50 years ago, scientists were seeking the cause of psoriasis

Cyclic AMP and psoriasis — Science News, April 29, 1972 [A team of dermatologists] discovered that cyclic AMP levels in psoriasis lesions are significantly lower than in healthy skin.… [The…

Antibiotics diminish babies’ immune response to key vaccines

Taking antibiotics in the first two years of life can prevent babies from developing a robust immune response to certain vaccines. The new finding provides another cautionary tale against overusing…

Muons spill secrets about Earth’s hidden structures

Inside Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza lies a mysterious cavity, its void unseen by any living human, its surface untouched by modern hands. But luckily, scientists are no longer limited…

What experts told me to do after my positive COVID-19 at-home test

After two years of successfully evading getting COVID-19 — including a few brushes with close contacts, a couple of are-they-just-colds? scares and lots of negative tests — I recently tested…

Why taking medications during pregnancy is so confusing

Obstetrician Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman was treating patients in New York City when the COVID-19 pandemic swept in. Hospitals began filling up. Some of her pregnant patients were among the sick. It…

A new nuclear imaging prototype detects tumors’ faint glow

A type of light commonly observed in astrophysics experiments and nuclear reactors can help detect cancer. In a clinical trial, a prototype of an imaging machine that relies on this…

Can dietary supplements help fight stress, improve mood and quality of life?

Stress is the plague of modern society. Stress is the state of tension caused by the fear of being unable to cope with a particular situation. People under pressure, often…

This hieroglyph is the oldest known record of the Maya calendar

Buried within the Las Pinturas pyramid in San Bartolo, Guatemala, thousands of painted plaster mural fragments offer a window into ancient Maya civilization. Two of those fragments form the earliest…

How ancient, recurring climate changes may have shaped human evolution

Recurring climate changes may have orchestrated where Homo species lived over the last 2 million years and how humankind evolved. Ups and downs in temperature, rainfall and plant growth promoted…

What we learned about COVID-19 safety from a NYC anime convention

As Kristin Meyer set up her merchandise booth at the Anime NYC convention last November, she was sure she’d be exposed to the coronavirus at some point during the three-day…