All Stories
- Brain
When smartphones go to school
Students who use smartphones and other mobile technology in class may well be driven to distraction. And that can hurt grades, studies show.
- Fossils
Neandertal toe contains human DNA
DNA from a 50,000-year-old Neandertal woman’s toe bone shows humans left a mark on the ancient species — and much earlier than scientists had thought.
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Why teachers send mixed messages on climate science
Most middle- and high-school teachers now cover climate change. But they don’t always emphasize that scientists agree that human actions are a primary driver.
- Math
U.S. grasp of science is improving — but there’s a catch
Americans’ grasp of science is improving. But a new study shows that adults’ scores can vary depending on how questions are phrased.
- Health & Medicine
Blood pressure rises as kids become overweight
Researchers find that children and teens who gain too much weight see a near-simultaneous increase in blood pressure.
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Scientists Say: Replication
A scientist can run an experiment and get a result. But that result won’t be truly trustworthy until other scientists rerun the tests and replicate the findings.
- Earth
Cool Jobs: Careers on ice
From Greenland to Utah to Jupiter, scientists unlock mysteries frozen in ice.
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Oysters dine on ocean plastic
When oysters suck up microplastics, they have fewer and smaller offspring, a new study shows.
- Health & Medicine
Ouchless measles vaccine could save lives
A new ‘ouchless’ vaccine patch that uses dissolving microneedles could make efforts to vaccinate against measles more practical.
- Earth
Tiny air pollutants are big, big killers
Air pollution now ranks as the world’s fourth leading cause of death. About 5.5 million deaths in 2013 trace to just one type, called particulates.
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Students depict more scientists as women than ever
The image of a male scientist with crazy hair is slowly becoming less, well, male, new research shows. Yet, sadly, the nerd-factor remains.
- Health & Medicine
New devices coming to assist the disabled
New technologies, including motorized prosthetics and stair-climbing wheelchairs, could someday help people overcome a range of disabilities.
