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Study: To slow an epidemic, focus on handwashing

Based on their study, the authors found that focusing efforts to increase handwashing rates at just 10 airports chosen based on the location of the outbreak could significantly reduce disease spread. In these maps, they show the airports that would be targeted for outbreaks originating near Hono…

Monthly birth control pill could replace daily doses

Oral contraceptives are one of the most popular forms of birth control: In the United States, about 12 percent of women between 15 and 49 use them. However, their effectiveness depends on being taken every day, and it is estimated that about 9 percent of women taking birth control pills become p…

How music lessons can improve language skills

A new study from MIT has found that piano lessons have a very specific effect on kindergartners’ ability to distinguish different pitches, which translates into an improvement in discriminating between spoken words. However, the piano lessons did not appear to confer any benefit for overall cogn…