Humans

  1. Health & Medicine

    Chikungunya wings its way north — on mosquitoes

    A mosquito-borne virus once found only in the tropics has adapted to survive in mosquitoes in cooler places, such as Europe and North America.

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  2. Health & Medicine

    News Brief: Stress may break diet willpower

    A new study suggests stress can affect our behavior — and willpower — by making tasty foods look more irresistible.

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  3. Environment

    Nanosilver: Naughty or nice?

    Nanosilver is in many products, from socks to toothbrushes. The tiny particles kill microbes. But it’s still unclear whether they can harm us or the environment.

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  4. Genetics

    DNA: Our ancient ancestors had lots more

    Ancestral humans and their extinct relatives had much more DNA than do people today, a new study finds. It mapped genetic differences over time among 125 different human groups.

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  5. Environment

    Can house dust make us fat?

    Materials found in dust, including common fats, may trigger human fat cells to grow. This might promote weight gain, some scientists worry.

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  6. Agriculture

    Organic food starts to prove its worth

    Organic food often comes with a higher price. But research is showing that food grown this way can be better for the environment — and possibly for us.

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  7. Humans

    Jamestown: Unearthed graves tell tales of colony leaders

    The newly uncovered 400-year-old remains of four leaders of the Jamestown settlement in Virginia reveal details of the notable’s lives — and deaths.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    Vaping can lead to teen smoking, new study finds

    A study in L.A. high school students finds that those who vape are much more likely than those who don’t to eventually take up smoking cigarettes.

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  9. Health & Medicine

    Explainer: The nico-teen brain

    Both e-cigarettes and tobacco products can release large amounts of nicotine during use. Nicotine is the chemical that makes tobacco addictive — and the teen brain is especially vulnerable to it.

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  10. Microbes

    How ‘brain-eating’ amoebas kill

    When people infected with a “brain-eating amoeba” die, their own immune systems might be to blame.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    Five things to know about ‘brain-eating’ amoebas

    These parasites can be scary, but they rarely trigger infections. Still, knowing more about them can help you avoid behaviors that heighten risks.

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  12. Health & Medicine

    Identifying as a different gender

    People grappling with gender identity issues (and their families) face difficult choices. As society increasingly accepts transgender youth, more research is needed to understand how better to support them.

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