Humans
- Health & Medicine
Don’t blame the rats for spreading the Black Death
Popular history says millions of people died of the Black Death in the Middle Ages after being bit by fleas living on rats. But human fleas may be the real culprits, a new study finds.
- Materials Science
Cool Jobs: Drilling into the secrets of teeth
A bioengineer, a biologist and an archaeologist all study teeth to explore new materials, to grow better tissues and to learn more about prehistoric humans.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Salt
Salts in chemistry are compounds made when a positively charged acid is combined with a negatively charged base. Table salt is one example.
- Chemistry
Changing toothpastes? Change your toothbrush
Scientists have found that toothbrush bristles absorb triclosan, then release the potentially toxic chemical when users switch toothpastes.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Epidermis
The epidermis is the outer layer of your skin. It helps protect you from dangerous things in the environment, and helps control how much water evaporates from your body.
- Health & Medicine
Long-lasting flu vaccine could replace yearly shots
Researchers have developed a single vaccine that protects mice from many types of flu. Such a development could lead to where people only day might no longer need a yearly flu shot.
- Health & Medicine
Analyze This: Flu vaccine’s protection varies
Getting a flu shot every year is an important way to protect yourself and those around you — even if the vaccine isn’t 100 percent effective.
- Microbes
Scientists Say: Microbiome
You’ve got company. Every animal and plant has microscopic organisms living on and in them. These include bacteria, protists, archaea, fungi and viruses.
- Health & Medicine
New treatment could calm temperature-sensitive teeth
Dentists aren’t happy with today’s treatments for sensitive teeth. Sand-like nanoparticles carrying green tea extract could bring longer pain relief.
- Health & Medicine
Raw cookie dough’s flour could make you really sick
It’s not just the eggs in cookie dough that can pose food-poisoning risks. Even flour can sicken people if it is eaten raw.
- Brain
Trading smartphone time for sleep? Your loss
A new study shows more and more teenagers are hanging out on devices when they should be catching ZZZs, putting their health at risk.
- Health & Medicine
High-nicotine e-cigs up chance teen will become a smoker
New study links vaping high levels of nicotine to greater likelihood teens will vape — and smoke — six months later.
