research

Human sacrifice helped solidify systems of social hierarchy, according to a new study of traditional cultures in the Pacific Ocean. Here, an engraving shows English explorer James Cook witnessing a human sacrifice ritual in Taihiti in the 1770s. The image

Human Sacrifice Is Linked To Social Hierarchies In New Study

4:25pm April 04, 2016

by Bill Chappell

Scientists say, "our results suggest that ritual killing helped humans transition from the small egalitarian groups of our ancestors, to the large stratified societies we live in today."

Foods that fit the ketogenic diet are high in fat and low in sugar.

Fighting Cancer By Putting Tumor Cells On A Diet

5:37pm March 05, 2016

by Bret Stetka

While genetic mutations are nearly ubiquitous in cancer, they may not always be the driving force for disease, some researchers say. They suggest looking at disruptions in cellular metabolism.

Whoops! 12 Tales Of Accidental Brilliance In Science

6:00pm February 24, 2016

by Adam Cole

You nominated 300 cool stories of scientific surprise for Skunk Bear's Golden Mole Award. Our shortlist has it all: circuits painted with light, imperceptible genitalia, and a terrifying frog.

Academic Medical Centers Get An F In Sharing Research Results

8:20pm February 23, 2016

by Harlan Krumholz

There's no excuse for not reporting all findings within two years of finishing a clinical study, says Yale University's Dr. Harlan Krumholz. He calls on his colleagues to do a better job.

Emotion seemed to fuel plenty of sighs by Humphrey Bogart's character Rick (right) in the 1942 film classic Casablanca, and even Rick's good friend Sam, played by actor Dooley Wilson, couldn't console him.

Sorry, Bogie, A Sigh Is Not Just A Sigh

8:39pm February 08, 2016

by Jon Hamilton

Sighs aren't just signs of resignation, relief or the blues. Involuntary sighs are vital to lung health, say scientists who think they have figured out the brain circuitry that controls the reflex.

When so-called senescent cells were removed from mice, they were healthier and lived longer than mice that still had the cells.

Boosting Life Span By Clearing Out Cellular Clutter

6:44pm February 03, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

So-called senescent cells no longer divide, but they secrete a mixture of chemicals that can trigger inflammation, which is involved in many age-related disorders. What if the cells were removed?

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C4 proteins (green) are seen at the synapses in a culture of human neurons. (Heather de Rivera/McCarroll Lab/Harvard via AP)

Variations In A Gene Provide Clues About Schizophrenia

5:46pm January 29, 2016

by Katherine Harmon Courage

Scientists studied the genomes of more than 64,000 people and found that those with the debilitating psychiatric disease were much more likely to possess mutations of a particular gene.

Debate Over Bird Flu Research Moratorium Flares Up Again

7:25pm January 07, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Scientists are convening to debate whether experiments that make some viruses more contagious in order to advance understanding of potential outbreaks are worth the risk of creating one.

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The stomach of Oetzi, who was mummified in ice, was home to bacteria that scientists were able to identify. The same species lives in the gut of many modern humans.

Stomach Of Ancient Iceman Held Microbes Like Ours

6:25pm January 07, 2016

by Geoff Brumfiel

Scientists analyzed the tummy of a 5,300-year-old ice mummy and found bacteria that many modern humans still carry.

Gene Editing Tool Hailed As A Breakthrough, And It Really Is One

6:48pm December 28, 2015

by Joe Palca

A tool for modifying genes is spreading through the biomedical research world like wildfire. As part of the series Joe's Big Idea, NPR's Joe Palca explores why CRISPR-Cas9 is becoming indispensable.

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