A new study finds a significant association between vaginal douching and higher blood concentrations of 1,4-dichlorobenzene, a volatile organic compound. Because black women in the study reported significantly more use of vaginal douching, researcher

Biologists have, for the first time, documented the widespread presence of the notorious chytrid fungus in 80 species of frogs from lowland rain forest sites in the Peruvian Amazon. The chytrid fungus causes a deadly skin disease and has been linked

Diet could hold the key to treating polycystic kidney disease, according to new research in rodents. Hereditary and relatively common, researchers have long thought polycystic kidney disease (PKD) was progressive and irreversible, condemning people w

Piranhas lose all of the teeth on one side of their mouth at once and regrow them, new research affirms. This presumably happens to replace dulled teeth with brand new sharp spears for gnawing on prey. Years ago, scientists discovered that piranhas l

Despite the promise that the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts once held for American equality, signs of struggle and even regression around rights issues are evident across the United States, a historian explains. A cursory look at recent headline

Though former vice president and now Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has consistently been portrayed as gaffe-prone, many moments where he appears to struggle are due to his stutter, Eric S. Jackson says. Pundits and journalists describe

A molecule that protects plants from overexposure to harmful sunlight thanks to its flamenco-style twist could form the basis for a new longer-lasting sunscreen, researchers report. New research on the green molecule reveals that it absorbs ultraviol

A new smart speaker skill called BreathJunior lets a device use white noise to both soothe sleeping babies and monitor their breathing and movement. The smart speaker plays white noise and records how the noise is reflected back to detect breathing m

A growing number of young adults are dealing with a substance use disorder, and in some cases, multiple substance use disorders, and not seeking help, according to a study. Two in every five young adults reported a past-year SUD, consistent with the

Grumbling about younger generations may be a result of faulty memories. Researcher John Protzko, a psychological scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, calls it the “kids these days effect.” “Humanity has been lodging the same comp

Discrimination based on skin-tone, or colorism, can take a toll on the health and relationships of African Americans, research suggests. “For a long time, colorism has been considered a ‘dirty little secret,'” says Antoinette Landor, assistant profes

A machine learning system may be able to warn doctors and patients about possible negative side effects from drug-drug interactions. The more medications a patient takes, the greater the likelihood that interactions between those drugs could trigger

In quantum computers, generating more errors in a given operation may help reveal the right answer, according to new research. Unlike conventional computers, the processing in quantum-based machines is noisy, which produces error rates dramatically h

New research explains how a single gene mutation can alter both the color of a fruit fly’s body and mess up its sex life. Studies performed in the laboratory of Thomas Hunt Morgan more than a century ago were the first to demonstrate that some behavi

People are likely to blame robots for workplace accidents, but only if they believe the robots are autonomous, according to a new study. “Robots are an increasingly common feature in the workplace, and it’s important for us to understand how people v

For people with epilepsy, transient bursts of high-frequency electrical activity in epileptic brain tissue can impair thinking even when no seizure is occurring, a new study shows. The pathological buzz of electrical brain activity interferes with th

An increase in the discipline gap or the academic achievement gap between black and white students in the US predicts a jump in the other, a new study shows. Similarly, as one gap narrows, so does the other. Students of color are suspended at disprop

The more specific climate scientists are about the uncertainties of global warming, the more the American public trusts their predictions, according to new research. But scientists may want to tread carefully when talking about their predictions, the

With a new software system, users can view augmented reality objects through their phones and use their hands to manipulate those objects as if they were real. The developers hope their software, called Portal-ble, could be a tool for artists, design

Eating meat and cooked food for two million years may have helped humans shift further from our great ape relatives. The evidence is in our saliva, according to new research. The research shows that the human diet—a result of increased meat consumpti

A new method can deliver DNA into immune cells with minimal stress on these cells, which could solve a problem with a current immunotherapy technique, researchers report. Immunotherapy is a promising cancer treatment that uses genetically modified im

A new sensor patch could bring the assessment of human joints into the 21st century, researchers report. The patch uses electronic sensors to understand the functional range of motion as opposed to today’s static measurements. Kirigami, the Japanese

Having PTSD nearly doubles a person’s risk of infections, according to new research. The study find that PTSD affects infection risks for men and women differently, having, for example, more of an effect on a woman’s risk of urinary tract infection a

Doctors should give “exercise prescriptions” to people living with and beyond cancer in the same way they prescribe medications, researchers leading a new initiative argue. It’s well known that exercise is good for preventing and treating many forms

“Fake news” stories likely pose little threat to well-established brands, according to new research. “There’s been a lot of work done on how the public processes and responds to fake news on social media in the context of politics, but very little re

Research finds that Deaf infants exposed to American Sign Language demonstrate strong gaze-following behavior—and at a more advanced level than hearing infants. Eye gaze helps infants communicate. Through everyday interactions, eye gaze establishes a

Just how safe are the personal care products you use every day? Emily Barrett and Adana Llanos have been digging into that exact question. Barrett and Llanos, researchers at Rutgers University’s School of Public Health, are studying how chemicals in

When it comes to exploring more efficient options to solve a problem, monkeys exhibit more cognitive flexibility than humans, a new study shows. “We are a unique species and have various ways in which we are exceptionally different from every other c

Raw food for dogs is a growing trend, but drug-resistant bacteria in the raw food can transfer to the pets—and to humans, too. Since their discovery, antibiotics have been considered the “magic bullet” for fighting harmful bacteria. But they are incr

The terms intersectionality, privilege, and positionality are increasingly common. This podcast episode offers definitions and examples. “We want to pay attention to that particular intersection where two forms of oppression come together because the