Humans

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. Health & Medicine

    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
  7. 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
  8. Health & Medicine

    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
  9. Humans

    Let’s learn about bias

    People can be biased, even if they don’t think they are. Luckily, there are ways to fight our biases.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  10. Chemistry

    Let’s learn about hair

    Hair is made of long, strong protein chains. These chains have a lot of science in them.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  11. Health & Medicine

    Scientists Say: Protein

    Proteins are molecules made up of building blocks called amino acids. They play many key roles in the body’s cells and are essential for life.

    By Carolyn Wilke
  12. Humans

    Skeletons hint that ancient societies had women warriors

    Some women in North American hunter-gatherer societies and Mongolian herding groups may have been warriors.

    By Bruce Bower