in monkeys, can be administered directly to the respiratory tract and requires only a single dose to confer immunity.

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  9. Health & Medicine

    Celiac disease affects kids’ minds

    Attention deficits and learning disabilities have joined the list of neurological problems associated with the intestinal disorder known as celiac disease.

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  10. Health & Medicine

    Path to heart health is one with a peel

    Consuming lots of oranges and other citrus fruits, or their juices, can trigger beneficial, cholesterol-moderating changes in the blood.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    Gene therapy might keep arteries open

    Tiny steel-mesh tubes coated with a DNA-containing polymer could prevent arteries from becoming reclogged after cardiovascular treatment.

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  12. Humans

    Of Rats, Mice, and Birds

    Fireworks erupt over an extension of rules to protect lab animals.

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