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The first signs of trouble came on Dec. 11, when Liviah began throwing up. At first, her parents chalked it up to overindulgence; Liviah had spent the previous night with her grandmother, who was known to spoil the children with treats. “We called it a ‘grandma hangover,’” Mrs. Widders recalled. Liviah, a lively, athletic child, bounced back quickly, but the next day, her 6-year-old brother, Jaxson, also fell ill. He spiked a high fever and was sick for days. Liviah — who returned to school, visited a trampoline park and decorated cookies with the neighbors — seemed to have dodged the worst of it.Until, a week and a half later, when her mother noticed her eyes. Her urine was orange, too, Liviah divulged to her. (Anthes, 6/1)

On today's episode of Science Is Amazing, there's apparently a funeral home in Washington state that's turning human bodies into fertile soil. They're called Return Home, and you may have already seen them on TikTok, where they've shared many of their now-viral videos. The human-to-soil transformation process is called "terramation," which they explain in this clip. (Adams, 6/2)

In molecular biologist David Sinclair's lab at Harvard Medical School, old mice are growing young again. Using proteins that can turn an adult cell into a stem cell, Sinclair and his team have reset aging cells in mice to earlier versions of themselves. In his team's first breakthrough, published in late 2020, old mice with poor eyesight and damaged retinas could suddenly see again, with vision that at times rivaled their offspring's. (LaMotte, 6/3)

The Honey Pot Co., one of several Black- or women-owned intimate care brands that have risen in popularity in recent years, largely built its appeal on a commitment to products that are “plant-derived” and “free of chemicals.” ... But some are asking: Why are women, particularly those of color, still using feminine wash products, which are widely considered unnecessary and can potentially lead to infections or skin irritation, among other concerns? The answer, according to researchers, gynecologists and historians, is a complicated one that involves racism, tradition and targeted advertising. (Chiu and Ferguson, 5/31)

When Dr. Alicia Robbins, who lives in Greenwich, Conn., had her third child, Otto, on April 5, she welcomed the opportunity to check into a retreat for mothers with means, who have just given birth, and their infants. Until now such retreats were usually private, community-based options not available to the wider public. (Krueger, 6/1)

Want to reignite the sexual spark? Psychologists say it is possible, even in long-term relationships. The most important first step is believing that you can. Having a “sexual growth mind-set,” or believing that it’s possible to become a better sexual partner over time, can improve your sexual relationship. You also need to believe that your partner thinks your sex life can get better, according to recent research from scientists at Rutgers and Duke universities, published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. (Bernstein, 5/31)

Someone turning 65 has nearly a 7-in-10 chance of needing long-term care in the future, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, and many don’t have the savings to manage the cost of assisted living. But they may have a mortgage-free home — and the equity in it, giving them the potential option of a reverse mortgage to help cover care costs. Here’s how to evaluate whether a reverse mortgage might be a good option. (Ashford, 6/1)

When the World Health Organization approved a malaria vaccine for the first time in October 2021, it was widely hailed as a milestone. ... What those plaudits often failed to note, though, was that the core ingredient of the path-breaking vaccine was actually almost 35 years old — and that researchers have known since the late 1990s that the formula was probably somewhat effective at protecting against malaria. (Pawar, 5/25)

At-home tests for detecting the coronavirus have been in the news for the past year. But these are only one of the many types of home medical tests, for which users collect a “sample” — typically blood, urine, saliva or mucus — and get immediate results or send it to a lab the test manufacturer designates. These over-the-counter products have been used to diagnose an illness or keep an eye on issues such as high blood glucose. In recent years, however, thousands of new tests of all types have begun showing up on store shelves and on the Internet — many from companies such as Everlywell, LetsGetChecked and myLab Box. Some are straightforward, such as those for the coronavirus, but others have squishier metrics such as “cell aging.” (Carr, 5/30)

Kathryn Stephenson was crushed last summer when she learned that an experimental HIV vaccine she had worked on for years failed to protect young women in sub-Saharan Africa from infection. “I’m not afraid to say that I cried,” recalled Stephenson, a researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. The failure wasn’t personal. Over decades, nearly every idea in science has been tried in the quest for an HIV vaccine — and faltered. But the new technology that helped coronavirus shots break every speed record in medicine is opening a promising new avenue of research that could accelerate the pursuit of an HIV vaccine. (Johnson, 6/1)

Vacationers and business travelers testing positive face pricey extended stays and rebooked flights, confusion over which quarantine rules reign and a near daily scramble to test negative or get a doctor’s note vouching for recovery from Covid. Then there’s the off-the-charts stress. (Gilbertson, 6/1)