Humans
- Chemistry
Cool Jobs: Counting calories
Do calories count? A nutrition label doesn’t tell the whole story. Meet three researchers working to shed light on the complex connections between food and health.
- Health & Medicine
Explainer: All about the calorie
Calories are a measure of how much energy is in a food. But when it comes to powering our bodies, not all calories are equally available to the body.
- Brain
Analyze This: Sleep patterns vary widely across the world
Data on four very different groups of people show that sleep patterns vary based on the local environment, the culture and daily schedules.
- Health & Medicine
This mix turns pink when sunscreen wears thin
Many people know to put on sunscreen. Remembering to put more on is harder. A teen invented an indicator that glows pink when it’s time to reapply.
- Health & Medicine
Teens take on science in the age of smartphones
With nearly every teen using a smartphone, it’s no surprise teen scientists are studying them. Two teams do science with smartphones, one on procrastination, the other on self-esteem.
- Earth
Some food-packaging pollutants mess with the thyroid
Chemical pollutants may hurt the ability of the thyroid gland to make an important hormone. Teens may be most at risk.
- Health & Medicine
Library books could come with a side of germs
People transfer microbes to most of the things we touch. Does that extend to our library books? A teen did an experiment to find out.
- Archaeology
America’s first settlers may have arrived 130,000 years ago
An archaeological site where mastodon remains were found suggests that the first Americans may have arrived unexpectedly early.
- Health & Medicine
Tattoos: The good, the bad and the bumpy
Tattoos and their inks can cause regrets and allergic reactions. But here’s a surprise: Some inked body art may actually benefit health by boosting its host’s immune system.
- Animals
Flu fighter found in frog slime
A protein found in the mucus secretions of an Indian frog can take down a type of flu virus, a new study finds.
- Archaeology
This hominid may have shared Earth with humans
Newfound fossils in South Africa point to a far more recent age for Homo naledi than had been accepted. If correct, this hominid might have coexisted with humans — even interacted with our species.
- Health & Medicine
Active teens build strong bones for life
Adult bones develop much of their strength during adolescence. That’s why teens should stay active with running, jumping and other weight-bearing exercises, a new study finds.
