The Latest Breaking News from PLOS ONE

Your Scalp Microbiome Affects Hair and Dandruff More Than Your Shampoo Label Admits

What the scalp microbiome actually isThe average scalp hosts over 1,000 species of bacteria and fungi in a working balance that most people disrupt twice a week without thinking about it. The scalp is one of the oiliest surfaces on the human body, and that sebum is the primary food…

Times Life · Aug 4

The Komodo Dragon's Mouth Was Blamed on Bacteria for Decades. The Venom Was Always There.

The Story Everyone BelievedFor decades, the standard explanation for how a Komodo dragon kills went like this: the lizard bites its prey, and then it waits. The mouth, supposedly crawling with over fifty strains of dangerous bacteria, would infect the wound. The prey, a deer, a pig, occasionally a water…

Times Life · Aug 1

Adults Over 50 Split Sharply on How Much Medical Risk They Will Accept, a Survey of 6,098 People Finds

New PLOS One research finds healthcare preferences among people over 50 vary widely, with patterns by age, sex, and education.

Medical Daily · Jul 31

6 Science-Backed Reasons to Try Cold Water Exposure for Immunity and Recovery in India

1. It Cuts Sick Days, and There Is a Number to Prove ItA 2016 randomized controlled trial published in PLOS ONE followed 3,018 adults in the Netherlands who switched to cold showers for 30, 60, or 90 seconds daily. The group that finished the cold cycle reported 29% fewer sick…

Times Life · Jul 20

How Kites and Eagles Have Mastered Urban India's Shifting Food Chain Without Human Help

The thermal highway above hot concreteBlack kites (Milvus migrans) are among the most studied urban raptors on the planet, and India holds some of their densest city populations. A 2014 study published in PLOS ONE by researchers including Julien Martin found that black kites in cities exploit the same thermals…

Times Life · Jul 18

7 Science-Backed Ashwagandha Benefits That Go Well Beyond Stress and Anxiety Relief

It Cuts Cortisol, and the Research Is SpecificA 2012 double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine gave 300 mg of ashwagandha root extract twice daily to 64 adults with chronic stress. After 60 days, the group taking the extract showed a 27.9% reduction in serum cortisol…

Times Life · Jul 17

Sea Otters Use Rocks as Tools, What That Reveals About Mammalian Intelligence and Cognition

The Rock in the ArmpitBefore a sea otter dives for a clam, it often tucks a flat stone under its forearm, a pocket it keeps specifically for this purpose. On the surface, it places the stone on its chest, holds the shellfish with both paws, and hammers until the shell…

Times Life · Jul 16

6 Things That Happen to Your Body During Dengue Recovery That Doctors Want You to Know

Your platelet count drops before it climbsThe most watched number during dengue is the platelet count, and for good reason. Platelets, the cells that help blood clot, fall sharply during the fever phase, often bottoming out between day four and day six of illness. A 2021 study published in PLOS…

Times Life · Jul 14

More Than Half of New York City's Free-Roaming Cats Carry Parasites That Can Spread to People, Study Finds

A new PLOS One study found 57.5% of NYC's free-roaming cats carry zoonotic parasites, including Toxocara and Toxoplasma. Here is what parents, cat owners, and pregnant residents need to know.

Medical Daily · Jul 13

Why Horses and Other Animals Sleep Standing Up: The Evolutionary Threat Behind This Survival Instinct

The Body That Cannot Afford to RestA horse can fall into slow-wave sleep on its feet. Its legs do not buckle. A passive stay apparatus, a system of tendons and ligaments in each leg, locks the joints without any muscular effort, holding the animal upright while its brain cycles through…

Times Life · Jul 12