Humans
- Archaeology
Unusual mud shell covers an Egyptian mummy
In ancient Egypt, commoners may have been mummified and then encased in mud to repair damage to the body or to imitate royal techniques used with royals.
- Animals
How do you build a centaur?
A centaur has the torso of a human and the body of a horse. It may sound cool, but it wouldn’t work very well.
- Space
Space travel may harm health by damaging cells’ powerhouses
Biochemical changes after going to space suggest that harm to cells’ energy-producing structures, called mitochondria, could explain astronauts’ health issues.
- Archaeology
Harsh Ice Age winters may have helped turn wolves into dogs
In the Ice Age, Arctic hunters may have turned to some game for their fatty bones. Much of those animals’ meat might have been left to domesticate dogs.
- Health & Medicine
Five questions about COVID-19 vaccine trials in teens, answered
Scientists are now testing COVID-19 vaccines in teens. Why do teens need a separate trial? And what would happen? We’ve got answers.
- Environment
Unmasking the pandemic’s pollution problem
Discarding all the materials people use to protect themselves from COVID-19 has created a growing environmental problem.
- Health & Medicine
Let’s learn about taste
Taste tells us what’s good to eat, but scientists are still learning about how it works.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Body Mass Index
This is someone’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters. But it’s not a measure of someone’s health.
- Humans
Some identical twins don’t have the exact same DNA
Identical twins may not be exactly identical. Mutations may arise early in development that account for tiny genetic differences between siblings.
- Math
What the mummy’s curse reveals about your brain
A man died soon after opening a mummy’s tomb. But don’t assume the mummy killed him. Statistics help explain why coincidences may not be meaningful.
- Brain
Loneliness makes our brains crave people
An area of the brain that lights up when hungry people see food also revs up when lonely people see social activities.
- Health & Medicine
What kids need to know about getting a COVID-19 shot
COVID-19 vaccines are already being administered to some adults. Here’s what that means for kids and teens.
