Humans

Health & Medicine

Kids with ‘adult’ problems

Nationwide survey shows that children are headed toward serious health problems related to excess weight.

Brain

Sweets on the brain

Sugar-free sweeteners fool the body’s internal computer.

Health & Medicine

Paralyzed rats walk again

Treatment helps animals recover from spinal cord injuries.

Animals

Baboons detect bogus words

Some monkeys know a real word when they see it.

Health & Medicine

Switching cough off

Researchers find possible solution to the nagging problem of how to curb a cough.

Archaeology

Hobbits: Our tiny cousins

Skeletal remains of ancient human relatives found in Indonesia are challenging some long-accepted “truths” about human evolution.

Health & Medicine

Meat from scratch

Scientists are working to produce meat without killing animals.

Fossils

Old relative steps down

Ancient human ancestor climbed trees but also walked clumsily upright on the ground.

Humans

Becoming human

Two new studies suggest that during ice ages, steep drops in temperature may have sent ancient species moving to more temperate, or mild, areas. As a result, these species would have been isolated from other populations.

Health & Medicine

Losing control over sugar

A common pollutant and sweetener mess with important hormones.

Brain

Lip-reading babies

Before they start talking, babbling babies ‘read’ mouths.

Environment

‘Nonstick’ chemicals may undercut value of vaccinations

Chemicals used to make fabrics stain resistant and pans stick resistant are showing up everywhere — including in kids. One big downside: New data show they can keep vaccines from working well.