Humans
- Brain
When smartphones go to school
Students who use smartphones and other mobile technology in class may well be driven to distraction. And that can hurt grades, studies show.
- Fossils
Neandertal toe contains human DNA
DNA from a 50,000-year-old Neandertal woman’s toe bone shows humans left a mark on the ancient species — and much earlier than scientists had thought.
- Health & Medicine
Blood pressure rises as kids become overweight
Researchers find that children and teens who gain too much weight see a near-simultaneous increase in blood pressure.
- Tech
Ouchless measles vaccine could save lives
A new ‘ouchless’ vaccine patch that uses dissolving microneedles could make efforts to vaccinate against measles more practical.
- Environment
Tiny air pollutants are big, big killers
Air pollution now ranks as the world’s fourth leading cause of death. About 5.5 million deaths in 2013 trace to just one type, called particulates.
- Tech
New devices coming to assist the disabled
New technologies, including motorized prosthetics and stair-climbing wheelchairs, could someday help people overcome a range of disabilities.
- Health & Medicine
Concussed brains need time to heal
Researchers working with mice found that allowing the body to rest after a concussion gave brain cells time to heal and reconnect with each other.
- Health & Medicine
From lime green … to lime purple?
Citrus with health-boosting purple plant pigments don’t usually grow in warmer climates. Genetic engineering could change that.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Zika
Zika virus has burst into the news because it is linked with microcephaly — a condition where babies are born with small heads.
- Health & Medicine
Vaping may threaten brain, immunity and more
New studies of e-cigarette vapor in animals and human cells find new risks to gene activity, behavior and male sperm.
- Health & Medicine
Flexible electronics track sweat
A flexible, wireless health monitor that can wrap around the wrist tracks temperature and analyzes sweat to detect signs of too much water loss.
- Health & Medicine
Teen data find vapers often become smokers
Many view vaping as less harmful than cigarettes. But an increasing number of studies suggest that using e-cigarettes increases the risk a teenager will start to smoke.
