Humans

  1. Health & Medicine

    New Pfizer vaccine appears 90 percent effective against COVID-19

    Preliminary finds show one of the new coronavirus vaccines appears 90 percent effective at reducing symptomatic COVID-19 infections.

    By Erin Garcia de Jesús
  2. Animals

    When physicians and veterinarians team up, all species benefit

    When doctors for people and those for animals share their expertise, they can discover new ways to take better medical care of all species.

    By Liz Devitt
  3. Brain

    Many student athletes face risk of concussions that heal slowly

    High school girls and those with a history of concussions appear to take longest to recover.

    By Rebecca E. Hirsch
  4. Health & Medicine

    COVID-19 risk linked to vaping, but addicted kids find it hard to stop

    Coronavirus risk offers a good reason to quit smoking e-cigarettes, except that’s really hard. And lots of kids were trying even before the pandemic hit.

    By Janet Raloff
  5. Health & Medicine

    These free programs can help teens seeking to quit vaping

    Most kids don’t know where to find help to stop using e-cigarettes. But new teen-friendly programs are emerging.

    By Janet Raloff
  6. Brain

    Scientists Say: Narcotic

    Scientists refer to a narcotic as a drug that stops pain, but the word can be used in other ways as well.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  7. Genetics

    Gene editing can alter body fat and may fight diabetes

    Researchers have long dreamed of using brown fat to fight obesity and diabetes. Work in animals shows they’re closing in on achieving that dream.

    By Silke Schmidt
  8. Health & Medicine

    Surviving Mars missions will take planning and lots of innovation

    Astronauts that go to Mars will need protection from microgravity and radiation, plus mini-medical devices to diagnose problems and manage emergencies.

    By Maria Temming
  9. Genetics

    Some Neandertal genes may up the risk of severe COVID-19

    Most of the affected people descend from communities in South Asia or live in Europe today.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  10. Humans

    You should guess answers to your homework before searching online

    Over a span of 11 years, an increasing share of students performed more poorly on exams than on their homework. Online homework help may explain why.

    By Kathryn Hulick
  11. Animals

    Let’s learn about bones

    Bones hold us up and help us fight gravity with every step. They also make blood cells, hormones and more.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  12. Climate

    Changing climates can take cooling tips from warm regions

    When summer heat waves hit northern cities, people might look to keep cool using tropical building strategies — and forgotten architectural wisdom.

    By Sharon Oosthoek