NPR News: Living Better: What it takes to get healthy in America

Living Better: What it takes to get healthy in America
Poor diet, lack of exercise, stress and trauma, all drive America's declining life expectancy and increasing rates of chronic disease. So how can we live better in America? NPR looks for answers.

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Science - May 31, 2023 at 06:28AM - Living Better: What it takes to get healthy in America

NPR News: Advocates: Reparations is the answer for sea level threat in West Oakland, Calif.

Advocates: Reparations is the answer for sea level threat in West Oakland, Calif.
Reparations is one way to confront the rising sea levels in West Oakland, Calif.

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Science - May 30, 2023 at 05:00PM - Advocates: Reparations is the answer for sea level threat in West Oakland, Calif.

NPR News: For Black drivers, a police officer's first 45 words are a portent of what's to come

For Black drivers, a police officer's first 45 words are a portent of what's to come
A Black driver is more likely to face being searched, handcuffed, or arrested when a police officer's first words are commands rather than a greeting or an explanation.

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Science - May 30, 2023 at 02:00AM - For Black drivers, a police officer's first 45 words are a portent of what's to come

NPR News: Want to understand your adolescent? Get to know their brain

Want to understand your adolescent? Get to know their brain
Adolescence can be a challenging time, but to a brain scientist it's a marvel — a time of breathtaking development. Scientists are learning a lot about how teenagers make decisions and approach risk.

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Science - May 28, 2023 at 04:35AM - Want to understand your adolescent? Get to know their brain

NPR News: Local farmers in South Africa were cut out of rooibos tea cash. Now change is brewing

Local farmers in South Africa were cut out of rooibos tea cash. Now change is brewing
For generations, the Khoisan people harvested the rooibos plant to make tea. As this caffeine-free drink has grown trendy — 9,000 tons exported a year — they've been cut out of revenues. Until now.

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Science - May 27, 2023 at 08:11PM - Local farmers in South Africa were cut out of rooibos tea cash. Now change is brewing

NPR News: Oregon is moving to legalize psychedelics

Oregon is moving to legalize psychedelics
In Oregon, psychedelics are moving from illegal status to an approved product. But this brave new world comes with lots of regulations and challenges, including training psychedelic 'facilitators.'

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Science - May 27, 2023 at 06:55PM - Oregon is moving to legalize psychedelics

NPR News: What is it about a lullaby that helps kids fall asleep?

What is it about a lullaby that helps kids fall asleep?
NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin has a trick to get her kids to fall asleep at bedtime: lullabies. Science backs it up: Singing to your child helps them fall asleep faster, even than listening to Mozart!

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Science - May 27, 2023 at 04:26AM - What is it about a lullaby that helps kids fall asleep?

NPR News: Can multivitamins improve memory? A new study shows 'intriguing' results

Can multivitamins improve memory? A new study shows 'intriguing' results
A team of researchers tracked thousands of people who took a daily multivitamin for three years. At the end of the first year they preformed slightly better on memory tests than people on a placebo.

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Science - May 26, 2023 at 10:23PM - Can multivitamins improve memory? A new study shows 'intriguing' results

NPR News: Virtually ouch-free: Promising early data on a measles vaccine delivered via sticker

Virtually ouch-free: Promising early data on a measles vaccine delivered via sticker
Vaccine experts are excited about new clinical trial results for a device that delivers measles vaccine via a "microarray" patch — no syringe needed.

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Science - May 26, 2023 at 05:19PM - Virtually ouch-free: Promising early data on a measles vaccine delivered via sticker

NPR News: How a little more silence in children's lives helps them grow

How a little more silence in children's lives helps them grow
Studies show too much noise, particularly loud, irregular noise, can hurt a child's brain development, because if sound is irregular, it distracts our brains and makes concentration more difficult.

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Science - May 24, 2023 at 04:01PM - How a little more silence in children's lives helps them grow

NPR News: People with disabilities aren't often seen in stock photos. The CPSC is changing that

People with disabilities aren't often seen in stock photos. The CPSC is changing that
The Consumer Product Safety Commission took photos of people with disabilities using home safety devices like flashlights and smoke alarms — then put them in the public domain for anyone to use.

