Health & Medicine
- Brain
Brains may need flexible networks to learn well
New data suggest that brain cells may learn best when they are able to easily make and break off communications with neighbors — or distant brain regions.
- Animals
As trees come down, some hidden homes are disappearing
Animals such as frogs, toucans and possums live in tree hollows. But as people have cut down trees, a wildlife housing shortage has developed in some places.
- Genetics
Molecular scissors fix disease-causing flaw in human embryos
Researchers moved closer to being able to fix gene-edited embryos in people. They removed a flawed gene that causes heart failure
- Brain
Brain’s immune system can play role in weight gain
Weight isn’t just calories in, calories out. When mice eat a fatty diet, immune cells in their brains become inflamed. That makes the animals gain more weight.
- Health & Medicine
Racial discrimination may aggravate asthma, study finds
Kids who suffer racial discrimination are more likely to develop a hard-to-treat form of asthma. New data suggest the stress of bigotry can affect the immune system, potentially making the disease worse.
- Health & Medicine
Mindfulness in eating pays the body big dividends
Schools are starting to use mindful eating in the classroom — and science shows that it can reduce overeating and improve overall health.
- Brain
Mild brain injury can cause bead-like swellings in brain cells
Mild head bumps cause temporary swellings — like beads in a necklace — within brain cells. If cells get enough time to heal, those “beads” will disappear.
- Health & Medicine
Vape tricks could increase health risks, experts warn
Many teen e-cigarette users try vape tricks, a new study shows. Researchers worry the tricks could boost the health risks of vaping.
- Animals
Could a dragonfly’s wings be alive — and breathing?
Highly magnified image showing what looks like breathing tubes suggests the morpho dragonfly’s wings may be unexpectedly alive.
- Animals
Night lights have a dark side
Artificial light at night not only affects our view of the night sky, but also has the ability to impair animal behaviors — and probably our health.
- Animals
Analyze This! Mosquito repellents that work
Spray-on repellents are generally the best at keeping those blood suckers from making you their next meal, new data show.
- Health & Medicine
Getting a flu ‘shot’ could become as easy as sticking on a bandage
A new skin patch delivers a flu vaccine painlessly through dissolving microneedles. Such an easy-to-store and easy-to-use technology may help boost vaccination rates.
