Humans

  1. Health & Medicine

    Can we taste fat? The brain thinks so

    Scientists had not considered fat a 'taste.' The brain begs to differ, new data show.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  2. Health & Medicine

    Explainer: What are Antibodies?

    Antibodies are one of the major players in the immune system’s attack against germs. Learn what they are, what they do and how they keep us healthy.

    By Avery Elizabeth Hurt
  3. Health & Medicine

    New COVID-19 vaccines show promise in people

    Early data from human trials show that several candidate COVID-19 vaccines produce virus-inactivating antibodies and immune cells that fight the virus.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  4. Health & Medicine

    Remdesivir is looking even better at fighting COVID-19

    New studies suggest the drug remdesivir not only speeds recovery of COVID-19 patients in the hospital, but lowers their risk of death from the virus.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  5. Health & Medicine

    Ah-choo! Healthy sneezes, coughs sound just like sick ones to us

    Think you can tell a sick cough from a healthy one? Think again. New research finds the human ear isn’t sensitive enough to tell the difference.

    By Jonathan Lambert
  6. Archaeology

    Let’s learn about mummies

    A mummy is a preserved body. They’re fun and spooky, but also a great chance to learn about people of the past.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  7. Health & Medicine

    Millions of likely U.S. COVID-19 cases have gone undiagnosed

    Over just three weeks in March, some 8.7 million people in the United States may have contracted COVID-19. That far surpasses the official tally.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  8. Health & Medicine

    Common drug, dexamethasone, appears first to cut COVID-19 deaths

    A drug used for decades to treat inflammation now appears useful in saving the lives of severely ill COVID-19 patients — ones who have trouble breathing.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  9. Health & Medicine

    Deadly heat: Expected by century’s end, it’s here already

    Instances of hot and humid conditions that threaten human lives are on the rise.

    By Jonathan Lambert
  10. Tech

    Waiting for a ‘smart’ toilet? It’s nearly here

    With every bathroom visit, we flush away important health data. Scientists hope to change that with 'smart toilets' that analyze your body’s output.

    By Stephanie Parker
  11. Science & Society

    Coronavirus lockdowns may have avoided 531 million infections

    Studies find big benefits from global coronavirus lockdowns. More than a half a billion of the potentially deadly infections appear to have been avoided.

    By Erin Garcia de Jesús
  12. Archaeology

    This cave hosted the oldest known human remains in Europe

    Bone fragments, tools and other finds in Bulgaria suggest that Homo sapiens moved rapidly into Eurasia as early as 46,000 years ago.

    By Bruce Bower