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Science - May 23, 2023 at 11:17PM - People with disabilities aren't often seen in stock photos. The CPSC is changing that

NPR News: Want to understand your adolescent? Get to know their brain

Want to understand your adolescent? Get to know their brain
For parents of teenagers, adolescence can be challenging, but to a brain scientist it's a time of breathtaking development. And it's a "window of opportunity" on the way to becoming an adult.

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Science - May 23, 2023 at 04:01PM - Want to understand your adolescent? Get to know their brain

NPR News: She holds the NASA record for time spent in space. This week she headed back

She holds the NASA record for time spent in space. This week she headed back
Before this week, Peggy Whitson had spent a cumulative 665 days in space over her career, giving her the NASA record. She's not done yet.

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Science - May 23, 2023 at 04:01AM - She holds the NASA record for time spent in space. This week she headed back

NPR News: Saudi astronauts, including nation's 1st woman, catch a SpaceX flight to space station

Saudi astronauts, including nation's 1st woman, catch a SpaceX flight to space station
Saudi Arabia's first astronauts in decades rocketed toward the International Space Station on a chartered multimillion-dollar flight. The crew will spend just over a week there before returning home.

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Science - May 22, 2023 at 05:23AM - Saudi astronauts, including nation's 1st woman, catch a SpaceX flight to space station

NPR News: A South African choir sang for Queen Victoria. They had great highs — and awful lows

A South African choir sang for Queen Victoria. They had great highs — and awful lows
The singers traveled to England for a tour to raise money to build a technical college. Their story is receiving renewed attention because of a new dance performance based on the concert tour.

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Science - May 21, 2023 at 06:01PM - A South African choir sang for Queen Victoria. They had great highs — and awful lows

NPR News: A remarkable new view of the Titanic shipwreck is here, thanks to deep-sea mappers

A remarkable new view of the Titanic shipwreck is here, thanks to deep-sea mappers
The Titanic wreck is hard to reach and harder to capture, with most images showing just a section at a time. The first full-sized digital scan offers what experts call a game-changing view.

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Science - May 20, 2023 at 05:00PM - A remarkable new view of the Titanic shipwreck is here, thanks to deep-sea mappers

NPR News: More than half of the world's largest lakes are shrinking. Here's why that matters.

More than half of the world's largest lakes are shrinking. Here's why that matters.
Human actions have caused "significant declines" in the amount of water stored in 53% of the planet's largest lakes and reservoirs. Climate change and overconsumption are the primary drivers.

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Science - May 20, 2023 at 04:30PM - More than half of the world's largest lakes are shrinking. Here's why that matters.

NPR News: Our bodies respond differently to food. A new study aims to find out how

Our bodies respond differently to food. A new study aims to find out how
The NIH will track the diets and lifestyles of 10,000 people to see how genetics, biology and the microbiome impact people's health. The study will use AI to tailor individual diet advice.

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Science - May 19, 2023 at 03:02PM - Our bodies respond differently to food. A new study aims to find out how

NPR News: A science news roundup with Short Wave

A science news roundup with Short Wave
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Regina Barber and Emily Kwong, hosts of the Short Wave podcast, about the mysteries of multicellular organisms, a house built with diapers, and the physics of gummy candy.

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Science - May 19, 2023 at 04:12AM - A science news roundup with Short Wave

NPR News: Conservationists rush to vaccinate California condors as avian flu strikes

Conservationists rush to vaccinate California condors as avian flu strikes
Conservationists are rushing to vaccinate critically endangered California condors against deadly avian flu. Ashleigh Blackford of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is overseeing the effort.

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Science - May 19, 2023 at 03:29AM - Conservationists rush to vaccinate California condors as avian flu strikes

NPR News: An 'extremely rare' rainbow sea slug was spotted along the coast of England

An 'extremely rare' rainbow sea slug was spotted along the coast of England
The rare rainbow sea slug, or Babakina anadoni, is typically found in the warmer waters off Spain, Portugal and France.

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Science - May 18, 2023 at 07:28PM - An 'extremely rare' rainbow sea slug was spotted along the coast of England

NPR News: A new report says the climate may breach 1.5 degrees of warming in 5 years

A new report says the climate may breach 1.5 degrees of warming in 5 years
Executive director of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center, Colin Young, talks about a new report warning that the climate may breach 1.5 degrees of warming in 5 years.

