Humans

Virginijus Siksnys' large research team at the Vilnius University Institute of Biotechnology in Lithuania.

Science Rewards Eureka Moments, Except When It Doesn't

5:31pm November 02, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

An easier way to edit genes, called CRISPR-Cas9, is revolutionizing biomedical research. But as patents and big prizes hover, some contributors to the discovery aren't getting much credit.

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Missouri's Amendment 3 would increase the tax on cigarettes by 60 cents. Alternatively, Proposition A would tax all cigarette brands in the state by 23 cents.

Why Tobacco Companies Are Spending Millions To Boost A Cigarette Tax

9:34am November 02, 2016

by Alex Smith

The tobacco giant is supporting its first cigarette tax — 60 cents more per pack. But some health groups oppose Missouri's ballot measure, as do some education groups that would benefit from the tax.

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Halley Katz (left) is the first person in her family to attend a four-year college. Tyler Lattimore is a first-generation college graduate.

Education

College Is A 4-Year-Long Balancing Act For First-Generation Students

5:44pm November 01, 2016

This fall, Halley Katz became the first in her family to go to a four-year college. Tyler Lattimore, a first-generation college graduate, shares how he balanced school, work and friends.

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Perrin Bickert gets a nuzzle during child pose.

Yes, Cat Yoga Is A Thing Now, And It's Pretty Purrfect

4:10pm October 31, 2016

by Melanie Peeples

The Greater Birmingham Humane Shelter in Alabama hosts yoga sessions — for people — right alongside the shelter's cats.

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"It's easier to sort of face the hard things in your life when you're not alone," says hospice chaplain Kerry Egan. "That's a big part of what a chaplain does, is she stays with you."

Hospice Chaplain Reflects On Life, Death And The 'Strength Of The Human Soul'

4:08pm October 31, 2016

Kerry Egan's job is to help dying people accept their own mortality. It's profoundly sad, but it's also rewarding. "I'm constantly reminded of ... how much love people have for each other," she says.

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Children's photos that parents have posted online have ended up in advertisements and on pornography sites.

Do Parents Invade Children's Privacy When They Post Photos Online?

10:34am October 28, 2016

by Tara Haelle

The kids look so darned cute in that photo, it's hard not to post it online for all to see. But there are privacy risks to sharing children's images, and children often don't want the exposure.

A lynx leaves his cage during a release into the wild, in July in Kaiserlautern, western Germany.

Report Declares Global Wildlife Populations Are Plunging. But It's Complicated

3:47pm October 27, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

The WWF report asserts that wildlife populations have dropped by a startling percentage since 1970. The details and extent of that decline, however, are more complex than any one number can capture.

Placebos are commonly thought of as fake treatments that people think are real. But they may be helpful even if you know they're fake.

Is A Placebo A Sham, If You Know It's A Fake And It Still Works?

3:35pm October 27, 2016

by Katherine Hobson

Most research on placebos involves people who think they're getting an active treatment, but aren't. But they may also work when people know full well they're getting a sham treatment.

Randy Shilts attended a screening of And the Band Played On on Aug. 31, 1993, at the Academy Theater in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Researchers Clear 'Patient Zero' From AIDS Origin Story

5:43pm October 26, 2016

by Michaeleen Doucleff

A Canadian flight attendant had been blamed by media for years for bringing HIV to the U.S. A new study proves that's impossible. The virus that took hold came from Haiti in the early 1970s.

Freedom Industries, which owned storage tanks blamed in a January 2014 chemical spill, filed for bankruptcy later that month. The company's facility on Barlow Street is seen on the banks of the Elk River in Charleston, W.Va.

Settlement Deal Reached In 2014 West Virginia Chemical Spill

4:43pm October 26, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

Residents affected by a leak of a coal-washing chemical into the Elk River reached a deal with a chemical company. A class-action suit against a water company was set to move forward in federal court.