studies

20 Stories

They Buried Their Dead 100K Years Before Homo Sapiens

Researchers describe cognitive complexity of Homo naledi, though skeptics remain

(Newser) - Just two hominin species are thought to have intentionally buried their dead: Neanderthals and modern humans. That idea has been floundering over the last decade, however, with the discovery of Homo naledi , an archaic human species that appears to have buried its dead deep inside South Africa's Rising Star...

Health Studies on Ice Cream Are 'Pretty Bonkers'
Health Studies on Ice Cream
Are 'Pretty Bonkers'
longform
Apr 23, 2023 11:05 AM CDT

Health Studies on Ice Cream Are 'Pretty Bonkers'

'Atlantic' explores how researchers keep finding health benefits but don't believe it

(Newser) - The headline of David Merritt Johns' story in the Atlantic refers to it as "nutrition science's most preposterous result." And in the story itself, Merritt Johns calls it "pretty bonkers." It seems that nutritional studies over the years keep suggesting an unexpected result: Eating ice...

Some Cancer Patients May Be Able to Skip Chemo
Some Cancer Patients Can
Skip Chemo, Radiation
new studies
Jun 7, 2022 11:45 AM CDT

Some Cancer Patients Can Skip Chemo, Radiation

Studies point way to less treatment for some sufferers of colon and breast cancer

(Newser) - After surgery, some cancer patients can safely skip radiation or chemotherapy, according to two studies exploring shorter, gentler cancer care. Researchers are looking for ways to precisely predict which cancer patients can avoid unneeded treatment to cut down on harmful side effects and unnecessary costs, per the AP . One new...

Teen's Video Inadvertently Affects Thousands of Studies
Teen's Video Inadvertently
Affects Thousands of Studies
in case you missed it
Oct 2, 2021 6:30 AM CDT

Teen's Video Inadvertently Affects Thousands of Studies

Sarah Frank's tips on 'side hustles' led to a deluge at site used by social scientists

(Newser) - The Verge has a strange tale about how a well-meaning teenager inadvertently messed up more than 4,000 social science studies. In July, Sarah Frank posted a video on TikTok giving advice on how to make extra cash through "side hustles." In one of her tips, she suggested...

New CDC Research Bolsters Support for COVID Vaccines
Unvaccinated
Far More Likely
to Die of COVID
NEW studies
Sep 10, 2021 2:33 PM CDT

Unvaccinated Far More Likely to Die of COVID

Moderna 'moderately' more effective at preventing hospitalization, but all 3 get thumbs-up overall

(Newser) - President Biden is getting pushback , mostly from GOP circles, on the sweeping vaccine mandates his administration put into place this week, but new CDC research may help nudge the vaccine-hesitant into getting their shots without any further directive. Per the Washington Post , the three new studies published Friday "highlight...

Your Blood Type Could Signal Your COVID Risk
People With This Blood Type
May Have Lower COVID Risk
NEW STUDIES
Oct 15, 2020 9:55 AM CDT

People With This Blood Type May Have Lower COVID Risk

Scientists say those with Type O blood also may suffer less if they do get the virus

(Newser) - What makes some people more vulnerable to the coronavirus? Scientists are still wrangling with that, but new research sheds light on the role a person's blood may play. CNN cites two new studies published in the journal Blood Advances—one out of Denmark , the other Canada —that suggest...

A Shift in Alzheimer's Strategy: Prevention

2 new studies aim to prevent early plaque formation

(Newser) - It may be too late to stop Alzheimer's in people who already have some mental decline. But what if a treatment could target the earliest brain changes while memory and thinking skills are still intact, in hope of preventing the disease? Two big studies are going to try, per...

Coke, Pepsi Fund Study Touting Diet Soda's Health Benefits

'Laughable, unscientific nonsense'

(Newser) - You'll never believe who paid for a study that found drinking diet soda could be better than water for losing weight. Well, OK, you'll probably guess. The Independent reports the study—published in the International Journal of Obesity in November—was partly funded by ILSI Europe, an "...

A Nuclear War Would ... Boost Property Values?

Americans would be 'relatively' wealthier, says 1969 report

(Newser) - Sure, nuclear attacks on the US could level populated areas—but two papers conclude that Americans would see an economic upside, Medium reports. The first, a 1969 report by the Institute for Defense Analyses, looks at a possible nuclear strike on Houston, Texas. It says that Americans would be "...