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Science - May 18, 2023 at 03:37AM - A new report says the climate may breach 1.5 degrees of warming in 5 years

NPR News: 2 people were hurt in a California bee attack. Here's what to do if it happens to you

2 people were hurt in a California bee attack. Here's what to do if it happens to you
An expert urges people under attack by bees to run away as fast as possible. Don't cover your face and don't play dead, he says.

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Science - May 17, 2023 at 04:00PM - 2 people were hurt in a California bee attack. Here's what to do if it happens to you

NPR News: 76 days and counting underwater, Florida professor breaks world record, for science

76 days and counting underwater, Florida professor breaks world record, for science
Joseph Dituri set out to live underwater back in March as part of a project to see how the human body changes living under extreme pressure.

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Science - May 16, 2023 at 11:11PM - 76 days and counting underwater, Florida professor breaks world record, for science

NPR News: Butterflies originated in North America after splitting from moths, new study suggests

Butterflies originated in North America after splitting from moths, new study suggests
Butterflies likely split from nocturnal moths around 100 million years ago in present-day western North America or Central America, a new study of the winged insects finds.

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Science - May 16, 2023 at 04:00PM - Butterflies originated in North America after splitting from moths, new study suggests

NPR News: A sulfur cave in Colorado is a site of scientific discovery

A sulfur cave in Colorado is a site of scientific discovery
In Steamboat Springs, Colorado, there's a rare sulfur cave where people are normally forbidden to go. But Aaron Scott, the co-host of NPR's science podcast Short Wave, recently got a chance to go in.

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Science - May 16, 2023 at 03:32AM - A sulfur cave in Colorado is a site of scientific discovery

NPR News: A sweeping new study sheds light on butterflies' origins

A sweeping new study sheds light on butterflies' origins
A new study finds that butterflies probably originated in North or Central America around 100 million years ago.

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Science - May 16, 2023 at 03:32AM - A sweeping new study sheds light on butterflies' origins

NPR News: Fake studies in academic journals may be more common than previously thought

Fake studies in academic journals may be more common than previously thought
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with neuropsychologist Bernhard Sabel about his study estimating that more medical papers may be made up or plagiarized than previously thought.

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Science - May 14, 2023 at 07:01PM - Fake studies in academic journals may be more common than previously thought

NPR News: Coronavirus FAQ: 'Emergency' over! Do we unmask and grin? Or adjust our worries?

Coronavirus FAQ: 'Emergency' over! Do we unmask and grin? Or adjust our worries?
Now that official COVID emergency declarations have ended, how should people evaluate their risk of SARS-CoV-2? That's the subject of our frequently asked questions offering.

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Science - May 13, 2023 at 12:15AM - Coronavirus FAQ: 'Emergency' over! Do we unmask and grin? Or adjust our worries?

NPR News: Hammerhead sharks 'hold their breath' in deeper, colder waters, research shows

Hammerhead sharks 'hold their breath' in deeper, colder waters, research shows
Sharks are ectotherms and their internal body temperatures usually reflect the waters they swim in. Holding their breath helps them function in the frigid deep.

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Science - May 12, 2023 at 01:00AM - Hammerhead sharks 'hold their breath' in deeper, colder waters, research shows

NPR News: The James Webb Space Telescope reveals a mysterious planet to be weirdly shiny

The James Webb Space Telescope reveals a mysterious planet to be weirdly shiny
Astronomers pointed the James Webb Space Telescope at a common kind of planet that's bigger than Earth but smaller than Neptune. What they saw wasn't what they expected.

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Science - May 10, 2023 at 10:27PM - The James Webb Space Telescope reveals a mysterious planet to be weirdly shiny

NPR News: Listen to one of the largest trees in the world

Listen to one of the largest trees in the world
A sound artist set out to capture the acoustic wonder of a famed swath of quaking aspens. It's one of the largest trees on the planet, known as Pando.

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Science - May 10, 2023 at 09:50PM - Listen to one of the largest trees in the world

NPR News: What if AI could rebuild the middle class?

What if AI could rebuild the middle class?
We spoke with MIT's David Autor, one of the top labor economists in the world, about how AI could revolutionize the job market.

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Science - May 9, 2023 at 05:30PM - What if AI could rebuild the middle class?

