Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Archaeology
‘Origin’ explores the controversial science of the first Americans
A new book looks at how genetics has affected the study of humans’ arrival in the Americas and sparked conflicts with Indigenous groups today.
- Health & Medicine
Medical crowdfunding rarely helps those who need it most
People in the U.S. with high medical debt and low insurance coverage are more likely to raise money but less likely to meet goals, a new study finds.
- Health & Medicine
A deadly bacteria has been infecting children for more than 1,400 years
DNA from a 6th century boy’s tooth reveals signs of the earliest known Haemophilus influenzae type b infection, shedding light on the pathogen’s history.
- Health & Medicine
Genetically engineered immune cells have kept two people cancer-free for a decade
Long-lasting leukemia remission prompts doctors to call CAR-T cell therapy a ‘cure’ for some.
- Health & Medicine
A faulty immune response may be behind lingering brain trouble after COVID-19
The immune system’s response to even mild cases of COVID-19 can affect the brain, preliminary studies suggest.
- Archaeology
A taste for wild cereal sowed farming’s spread in ancient Europe
Balkan groups collected and ate wild cereal grains several millennia before domesticated cereals reached Europe.
- Health & Medicine
Will animal-to-human organ transplants overcome their complicated history?
The elusive goal of using animal organs for transplants could be within reach, but it’s too soon to tell.
- Science & Society
Here are the Top 10 science anniversaries of 2022
Insulin to treat diabetes, the slide rule and the birthdays of Gregor Mendel and Louis Pasteur make the list.
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, researchers thought Americans outgrew marijuana
In the 1970s, it was thought that adults over age 25 may “outgrow” marijuana. Fifty years later, older adults are in on the action.
- Psychology
How mindfulness-based training can give elite athletes a mental edge
Mindfulness and acceptance and commitment therapy are two types of training psychologists are using to bolster athletes’ mental health.
- Health & Medicine
Antimicrobial resistance is a leading cause of death globally
In more than 70 percent of the 1.27 million deaths caused by antimicrobial resistance, infections didn’t respond to two classes of first-line antibiotics.
- Humans
Babies may use saliva sharing to figure out relationships
Actions like sharing bites of food or kissing may cue young children into close bonds, a new study suggests.
