By Julie Rovner
Some single baby boomers are moving into group houses, a college-era solution to their modern needs. Housemates share costs, socialize, and cheer each other on through life's thick and thin.
by Joe Palca
A test of third-year medical students in North Carolina revealed biases against the obese. The author of the study says these thoughts, often subconscious, could affect how doctors treat their patients and whether those patients trust them.
by Julie Rovner
Abortion opponents are hoping the recent murder conviction of Pennsylvania abortion provider Kermit Gosnell will lead to more scrutiny of second trimester abortions. They're working on a bill that would ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy — nationwide.
by Rhitu Chatterjee
Itch can be a useful warning sign, or a maddening symptom with no cure. But the origins of itch have long been a mystery.Scientists think they've come closer to understanding the origins of itch in a molecule that makes mice scratch like mad.
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by Richard Knox
The virus's ability to move between these mammals might not bode well for humans. So far, it appears that H7N9 doesn't pass easily between people, but it could mutate over time and pose more of a threat.
by Nancy Shute
Despite advances in predicting dangerous weather and better evacuation planning, some people still stay put when devastation looms. A study of deaths during Superstorm Sandy in 2012 raises a big question: Why didn't the people at risk move to higher ground?
by Michaeleen Doucleff
Biologists said last week that they had overcome a major obstacle in stem-cell research by cloning human embryos. But several images in the published study were duplicated and labeled incorrectly, prompting questions about the authenticity of the results.
by Nancy Shute
When researchers challenged people with heart disease to perform some stressful tasks, those who took a popular antidepressant had fewer symptoms related to low blood flow to the heart. The findings, though preliminary, suggest another avenue for treatment.
by Adam Cole
Our closest relatives, chimpanzees and gorillas, breast-feed their offspring for several years. Some baby orangutans nurse until they are 7 years old. Researchers found a way to test ancient teeth for clues about when humans cut nursing short.
by Michaeleen Doucleff
A handful of polio infections in Kenya and Somalia could set back efforts to wipe out the virus worldwide, health workers warned Wednesday. The last time there was polio in this region, the virus spread throughout the Horn of Africa into the Middle East and eventually into Indonesia.
by Rob Stein
While studying microorganisms on humans is not new, tracking fungi is. In a census of sorts, scientists checked the skin of healthy volunteers. They found an expansive ecosystem of silent inhabitants.
