Silke Schmidt | Science News for Students

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Silke Schmidt

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three surgeons operating on an unseen person

To reshape living tissue, surgeons usually cut into cells and stitch the wound. This type of surgery creates scars. A new, painless approach would damage few cells and might take only a few minutes.

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 Technology
A new electric surgery tool may someday fix nose, ear and eye problems
This painless alternative to traditional surgery uses electrochemistry to reshape tissue without causing scars
a photo of a sick baby with a thermometer under their arm

A fever may be (mostly) good for us, whether we're babies, teens or adults. A new study shows how it speeds infection-fighting cells to where they’ll do the body good.

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 Body functions
Fevers can have some cool benefits
That heating boosts our immunity by speeding disease-fighting cells to an infection
a photo of a smiling family with a baby girl in the middle

We inherit genes from our parents. Genes are like a recipe that’s passed along from one generation to the next. But the number of genes doesn’t explain why we are more complex than simple animals or bacteria.

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 Genetics
Explainer: What are genes?
These stretches of DNA are the instruction manuals for making proteins, which do a cell’s work
a photo of students in a classroom, a young woman in the middle of the image has her hand raised

If school starts later in the morning, teenagers are more ready to learn. In a new study, students wore wrist activity trackers that pinpointed when they fell asleep and woke up. The results confirmed the benefit of later start times.

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 Health
Later school starts linked to better teen grades
Low-income students also may find it easier to get to school, the new data show