Young Blood Reverses Aging in Older Mice
Young Blood Can Reverse Aging Process
studies say
May 4, 2014 5:10 PM CDT

Young Blood Can Reverse Aging Process

Researchers find the fountain of youth—in blood?

(Newser) - Who knew blood-sucking vampires were actually onto something? According to new US studies, the blood of young mice can rejuvenate the brains and muscles of older mice, effectively reversing the impact of aging, the New York Times reports. "I am extremely excited," says a professor. "These findings...

The Most Gay-Friendly Country in the World is...

Spain, followed by Germany, Czech Republic, and Canada, new study finds

(Newser) - The majority of Americans believe homosexuals should be accepted by society, but the US still lags well behind many other countries in western Europe and Latin America when it comes to gay-friendly attitudes, according to a new survey. Pew Research polled 39 countries on the acceptance of homosexuality, finding 60%...

Drug Company Employee: Don't Believe Our Studies

Anonymous author in medical journal warns of bogus research

(Newser) - Bear this in mind the next time a drug company touts a serious study proclaiming the wonders of its product: A former employee of a "major" pharmaceutical company has written an essay in the British Medical Journal warning that the industry's scientific-sounding studies are sometimes rigged. “We...

Pop Music Getting Sadder, More Complex

New songs tend toward minor scales and mixed emotions

(Newser) - Pop music is getting sadder, slower, and more sophisticated, according to a new study published in a psychology journal. Researchers analyzed Top 40 hits in Billboard from the mid-60's through 2010 and discovered that popular tunes have increasingly been written in "minor modes"—which associate with darker...

Do Super Bowls Really Predict Elections, Stocks?

Bizarre Super Bowl myths busted

(Newser) - Do Super Bowls really predict presidential elections? Or the stock market? Do they make you hit your wife? People have claimed all of these things over the years, so the Guardian decided to take a look at what it calls "Super Bowl-ology," the "science" of making weird...

Recession Sex Studies: Why They're All Bunk

'Are people getting it on more or less frequently?'

(Newser) - The recession makes men cheat. And boosts the sales of sex toys . And inspires couples to reconnect in bed. And lowers men's libidos ... and women's. Wait, is anyone following this? In Salon , Tracy Clark-Flory traces the eye-rolling flow of studies and "expert insights" into how the recession...

Autism 5 Times More Likely for Premature Babies
Autism 5 Times More Likely
for Premature Babies
study says
Oct 22, 2011 2:58 PM CDT

Autism 5 Times More Likely for Premature Babies

Children born early and small more prone to autism

(Newser) - Sad news for babies already facing an uphill battle: A 20-year study has found that infants born prematurely and with low birth weights are five times more likely than typical babies to be diagnosed with autism. The US study, released this week, looked at 862 children born between 1984 and...

Vitamins Don't Change Cancer Risk: Studies

Perception that vitamins can prevent prostate problems is false

(Newser) - Two new studies debunk the perception that vitamin supplements help ward off prostate and other cancers, the BBC reports. The trials involving 50,000 men provided the most definitive results yet on the effects of vitamins C and E—or, rather lack thereof—on cancer. One study had planned to...

Scientists Honing Gaydar
Scientists
Honing Gaydar
Jun 16, 2008 2:57 AM CDT

Scientists Honing Gaydar

Studies seek innate differences between gays and straights

(Newser) - Scientists are examining how homosexuality may affect everything from penis sizes to how one navigates new cities, reports the Los Angeles Times. Innate differences between gays and straights rooted in biology could lead researchers to discover the biological origins of sexual orientation.

'Miracle' HGH's Awful Truth: It May Not Work

Testimonials aside, study shows hormone benefits few patients

(Newser) - Here’s the list of people human growth hormone is proven to help: the elderly, AIDS and tuberculosis patients, and people with hormone deficiencies. Baseball players aren’t on that list, Newsweek reports, and neither are thousands of ordinary people who believe HGH slows the aging process. “There’s...

Fat Kids Risk Adult Heart Health
Fat Kids Risk Adult Heart Health
Dec 6, 2007 5:29 AM CST

Fat Kids Risk Adult Heart Health

Risks remains even if children shed extra pounds

(Newser) - Overweight kids significantly increase their risk their heart disease later in life, a new study has found. Those who carried extra pounds between the ages of 7 and 13 were much more likely to develop heart disease between 25 and 71 even if they were slightly overweight and possibly even...

20 Stories