Health
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How child mortality fell from 40% to 3.7% in 200 years
In 200 years, the mortality rate for children under the age of five (per 1,000 live births) has dropped from 40% to 3.7%.
Why the U.S. leads other wealthy nations in deaths of despair
Deaths of despair are skyrocketing in the U.S., while at the same time, they are falling in other wealthy countries. What are we doing wrong?
This molecule may be the “secret sauce” of exercise — but it won’t work as a pill
"Lac-Phe" grants obese mice the benefits of exercise — without exercising. But don't expect an "exercise pill."
Wearable tech: eating and playing our way to a longer lifespan
Wearable technology can help increase lifespan by changing what we know about our dietary needs and creating new ways to exercise.
Why are people sexually attracted to cartoons? Evolution.
Nikolaas Tinbergen's concept of "supernormal stimulus" explains why humans are attracted to a heightened version of reality.
New CRISPR-based map ties every human gene to its function
“It’s a big resource in the way the human genome is a big resource, in that you can go in and do discovery-based research."
An already-approved drug could help repair the brain after a stroke
The common drug is called gabapentin, which is currently used to control seizures and manage nerve pain.
Pot-pourri: There’s no telling what’s in your favorite weed strain
There are almost no standards governing the cannabis industry. Your favorite weed strain may contain unpleasant surprises.
Is intermittent fasting the diet for you? Here’s what the science says
Is fasting the key to burning fat? It's not that simple.
How gene therapy could cure neuropathic pain
Scientists found a way to revert pain in mice using gene therapy. Perhaps the same technique could be applied to humans.
Gattaca redux: Will genetic paparazzi steal our DNA?
How can the law keep up with new genetic technology?
When prairie dogs brought monkeypox to America
This isn't America's first rodeo with monkeypox. In 2003, the virus swept across America thanks to a shipment of exotic animals.
Eat sea squirts for better memory and gorgeous hair?
The plant-like sea creatures contain a molecule that improves memory, learning, and even hair quality, according to a new study in mice.
Statins aren’t overprescribed. Maybe we should put them in our drinking water
A doctor once joked that statins will be added to the water supply. Humor aside, the data shows that statins really are a "wonder drug."
Blood test can calculate your true biological age
Your old-fashioned chronological age is just a number. Your biological age can tell you how healthy you really are.
What is monkeypox? A microbiologist explains
What you need to know about this smallpox cousin.
What is toe jam? From harmless gunk to a feast for bugs
He wear no shoeshine, he got toe-jam football...
Research shows brain mechanisms that link tinnitus and sleep
Understanding these links could bring us closer to a cure.
Gene editing could reverse anxiety and alcohol-use disorder
An experiment in rats suggests that gene editing may be a treatment for anxiety and alcoholism in adults who were exposed to binge-drinking in their adolescence.
Anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen are used to treat chronic pain. What if they cause it?
Drugs that stifle acute inflammation may prevent the body from healing properly.
How long-term space missions change the brain
Data from NASA, ESA, and Roscosmos suggest that long durations in space cause changes in the brain, some of which are linked to vision problems.
A Spanish teen’s genome may hold the secret to lupus
Researchers believe they have found a single point mutation in an infection-sensing gene that causes the autoimmune disorder.
Genes from over 5,000 stroke patients hint at surprising treatment
Thanks to genetic clues, scientists discovered that an old stroke therapy that had abandoned for decades might just work.
Orgasm gap: The insidious reason women have fewer orgasms than men
It's the clitoris, stupid!
Unexpected protein found in diseased brains
Protein fibrils accumulate in the brain during neurodegeneration. Cryo-electron microscopy has now uncovered fibrils of an unexpected protein.
Does the Spanish language help solve the Hispanic Paradox health mystery?
The Spanish language has the ability to minimize and exaggerate by the simple addition of a suffix.
Is watching pornography bad for men — but good for women?
A large study links pornography use to decreased sexual performance for men and increased sexual performance for women.
These upcoming cancer vaccines may prevent tumors before they appear
A new wave of preventative cancer vaccines are set to begin trials.
RNA breakthrough offers a potential heart attack cure
The same technology behind the COVID-19 vaccines may enable the first damage-reversing heart attack cure.