Yasemin is a staff writer at Live Science, covering health, neuroscience and biology. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, Science and the San Jose Mercury News. She has a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Connecticut and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
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What happens if you don't take out a splinter?It can be a freeing feeling to shuck off your shoes and walk outside barefoot...until you get a splinter.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Last updated
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Can Chronic Stress Cause or Worsen Cancer? Here's What the Evidence Shows.It’s clear that chronic stress isn’t great for you, but we still don’t know whether it drives cancer.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Last updated
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Dogs know where their paws end and the world beginsDogs may have self-awareness just like humans.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Last updated
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Scientists figure out what happens to Earth's disappearing crustEarth's outer shell is made of rocky rafts that dive beneath each other. The diving plates weaken, but do not break, according to a new study.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Last updated
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Massive Gold Bar Unearthed in Mexico Was Looted Aztec TreasureThe bar was stolen from the Aztec capital by Cortes.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Last updated
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30 mummies discovered inside an ancient fire-scorched sacrificial structureHidden within a fire-scorched structure near the Nile River in Aswan, Egypt, archaeologists discovered the entrance to a 2,000-year-old family tomb.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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Your eyes may reveal your true biological ageBy examining a person’s eyes, doctors might one day be able to predict that person's risk of early death, according to a new study.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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Dramatic photos show horrific aftermath of massive Tonga eruption and tsunamiNew aerial photos show a blanket of dust and ash covering the Pacific nation of Tonga following a massive underwater volcanic eruption.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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These birds have been singing the same songs for literally a million yearsA group of tiny, colorful birds has been singing the exact same tunes for more than 500,000 years — and maybe as long as 1 million years, according to a new study.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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Rise in rabies deaths in the US sparks CDC warningOver a five-week period in the fall of 2021, three people died of rabies after contact with bats, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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The sun used to have rings like SaturnBefore Earth and the other planets in our solar system existed, the sun may have been surrounded by giant rings of dust similar to Saturn's, according to a new study.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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10 weird things scientists calculated in 2021From the number of bubbles in a typical glass of beer to the weight of all the coronavirus particles circulating in the world, here are 10 weird things scientists calculated in 2021.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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12 cool things we learned about humans in 2021Spoiler: your pupils can count.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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We finally know why the brain uses so much energyYour brain may be leaking … energy, according to a new study that may explain why your noggin consumes 20% of the energy needed to keep your body running.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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Sleep technique used by Salvador Dalí really worksA "creative sweet spot" may exist in the brief moments you spend in a little-known early sleep stage, according to a new study.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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1st case of omicron variant in US confirmed in CaliforniaU.S. officials confirmed the first U.S. case of omicron in California.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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The Omicron variant: What we know so farOn Nov. 26, the World Health Organization (WHO) named a new coronavirus variant "Omicron" and designated it as a "variant of concern."
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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Empress Catherine the Great's letter on smallpox vaccination to go up for auctionA letter written by Russian empress Catherine the Great on April 20, 1787, stressing the importance of the smallpox vaccine will go up for auction in London.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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FDA authorizes Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 booster shots for all adultsOn Friday (Nov. 19), The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Moderna and Pfizer boosters for all adults, prior to the busy holiday season.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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Dead tapeworm in man's brain caused him to speak 'gibberish' and have seizuresA long-dead tapeworm parasite was causing a Massachusetts man's unexplained symptoms.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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FBI investigates 'smallpox' vials found in Pennsylvania labWhile cleaning out a freezer in a Pennsylvania vaccine research facility, a lab worker discovered several frozen vials labeled "smallpox," launching an FBI and CDC investigation.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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15th-century Chan Chan mass grave discovered in PeruIn the 15th century, a group of elite women in the ancient city of Chan Chan spent their days making textiles while living ... and in death.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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Earliest evidence of mercury poisoning in humans found in 5,000-year-old bonesThe earliest evidence of mercury poisoning has been found in 5,000-year-old bones of humans buried in Spain and Portugal, according to a new study.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published
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California and Colorado start COVID-19 booster shots for all adultsCalifornia and Colorado expanded booster shot eligibility to all adults who received their second dose of Moderna's or Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine at least six months ago.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu Published

