Human Paths

Meet some of the people featured in the September 2020 issue of The Scientist.

Many US educational institutions, from preschools to universities, are opening this fall in the midst of a global pandemic that threatens much more than our health.

Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.

Microscopic analysis of charred, shapeless lumps from archaeological sites revealed ancient cereal grains that may have undergone malting to make beer.

The analysis adds new details to the picture of migration and mixing in a diverse country.

In some finch species, the difference between colorful males and muted females comes down to one gene, BCO2, which encodes an enzyme that degrades carotenoids.

Two gene variations might help explain why some people experience chronic wounds.

Transcripts circulating in the blood provide real-time information about maternal, fetal, and placental health.

The MIT physicist has demonstrated the importance of clusters of RNA polymerase and other transcription mediators in regulating RNA production.

COVID-19 has laid bare some of the pitfalls of the relationship between scientific experts and policymakers—but some researchers say there are ways to make it better.

A new book explores the history of scientists’ efforts to classify living things.

Electron microscopy revealed that a deadly disease of birds was not a form of flu, but a different type of virus entirely.

Genetics and archaeology yield clues as to when humans first arrived on the continent and how these early settlers lived.

Modern human genomes and bones left behind from ancient hominins in Africa tell a complex story about the origins of our species.

Understanding this complex and still largely enigmatic process will pave the way for researchers to control the development of new morphologies.

The gene BCO2 enables male and female members of some bird species to display dramatically different color patterns.