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Health & Disease

A social compass in the brain

People with a rare genetic disorder that damages the amygdala are helping neuroscientists rethink how the brain shapes fear, trust and concern for others

Do you take after your dad’s RNA?

Evidence is growing from rodent studies that sperm carries marks of a father’s life experiences, influencing traits in offspring. Bits of RNA could be the drivers of these epigenetic effects.

What addiction does to the brain

Changes in neural connections due to substance use and withdrawal are long-lasting, and craving can peak well into abstinence. Understanding this process could inspire drugs to support recovery.

Why we crave ‘comfort food’

Nostalgia plays a big role in the meals that bring us solace — which mean we might be able to recondition ourselves toward healthier foods that still soothe

Life after cancer treatment is different. So are the health needs.

As the number of long-term survivors grows, doctors and patient advocates are working to improve post-cancer care

What’s the secret to a great cup of tea?

From where the Camellia sinensis bush is grown to whether the leaves are withered or fermented, much can influence the popular drink’s molecular and flavor profile

The silent majority: RNAs that don’t make proteins

Once considered cellular junk, non-coding RNAs are emerging as key players in everything from brain development to cancer — with much still to be discovered

Sweet! The cell’s sugary coating comes into view

Built from thickets of glucose, galactose, mannose and more, the glycome plays key roles in cell communication, immunity and the blood-brain barrier

What is wisdom, and can it be taught?

Scientists are trying to name the qualities that make someone wise and figure out how to cultivate them

The curious case of low-protein diets

In the lab, animals live longer on less of the stuff. How could this be, and what does it mean for human aging?

Looking for an ADHD coach? Choose carefully

As diagnoses surge, so does an unregulated coaching industry

Why disease outbreaks on Chinese fur farms are a serious risk to public health

Farming animals for fur is not only cruel but also provides an ideal environment for viruses to mix and cross over into humans

Beating back the Aedes aegypti mosquito

Scientists are taking a multipronged approach to tackle this dangerous carrier of dengue, yellow fever and other noxious viruses

Top science stories of 2025

In a year of funding chaos, ongoing climate change and pollution perils, we also saw the most powerful telescope yet, personalized gene therapy, and the next-best-thing to an HIV vaccine — not to mention a brand-new color

Progress fighting pancreatic cancer — one of the deadliest malignancies

Better outcomes may come from new drugs, strategies to rev up the immune system and learning to identify the disease sooner in its course

Journey to the egg: How sperm navigate the path to fertilization

COMIC: Male cells must survive twisty passages, strong currents and immune attacks; millions enter, but only one can finish

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