Humans

  1. Health & Medicine

    New study links chemical in plastics to fatal heart disease

    More than one in eight deaths from heart disease in older adults is being linked to DEHP. The plastic chemical appears to play a role in many other health issues, too.

    By Skyler Ware and Janet Raloff
  2. Humans

    A real-life vampire probably couldn’t survive on blood alone

    Vampires often have human bodies. To survive on blood, they’d need to shed millions of years of evolution. 

    By Aaron Tremper
  3. Genetics

    DNA reveals the origin of East Asia’s favorite sweet bean 

    Where those red beans — also called adzuki — came from had been murky. A new study says it all started in Japan.

    By Celina Zhao
  4. Tech

    Lasers can eavesdrop on microbes, including viruses

    They can sometimes identify not only the types, but also how many there are. One day, lasers might be able to keep track of what germs are around us.

    By Anna Rogers
  5. Humans

    Vacation could provide teens time to practice independence

    A poll shows U.S. parents are reluctant to let teens go places alone on vacation. Giving teens more independence may help their mental health.

    By Sujata Gupta
  6. Health & Medicine

    TikTok skincare routines may cause more harm than good

    Many videos used lots of costly skincare products full of potential irritants. And most left out the most important way to care for your skin: sun protection.

    By Andrea Tamayo
  7. Health & Medicine

    Multiple-snake antivenom comes from blood of man bitten 202 times

    Tim Friede built immunity to snake venoms through bites and venom injections. His blood proteins now offer antivenom protection against 13 types of snakes.

    By Meghan Rosen
  8. Science & Society

    Analyze This: Do bad childhoods make movie villains?

    In DC and Marvel movies, a rough childhood doesn’t always mean that characters become villains.

    By Carolyn Wilke
  9. Animals

    Loss inspired this biologist to study aging

    Juan Manuel Vazquez studies the anti-aging genes that have allowed some animals to evolve to live remarkably long lives.

    By Aaron Tremper
  10. Health & Medicine

    This medicine could help teens quit vaping

    The drug varenicline, paired with counseling and text messaging support, helped young people stop vaping in a new study.

    By Aimee Cunningham
  11. Physics

    Here’s why your blood vessels don’t burst under pressure

    Cells lining the blood vessels reorganize their inner structures to handle stressful boosts in pressure.

    By Larissa G. Capella
  12. Humans

    After every soak, fingers wrinkle — and always the same way

    Fingertip folds aren’t super swollen. Blood vessels constrict and pull skin inward, forming wrinkles.

    By McKenzie Prillaman