Humans

  1. Animals

    Close cousins

    Chimps and bonobos are humans’ nearest living relatives.

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  2. Microbes

    Slimming germs

    In the gut, the right microbe mix can help keep off extra weight — at least in mice.

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  3. Health & Medicine

    Explainer: Where and when did HIV begin?

    The virus that causes AIDS may have evolved in monkeys or apes more than a century ago.

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  4. Brain

    The upside of cheating

    Many people assume that cheaters and thieves will secretly feel shame or guilt. A new study challenges that. It finds that people who cheat without causing anyone much harm actually enjoy a little buzz afterward.

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  5. Brain

    Age-old fears perk up baby’s ears

    Kids start paying attention to scary sounds when only a few months old.

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  6. Humans

    Ancient jewelry from space

    Scientists have found beads made out of metal mined from meteorites.

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  7. Health & Medicine

    Meet the new meat

    Scientists made a hamburger without harming animals; but it cost as much as a house.

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  8. Environment

    Unconventional spill

    An accidental spill of extra-heavy crude oil points to some unusual challenges in safely getting this petroleum to market.

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  9. Health & Medicine

    Camels linked to mystery disease

    A mysterious and deadly virus has sickened 94 people — killing 46 — in parts of the Middle East, Europe and northern Africa. A new study finds that camels (the one-humped type) may have introduced the new disease to people. The germ responsible is a virus that lives in people’s lungs, throats and noses. Scientists recently named the disease it causes Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS.

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  10. Animals

    Explainer: Animals’ role in human disease

    Wildlife, livestock and pets are the source of most germs that can sicken people

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  11. Brain

    Teen fighting may harm IQ

    Blows to the head may explain these effects on the brain.

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  12. Brain

    Nature resets body’s clock

    After a week in the wild, people went to bed — and got up — earlier.

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