C-Section Babies Are Missing Key Microbes
UK study provides the best evidence yet that the way infants are born can alter their microbiomes—but the health effects are unclear
Nature
Japan Approves First Human-Animal Embryo Experiments
The research could eventually lead to new sources of organs for transplant, but ethical and technical hurdles need to be overcome
The U.S. Opioid Epidemic Is Driving a Spike in Infectious Diseases
Researchers around the country are scrambling to understand these outbreaks, but lack solid data on case numbers
Scientists Are Concerned over U.S. Environmental Agency’s Plan to Limit Animal Research
Critics say the shift away from using animals in safety tests will hamper chemical research and regulations
Giant “Bubbles” Spotted around the Milky Way’s Black Hole
First major result from South Africa’s pioneering MeerKAT radio telescope reveals remnants of energetic explosions at the galaxy’s center
Immune-Cell Pioneers Win Prestigious Lasker Medical Award
The prizes honored the discoverers of B and T cells, the inventors of a breast cancer treatment, and a vaccination NGO
First Ever Picture of a Black Hole Scoops $3-Million Prize
The Event Horizon Telescope team is one of six winners of the Breakthrough Prize, which covers physics, the life sciences and mathematics
What the Data Say about Police Shootings
How do racial biases play into deadly encounters with the police? Researchers wrestle with incomplete data to reach answers
Rare 3.8-Million-Year-Old Skull Recasts Origins of Iconic “Lucy” Fossil
An ancient cranium discovered in Ethiopia suggests the early hominin evolutionary tree is messier than we thought
Will China Overtake the U.S. in Artificial Intelligence Research?
The nation wants to make its AI industry dominant by 2030
