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Plant ‘vampires’ lay in wait
Most plants make their own food. However, some — known as parasites — live by mooching off of others. New research offers surprising insight into how these freeloaders find their hosts. And figuring...
View ArticleStuffy classrooms may lower test scores
Study hard. Get plenty of sleep. Eat a good breakfast. Each of these things can help students do their best on exams. Now scientists say another feature might also boost test scores: fresh air....
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Fattier yeast live long and prosper
Many people frown at the thought of fattening up. But fats can be useful because they store energy. And new research finds that having extra fat might be good — for yeast, at least. Their “fat” cells...
View ArticleGotcha! New test stalks diseases early
Diseases sneak up on us. They begin triggering changes in the body long before we feel sick. But a new method has the potential to spot telltale signs early, before a disease gains a foothold. That...
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Bananas under attack: Understanding their foes
Farmers are going bananas battling diseases that threaten the popular yellow-skinned fruit. Fungi cause some killer plant blights. And new analyses show these pathogens are growing nastier. Some of...
View ArticleImplant traps cancer cells on the move
A cancerous lump in the breast can be dangerous, but it seldom kills. However, if cancer cells leave that lump, the satellite tumors that form in other organs pose a much bigger threat. And those tiny...
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Bullying hurts — but peer support really helps
As a child, Belinda (not her real name) got teased for being short and “more sporty” than other girls. She now realizes the kids who taunted her “were kind of jealous of me.” Bullying might have been...
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Cool Jobs: Drilling into the secrets of teeth
Several years ago, Dean Ho bit into a sandwich and chipped a tooth. His dentist patched it up, but several months later the tooth started throbbing. “It was the worst pain I’d ever felt in my life,”...
View ArticleCrickets for breakfast?
Valerie Stull begins her mornings with a breakfast shake. She blends peanut butter, cocoa powder, banana, soymilk and flax seeds into it. She also sweetens it with honey and stirs in a little extra...
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Why can’t bugs be grub?
One Friday morning in May, 11-year-old Sarah Nihan went to school and did something she had never done before. She pulled a dry-roasted cricket out of a bowl and carefully lifted it to her mouth. “At...
View ArticleFood allergies can trigger stress and anxiety
Food allergies are surprisingly common, affecting about one in 13 kids (at least in the United States) and a little more than one in 10 adults. Yet these allergies are a strange beast: As long as...
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New success in treating allergies to peanuts and other foods
Ten years ago at a kindergarten party, Isaac Judy took a bite of a peanut-butter cookie. It tasted weird to him, so he spit it out. Hives soon appeared on his face. His lips also began to swell. When...
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This scientist wants to know how racial discrimination gets ‘under the skin’
When Leticia Márquez-Magaña was in high school, she knew she wanted to be a scientist. She got good grades, but some school staff said she shouldn’t aim so high. People like her shouldn’t be...
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Lack of diversity in his field has troubled this mathematician
Reaching the top ranks of mathematicians isn’t easy, even when you’re really smart. But Edray Goins managed just that. He works at the intersection of algebra and number theory. He likes studying...
View ArticleExplainer: What is puberty?
Puberty is a strange, exciting time. It kicks off adolescence — the body’s transformation from child to adult. All mammals go through some sort of puberty. In people, this period of life typically...
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Puberty may reboot the brain and behaviors
A preschooler slips stickers under some of the colored cups on a lazy Susan tray, then gives the tray a whirl. When the spinning stops, the child must find the hidden stickers. Most kids remember...
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A bit of stress may help young people build resilience
Enduring hardship early in life, such as homelessness or losing a parent, is awful. And worse, it can mean a difficult road ahead. A completely stress-free life seems like a much better alternative....
View ArticleActive bodies build stronger brains
Staying spry and fit can help people stay sharp in their golden years. Now, a new study finds getting plenty of exercise is linked to better brain health in adolescence, too. During puberty, the brain...
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Urban pollution can pose unseen risks to kids’ immunity and more
Tobacco and other pollutants don’t just stink up the air. They also alter immune cells in ways that could hurt the body. Some can raise blood pressure, even in kids. That’s the finding of three new...
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Could a toothpaste help treat peanut allergy?
It may one day be possible for people to treat food allergies by simply brushing their teeth. A New York City–based company has launched a trial of a product to do that it in a small group of adults....
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