NPR News: Florida lawmakers want to use radioactive material to pave roads

Florida lawmakers want to use radioactive material to pave roads
Phosphogypsum, a byproduct in the fertilizer industry, contains uranium and radium — which as the EPA notes, forms radon, "a cancer-causing, radioactive gas."

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Science - May 9, 2023 at 04:00PM - Florida lawmakers want to use radioactive material to pave roads

NPR News: Meet the scientist restoring Finland's peatlands

Meet the scientist restoring Finland's peatlands
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with Finnish scientist Tero Mustonen about the state of his country's peatlands. Mustonen has received the Goldman Environmental Prize for his work.

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Science - May 7, 2023 at 07:00PM - Meet the scientist restoring Finland's peatlands

NPR News: WHO ends global health emergency declaration for COVID-19

WHO ends global health emergency declaration for COVID-19
The World Health Organization today lifted its Public Health Emergency of International Concern for COVID-19. That declaration went into effect three years ago on January 30th, 2020.

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Science - May 5, 2023 at 08:44PM - WHO ends global health emergency declaration for COVID-19

NPR News: California's epic snowpack is melting. Here's what to expect

California's epic snowpack is melting. Here's what to expect
Warmer temperatures are melting the state's historic snowpack. Already flooded communities downstream are scrambling to prepare for the surge.

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Science - May 5, 2023 at 04:00PM - California's epic snowpack is melting. Here's what to expect

NPR News: This week in science: Virtual reality sickness and the truth about 10,000 step goal

This week in science: Virtual reality sickness and the truth about 10,000 step goal
A look at the science making the rounds in the headlines this week — from a new study on virtual reality sickness to whether there's any science behind the ever-trendy 10,000 step goal and ice baths.

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Science - May 5, 2023 at 04:03AM - This week in science: Virtual reality sickness and the truth about 10,000 step goal

NPR News: Think you're a Taurus? Earth's wobble sees things differently

Think you're a Taurus? Earth's wobble sees things differently
Our view of the constellations has changed since they were first mapped thousands of years ago. That new perspective could also mess with your horoscope.

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Science - May 4, 2023 at 04:00PM - Think you're a Taurus? Earth's wobble sees things differently

NPR News: Michelle Obama launches a food company aimed at healthier choices for kids

Michelle Obama launches a food company aimed at healthier choices for kids
Kids in the U .S. consume a lot of sugar - nearly 53 pounds a year on average. Obama's new food company PLEZi Nutrition, will lower the sugar content and improve nutrition in products aimed at kids.

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Science - May 4, 2023 at 04:11AM - Michelle Obama launches a food company aimed at healthier choices for kids

NPR News: These states are narrowly defining who is 'female' and 'male' in law

These states are narrowly defining who is 'female' and 'male' in law
LGBTQ advocates say these bills are another attempt to restrict transgender rights. Republicans sponsoring the bills say the definitions are important to keep sex from being conflated with gender.

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Science - May 4, 2023 at 02:50AM - These states are narrowly defining who is 'female' and 'male' in law

NPR News: This star ate its own planet. Earth may share the same fate

This star ate its own planet. Earth may share the same fate
For the first time, astronomers have caught a star in the act of swallowing a planet, providing a glimpse into how the sun may eventually eat up Earth.

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Science - May 3, 2023 at 10:07PM - This star ate its own planet. Earth may share the same fate

NPR News: They're trying to cure nodding syndrome. First they need to zero in on the cause

They're trying to cure nodding syndrome. First they need to zero in on the cause
Nodding syndrome is a rare neurological condition that can result in head nodding and violent seizures. Some researchers think they know the cause, but questions remain.

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Science - May 3, 2023 at 12:47AM - They're trying to cure nodding syndrome. First they need to zero in on the cause

NPR News: This company adopted AI. Here's what happened to its human workers.

This company adopted AI. Here's what happened to its human workers.
A group of economists conducted one of the first empirical studies of "generative AI" at a real-world company. They found it had big effects.

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Science - May 2, 2023 at 05:31PM - This company adopted AI. Here's what happened to its human workers.

NPR News: A decoder that uses brain scans to know what you mean — mostly

A decoder that uses brain scans to know what you mean — mostly
Scientists have decoded streams of words in the brain using artificial intelligence and the data from MRI scans.

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Science - May 1, 2023 at 10:00PM - A decoder that uses brain scans to know what you mean — mostly