Research on the remains of a Neanderthal male in what is modern-day Iraq suggests that he may have died at the hands of a Homo sapien

In the first study of its kind, researchers have linked mothers' prenatal exposure to environmental pollution to lower IQ in their children by age 5

When present with other common causes of asthma, such as environmental allergens and pollution, a parent's level of stress may play a key role in a child's vulnerability to disease

Since the new flu virus was officially declared a pandemic on June 11, the disease has spread faster in six weeks than past pandemics had spread in six months

Any global agreement on climate change would require developed and developing nations to reduce carbon emissions -- and that continues to be the stickiest point on global warming

A new study on an age-old phenomenon explains why a jockey's minuscule movements can lead to great gains in a racehorse's speed

The commercially available lie-detection technology may sound exciting, but a new study suggests that lies and truth may sometimes be indistinguishable brain scans

Ever since John Glenn ate a tube of applesauce in 1962, scientists have been trying to come up with space-friendly meals that taste good. Swordfish is out, Tang is still in

It's no surprise that tween girls like one-on-one relationships and boys are more interested in groups. A new study suggests those preferences are wired in the brain

The hard choices have arrived for health care. Is it time for the President's prescription?

One need not be a sailor to swear like one, and now a study suggests there's a benefit to using bad words at the right time

A small new study offers some hope that an antioxidant supplement could prove helpful for some people with the rare hair-pulling disorder known as trichotillomania

Turmeric is just an ordinary kitchen spice -- but one patient's experience suggests it might also be a simple remedy for pain

As of yet, there's little scientific evidence that video gaming actually boosts players' mental fitness, but there's no shortage of researchers trying to find out

A small study of aging nuns illuminates the curious condition of "asymptomatic Alzheimer's disease" -- when brains show physical lesions, but patients display no signs of cognitive decline

A drug called rapamycin, used in organ-transplant patients, has been found to extend the life of aging mice

Eight of the 10 fattest states are in the South, says a new report. The region famous for its fried food has been struggling with its weight for years, but then again, so has the rest of the country

Practitioners of Christian Science and other alternative therapies are intent on influencing the coming health care reform process

Evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller explores how primal instincts often lead to buyer's remorse

A remarkable fossil find has scientists excited -- but the publicity surrounding it is giving them heartburn

A newly discovered gene on chromosome 17 -- an area rich with other autism-related genes -- may help explain why the disorder affects boys so much more often than girls

In what will be the first ever national limits on greenhouse-gas emissions, President Obama will issue tougher gas-mileage standards for all cars and trucks

The national stockpile contains a fraction of the face masks the government says we need to protect against a flu pandemic.

In a sudden surge that took Asian health officials by surprise, the Japanese health ministry confirmed on Monday at least 125 new cases of the H1N1 virus -- or swine flu -- in the country's Western prefectures of Osaka and Hyogo

There are a lot of reasons hospital-based doctors disagree with midwifery. Here's one: The only time OBs see midwives is when they come to the hospital with a patient in crisis

The widower of the first U.S. resident to die from H1N1 flu says a pig farm should be held responsible for helping to breed the new flu virus

A (neurotic) mom reviews Heidi Murkoff's latest anxiety inducer, What to Expect Before You're Expecting

Past predictions of sea-level rise owing to global warming were exaggerated, according to a new study. But even if seas rise half as high, the results would be catastrophic

In NPR correspondent Barbara Bradley Hagerty's new book, Fingerprints of God: The Search for the Science of Spirituality, Hagerty goes on a professional and personal journey to discover whether science can explain religious phenomena

As NASA astronauts work to repair the aging Hubble, Europe launches a new generation of telescopes that could help scientists unravel the mysteries of the universe

University of Oxford researchers have developed a genetic test to predict colon-cancer recurrence, potentially saving many patients from undergoing unnecessary chemotherapy

Researchers develop the first screening tool to predict which patients age 65 and older are at risk for memory loss

Adding to the growing body of evidence that exercise alone won't lead to thinness, a study of school children finds that gym class has little impact on kids' overall activity levels

The space shuttle's camera and sensors have picked up potentially dangerous tile damage incurred during liftoff -- par for the course for NASA's troubled shuttle program

Researchers at the Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle found that "fake" acupuncture using toothpicks instead of needles was as effective as the traditional Chinese healing method for relieving back pain

A new study tries to isolate the factors that make children more prone to bullies -- and suggest what parents can do

It's not that antidepressants like Prozac don't work at all -- just that several studies suggest they're not quite the panacea they were cracked up to be

Private data-tracking services like Google Flu Trends and Veratect say they can offer faster information for predicting potential disease epidemics

The acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention answers questions about an H1N1 flu vaccine, lessons from Katrina and balancing public reassurance and alarm

The global panic might have been averted if the virus had been detected earlier, before it even got to humans

The hope is that autism can be nipped in the bud, as researchers learn to intervene at the earliest signs of trouble

Dr. Sharon Moalem is straightforward in the title of his new book How Sex Works, which tells us, well, just that

America's swine flu doctor has a sparkling resume and a TV bedside manner even the pros envy

Five things you shouldn't do in dealing with a swine flu pandemic

In stressful moments at the office, new research shows, co-workers may revert to behaviors learned in childhood

To get more for our money, something needs to be done about regulation, malpractice and paperwork

As the H1N1 swine flu continues to spread across the world, health officials caution that travel bans will do little to stave off an approaching pandemic

Travelers worried about swine flu are looking to health organizations to tell them whether or not it's safe to fly -- but their contradictory advice is more confusing than comforting

The drugs, developed just over a decade ago, will be one of the main weapons in the fight against Swine Flu, but they have limitations