Humans

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- Animals
Let’s learn about the creatures of Halloween
Check out the real-life vampires and zombies of the animal kingdom, and learn why people think ghosts and mummy curses are real.
- Brain
It doesn’t take a concussion for head hits to harm young brains
Most head impacts while playing football do not cause concussions. Yet even lesser impacts take a toll in young athletes, scans of their brains show.
- Health & Medicine
Gender-affirming care improves the mental health of transgender youth
Several states have tried to restrict access to gender-affirming health care for transgender youth. That goes against medical guidelines.
- Tech
Will you learn better from reading on screen or on paper?
Some studies find students don’t learn as well by reading on screens as from paper. But that's not always true. Here’s how to make the most of reading in either format.
- Health & Medicine
A single vape session can harm immune cells in the body
Vaping creates molecules in the body that can attack cells and cause damage.
- Genetics
Explainer: What is RNA?
A partner to DNA, cells use this molecule to translate the instructions for making all of the many proteins that your body needs to function.
- Health & Medicine
Starting schools later leads to less tardiness, fewer ‘zombies’
Students attending schools with later start times feel more awake during the day and are less likely to oversleep and be late for class.
- Health & Medicine
A 2021 Nobel goes for discovering how our body reads touch sensations
David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian found nerve-cell sensors for temperature, pain and pressure.
By Tina Hesman Saey and Freda Kreier - Health & Medicine
Seven strategies to keep COVID-safe at school
Some schools safely brought students back for in-person learning last year. Their experiences suggest how to avoid classroom spread of COVID-19 this year.
- Health & Medicine
Weight shaming is literally sickening
Many people think it’s okay to shame people for their weight. Not only is that cruel, but it also can harm their mental and physical health.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Tonsils
The tonsils are pads of tissue in the throat that are part of the body’s immune system.
- Psychology
What happened when Simone Biles got the twisties at the Olympics?
Stress might have led to physical and mental disorientation during the gymnastics competition. Still, a lot about the phenomenon remains unknown.