Humans
- Psychology
Are you scared of heights? Virtual reality could help
Virtual reality may help people battle a real-world fear of heights.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Remission
Remission is a term used in medicine. It describes a disease that isn’t active anymore —whether it is cured or simply dormant.
- Health & Medicine
Taste good? Senses inform the brain — but don’t tell everyone the same thing
Whether something tastes appetizing depends on what a host of different sensory nerves collectively tell the brain. Warning: Sometimes they aren’t dependable — or even truthful.
- Health & Medicine
Explainer: Taste and flavor are not the same
What’s behind a food’s flavor? More than what we taste, it turns out.
- Animals
Here’s how a clam can hide within a rock
Old boring clam research has been upended after 82 years.
- Animals
An Asian, self-cloning tick threatens U.S. livestock
The longhorned tick spreads human diseases in its East Asian homeland. Now it’s invaded the United States. There, it has threatened mostly livestock — so far, anyway.
- Health & Medicine
Dogs carry a grab bag of flu viruses
Dogs carry a mix of flu viruses, including some that came from pigs. But there’s no reason to worry just yet.
- Archaeology
Putting hats on Easter Island statues may have required some rock and roll
Fitting huge stone hats on 3-story-high Easter Island statues may have required only a small workforce armed with ropes and ramps.
- Health & Medicine
Teens with eating disorders can find themselves bullied
In some kids, unhealthy eating behaviors may heighten their risk of being bullied and developing depression.
- Environment
Analyze This: Beauty products are big sources of urban air pollution
In cities, a larger share of urban air pollution comes from the use of bath products, cleansers and more than does the burning of fossil fuels.
- Plants
Ouch! Lemons and other plants can cause a special sunburn
These are among a host of plants (many found in the refrigerator vegetable drawer) that produce chemicals that will kill skin cells when activated by sunlight. The result can be a serious, localized sunburn — sometimes with blistering.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Melatonin
Levels of this hormone rise at night when we are asleep and drop during the day. This helps to control when we sleep and wake up.
