Medicine

Residents of Washington, D.C. wait in line to get Covid-19 test kits in December of 2021. The United States lagged behind other nations in testing during the first few months of the pandemic.

Six Lessons We’ve Learned From Covid That Will Help Us Fight the Next Pandemic

Public health experts weigh in on the steps America needs to take to stem a future outbreak

A growing movement is underway to halt chronic disease by protecting brains and bodies from the biological fallout of aging.

Could Getting Rid of Old Cells Help People Live Disease-Free for Longer?

Researchers are investigating medicines that selectively kill decrepit cells to promote healthy aging

A team led by Laurits Skov and Benjamin Peter from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology sequenced nuclear, mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA of 13 Neanderthal individuals. From these sequences, they determined that two of the Neanderthals represent a father-daughter pair and that another two are cousins.

Fourteen Discoveries Made About Human Evolution in 2022

Smithsonian paleoanthropologists reveal the year’s most riveting findings about our close relatives and ancestors

Thirty-seven U.S. states and D.C. have laws permitting the use of medical marijuana.

For Pain Relief, Cannabis May Be No Better Than a Placebo

Previous research has shown the placebo effect can be extremely powerful, rivaling ibuprofen or morphine

When flushed, commercial toilets can spew airborne particles at speeds of up to 6.6 feet per second.

Here's What Really Happens When You Flush a Toilet

Using lasers and cameras, scientists visualized the plume of tiny, aerosolized particles ejected from commercial toilets during flushing

 The federal government considers marijuana an illegal Schedule I drug, making it notoriously difficult to research.

New U.S. Law Will Boost Marijuana Research

The Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act will make it easier for researchers to access marijuana and study its therapeutic uses

Histoplasma under a microscope

Fungi That Cause Lung Infections May Be Spreading Across the U.S.

Doctors are likely to misdiagnose cases due to outdated maps of these fungi’s ranges

Close to two million Americans have Type 1 diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.

First Drug to Delay Type 1 Diabetes Approved by FDA

The treatment held off disease onset by an average of two years in a clinical trial, but it won’t be cheap

New research suggests earbuds may be an affordable, low-stigma alternative to hearing aids for some people.

Are AirPods the Hearing Aids of the Future?

New research suggests that personal sound amplification products like earbuds may help some people hear better in certain scenarios

A sonogram of a human fetus. 

Doctors Treated a Child for a Genetic Disease Before She Was Born

Treating fetuses for the enzyme deficiency might prevent early disease progression

The final facial reconstruction depicting John Barber, 55

Scientists Reconstruct Face of 19th-Century Man Accused of Being a Vampire

He was a victim of tuberculosis—and a target of the vampire panic that swept through New England

Human red blood cells at 1,000 times magnification. 

Scientists Perform First Transfusions of Lab-Grown Blood

A clinical trial is testing how lab-grown cells might help patients with blood disorders and rare blood types

Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms, a species of psychedelic mushrooms

Psychedelic Mushroom Chemical May Help Treat Depression

A new study found the drug temporarily relieved symptoms for some patients, but it needs to be tested in larger and longer trials, experts say

Magic was just another tool in a medieval animal healer's toolbox.

The Veterinary Magic of the Middle Ages

Medieval healers treated animals' ailments with a mix of faith, tradition and science

Illustration of Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria

Could a Morning-After Pill Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections?

San Francisco has formally recommended doxyPEP, which works like Plan B but targets STIs

Researchers detected toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, benzene and other harmful compounds in samples from unlit gas stoves.

Gas Stoves Are Leaking Toxins Into California Homes

Researchers found cancer-causing benzene and other air pollutants in samples from 159 Golden State residences

By preserving bodies at below-freezing temperatures, Alcor's goal is “restoring good health with medical technology in the future.”

200 Frozen Heads and Bodies Await Revival at This Arizona Cryonics Facility

The human cryopreservation project faces skepticism from medical and legal authorities

Computer illustration of Naegleria fowleri 

Boy Dies From a Brain-Eating Amoeba After Exposure at Lake Mead

This is the third fatal case in the U.S. this year

As of October 19, 10,991 people are waiting for a liver in the United States. Further research into long-lasting livers could expand the transplant pool.

Transplanted Livers Can Survive Past 100

These organs that live for more than a century could raise the age of potential donors, perhaps shortening waits for the life-saving procedure

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Can This New A.I. Tool Help Detect Blood Poisoning?

The algorithm scans electronic records and may reduce sepsis deaths, but widespread adoption could be a challenge

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