Countering The 8-Hour Sleep Schedule
Many assume that sleeping 8 or 9 consecutive hours at night is instinctual. But in a recent essay in Aeon, Karen Emslie says that this sleep schedule is in fact distinctly modern.
Health & Safety
Behind The Scenes At The Lab That Fingerprints Microbiomes
Inside the lab, a lone technician sorts through new samples, snipping off swab heads intentionally fouled with fecal material. One head goes to cold storage and the other is processed for sequencing.
Birds Of A Feather Aren't Necessarily Related
Geneticists have revised the evolutionary tree of birds, revealing some unlikely relationships.
NIH Allows Restart Of MERS Research That Had Been Questioned
The National Institutes of Health has approved requests for waivers from a moratorium on experiments that aim to make the virus that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome more infectious in mice.
California Whooping Cough Infections Run High Among Latino Babies
Public health officials in California are trying to understand why Latino babies are contracting whooping cough at much higher rates than other babies.
When You Burn Off That Fat, Where Does It Go?
Lipid metabolism may not sound sexy, but it's how you fit into that smaller pair of jeans. And when the fat says farewell, it has to go somewhere. Only some of it winds up in New Jersey.
Pakistan Keeps On Vaccinating Despite Tough Terrain And Terror Threat
Just getting a measles vaccine to a child in Pakistan was once an impossible dream. Despite many obstacles, health workers have made great progress in stopping infectious diseases.
Too Little, Too Late For Many New Yorkers Seeking Hospice
Evidence shows hospice care can extend life and save money, but only if patients and doctors dare ask for the help. One New Yorker said hospice gave her back life at peace, pain subdued.
Scientists Debate If It's OK To Make Viruses More Dangerous In The Lab
Researchers are struggling with how to balance the benefits and risks of genetic experiments that can give viruses new talents for causing infections.
Medical Workers In Conflict Zones Have Never Faced Greater Risks
They've always been caught in crossfire. But now they are being singled out as targets. And the worst violence is taking place in Syria.