Just Plain WEIRD #2
A newly discovered link between oral bacteria and obesity is suggesting the mouth could be a novel biomarker for those pre-disposed to gaining weight. Depositphotos – By Chelsea Haney 2026 Feb 14 – It turns out your mouth may know more about your metabolism …
AI poses new safety risks to humanity. sarayut Thaneera/Moment via Getty Images – By Alnoor Ebrahim, Professor of International Business, The Fletcher School & Tisch College of Civic Life, Tufts University Published: 2026 Feb 13 – OpenAI, the maker of the most popular …
A new pilot brings some automated treatment decisions from Medicare Advantage to traditional Medicare. Doomu/iStock via Getty Images – By Grace Mackleby, Research scientist of Health Policy and Economics, University of Southern California And by Jeff Marr, Assistant Professor of Health Services, Policy, and …
Leaders of Native nations and representatives of the United States have signed many treaties over the centuries, including the 1851 Treaty of Traverse des Sioux. ullstein bild via Getty Images – By Charles Prior, Professor in History, University of Birmingham Published: 2026 Feb …
Richard Payne from the University of Sydney is the senior author on a study that might lead to the development of an entirely new class of drugs to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Stefanie Zingsheim/The University of Sydney – By Michael Franco 2026 Feb 10 – …
The pottery fragments are some of the earliest botanical depictions ever recorded and also point to prehistoric mathematical cognition. Photos courtesy of Yosef Garfinkel View 5 Images – By Jay Kakade 2026 Feb 07 – We generally associate the origins of mathematical thinking with …
Bacteria and infection appear to impact the onset of cognitive decline, but we’re not sure how. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Feb 08 – Scientists have uncovered an intriguing link between infection and brain health, finding that a common bacterium in the eye …
A fresco shows St. Francis speaking to the birds in the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi, Italy. Photo Beto/iStock Getty Images Plus – By Vanessa Corcoran, Adjunct Professor of History, Georgetown University Published: 2026 Feb 02 – On the 800th anniversary of the …
The vast majority of people who get measles are not vaccinated against the measles virus. Andrzej Rostek/istock via Getty Images Plus – By Alla Katsnelson, Associate Health Editor, The Conversation US Published: 2026 Feb 06 – The measles outbreak in South Carolina reached …
The discovery paves the way for new medicines to treat cirrhosis. Depositphotos –By Pranjal Malewar 2026 Jan 11 – Chronic liver disease gets worse when the liver’s immune system stays overactive, resulting in ongoing inflammation and scarring. Signals from the gut make the situation …
