Narcissism tends to decline as we age, along with vanity, leadership, and entitlement, a new study suggests. Researchers focused on Generation X college students in 1992 and revisited them when they were around age 41. The research, which will appear

Certain human gut bacteria thrive when they feed on specific types of ingredients in dietary fibers, according to a new study. The work—conducted in mice colonized with human gut bacteria and using new technologies for measuring nutrient processing—i

To survive chemotherapy, some cancer cells eat their neighboring tumor cells, a new study shows. The findings suggest that this act of cannibalism gives the cancer cells the energy they need to stay alive and initiate tumor relapse after the course o

Some people think that smokers who can’t light up will reach for food in lieu of cigarettes. But a new study suggests smoking abstinence doesn’t greatly affect our motivation for food. For the study in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, researchers used cu

A new prototype technology called EarEcho uses modified wireless earbuds to authenticate smartphone users via their ear canal, researchers report. The pervasiveness of people wearing in-ear headphones, especially on college campuses, intrigued comput

The CRISPR gene editing technique may provide the means for lifelong correction of the genetic mutation responsible for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a new study with mice shows. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a rare but devastating genetic disord

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has seen major changes in the law and the highest court in the land, but there are some things that she says haven’t changed all that much about serving on the Supreme Court. “One way it hasn’t changed—the co

Fires in the Amazon and throughout South America have raged for weeks, but capturing the true scale will require cooperation between scientists, indigenous people, and reporters on the ground, an expert says. The fires have sparked dire predictions a

Exosomes harvested from human skin cells are more effective at repairing sun-damaged skin cells in mice than popular retinol or stem cell-based treatments currently in use, according to a new proof-of-concept study. Additionally, needle-free injectio

A new model of plasma motion could explain the 11-year cycle behind sunspots and several other previously mysterious properties of the sun, researchers report. For 400 years people have tracked sunspots, the dark patches that appear for weeks at a ti

People with persistent back pain or persistent headaches are twice as likely to suffer from both disorders, a new study reveals. The findings, published in the Journal of Headache and Pain, suggest an association between the two types of pain that co

A new ‘electronic tattoo’ could make monitoring heart health easier and more accurate than existing methods. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing approximately 610,000 people yearly. The current method for monitor

Redesigning molecules originally developed to treat the skin disease psoriasis could lead to an effective new drug against malaria, according to new research. Researchers modified a class of molecules called pantothenamides to increase their stabilit

Memory manipulation may be moving away from science fiction and towards reality, argues Steve Ramirez. Ramirez, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University, and his team are doing research on a small structure in t

A single high dose of radiation aimed at the heart significantly reduces episodes of a potentially deadly rapid heart rhythm called ventricular tachycardia, according to a new study. Patients in the study were severely ill and had exhausted other sta

The children of refugee parents who have PTSD have a significantly higher risk of contact with the psychiatric system, research in Denmark finds. The researchers believe that there should be focus on the problem and that early measures and treatment

New research in Denmark links the weight of dogs to that of their owners. Among obese owners, 35% of dogs in the study were overweight whereas only 14% of dogs belonging to slim/normal weight owners were overweight. In addition, the study finds that

A 10-million-year-old pelvis fossil from an ancient ape called Rudapithecus suggests our human ancestors may not have built like modern African apes, a new study shows. The pelvis is one the most informative bones of a skeleton, but one that is rarel

A new forensics technique called proteomics analyzes proteins to infer DNA sequences. DNA evidence has revolutionized forensic science in the past few years, cracking open cold cases and bringing both convictions and exonerations. The same techniques

Uncertainty is a given in science, including when it comes to finding distant planets, argues Paul Byrne. Here, Byrne, a planetary geologist and assistant professor in North Carolina State University’s marine, earth, and atmospheric sciences departme

A new technique can predict the final size of wildfires from the moment of ignition, researchers report. Built around a machine learning algorithm, the model can help forecast whether a wildfire will be small, medium, or large by the time it has run

Machine learning algorithms can help computers teach themselves to extract information about dark matter and dark energy from maps of the universe, researchers report. Understanding how our universe came to be what it is today and what its final dest

Researchers have come up with an effective, minimally invasive way to treat the intractable and growing problem of chronic neuropathic pain. “Our preclinical research findings suggest an entirely new procedure and novel target in the brain to allevia

The metallic asteroid Psyche has mystified scientists because it is less dense than it should be, given its iron-nickel composition. A new theory offers an explanation. Unlike most asteroids, Psyche appears composed largely of iron and nickel instead

Here’s how to choose a toothbrush, one that won’t cause gum recession or other oral health hazards. “One of the most important things about choosing a toothbrush is to make sure that your toothbrush has soft bristles,” says Deborah Foyle, clinical as

A “traffic light” that can bring quantum waves to a halt could be key to harnessing the potential of the atomic world, researchers report. Their findings could eventually lead to breakthroughs in computing, medicine, cryptography, materials science,

In the wake of Hurricane Dorian, which the National Weather Service called one of the most powerful to make landfall in modern history, two experts discuss how to prepare for—and recover from—a storm. The hurricane’s 185 mph winds and rampant floodin

Many behaviors may not be a product of who you are, but where you are, according to new research with children from four countries. “We tend to think of qualities like patience as an innate part of who we are but virtually all of what we know about h

Thousands of years before humans began burning fossil fuels, human activity had indelibly altered the natural world through foraging, herding animals, and farming, according to a new study. The study synthesizes data from 255 archaeologists to provid

Temporarily disabling a single protein inside our cells might be able to protect us from the common cold and other viral diseases, according to a new study. “Our grandmas have always been asking us, ‘If you’re so smart, why haven’t you come up with a