Public Health
Vaping May Increase the Risk of Chronic Respiratory Disease
In addition to a recent spate of lung illnesses, e-cigarettes have been linked to a greater likelihood of developing diseases such as COPD and emphysema
Stories by Tanya Lewis
Public Health
Police Killings of Unarmed Black Americans May Affect Health of Black Infants
Maternal stress arising from perceived racial discrimination could cause premature births and lower birth weights
Public Health
Four Out of Five Adolescents Worldwide Aren't Getting Enough Exercise
A new report of young adults in 146 countries finds that most did not meet recommended activity levels, especially girls
Medicine
What We Know about the Possible Carcinogen Found in Zantac
The popular heartburn drug may produce potentially unsafe levels of NDMA when its active ingredient breaks down
Neuroscience
A Dangerous Optical Illusion
A common vision correction could interfere with depth perception while driving
Biotech
Scientists Program CRISPR to Fight Viruses in Human Cells
A common gene-editing enzyme could be used to disable RNA viruses such as flu or Ebola
Health
New Gene-Editing Tool Could Fix Genetic Defects—with Fewer Unwanted Effects
“Prime editing” can potentially correct almost any type of mutation, but it requires much more testing before clinical use
Medicine
Discovery of Molecular Switch for How Cells Use Oxygen Wins 2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine
Research by William Kaelin, Jr., Peter Ratcliffe and Gregg Semenza led the way for applications in treating anemia, cancer and other diseases
Evolution
Can Rabbits Help Unravel the Mystery of Female Orgasm?
A study suggests the phenomenon may have evolved from a mechanism for triggering ovulation
Medicine
Possible Carcinogen Found in a Common Heartburn Medication Is Present in Some Foods
Some forms of the drug ranitidine—including Zantac—have been shown to contain low levels of NDMA, which causes cancer in rats
Public Health
Mapping HIV Prevalence in Sub-Saharan Africa
Having more localized data on infection rates within countries could help health authorities better target treatment
Biotech
Scientists Seek Better Guidelines for Editing Genes in Human Embryos
In the first of two meetings, an international commission discussed the criteria required before such experiments should be conducted—if ever
Policy
In Case You Missed It
Top news from around the world
Public Health
A Year In, the Second-Largest Ebola Outbreak Continues to Rage
Despite vaccination and treatment efforts, the epidemic in Central Africa has resulted in 1,700 deaths and counting
Public Health
Why the WHO’s Emergency Declaration for Ebola Is a Big Deal
The president of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene talks about how the designation could help fight the nearly year-old outbreak in central sub-Saharan Africa
Neuroscience
Elon Musk’s Secretive Brain Tech Company Debuts a Sophisticated Neural Implant
Neuralink says it can robotically implant more than 3,000 flexible-polymer electrodes in a rat or monkey brain. The device is still a long way from routine human use, however
Health
Anorexia May Be Linked to Metabolism, a Genetic Analysis Suggests
A large, correlation-based study identifies eight genome regions associated with the eating disorder
EARTH
Climate Change Is Having a Major Impact on Global Health
Warming temperatures are exposing more people to heat waves and increasing the risk of disease spread
Chemistry
Fake Whiskeys and Octo-Ecstasy
Scientific American assistant news editor, Tanya Lewis, and collections editor, Andrea Gawrylewski, take a deeper look at two short articles from the Advances news section of the December issue, on counterfeit whiskeys and the effect of real ecstasy...on octopuses...
Neuroscience
Tinder for Cheetahs; and an Unusual Blindness
Scientific American assistant news editor, Tanya Lewis, and collections editor, Andrea Gawrylewski, host a new podcast that takes a deeper look at short articles from the Advances news section of the magazine...
