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Mar 18, 2024
Two new government studies found no unusual pattern of injury or illness in people with the mysterious cluster of symptoms known as Havana syndrome.
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Mar 18, 2024
The mysterious ailments that became known as Havana syndrome left no physical evidence of injury or disease, according to two government studies.
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Mar 16, 2024
This discovery sheds new light on the rich history of scholarship and intellectual exchange between Muslims, Jews and Christians during a time of Muslim rule in medieval Spain.
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Mar 13, 2024
Oil and gas drillers are releasing more climate-warming methane than the government estimates, a new study shows.
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Mar 13, 2024
The pickle-shaped bottom feeders may reduce the amount of microbes on the seafloor that could potentially sicken coral, scientists suggest
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Mar 13, 2024
The pickle-shaped bottom feeders may reduce the amount of microbes on the seafloor that could potentially sicken coral, scientists suggest
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Mar 13, 2024
"Long COVID has affected every part of my life," said Virginia resident Rachel Beale said at a recent Senate hearing. "I wake up every day feeling tired, nauseous and dizzy. I immediately start planning when I can lay down again."
Beale is far from alone. Many of her experiences have been echoed by others dealing with long COVID. It's a constellation of debilitating symptoms that range from brain fog and intense physical fatigue to depression and anxiety.
But there's new, promising research that sheds light onto some symptoms. NPR health correspondent Will Stone talks with Short Wave host Regina G. Barber about the state of long COVID research — what we know, what we don't and when we can expect treatments or even cures for it.
Have more COVID questions you want us to cover? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you.
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Mar 08, 2024
Traumatic brain injuries from intimate partner violence are common, and potentially more severe than those seen in sports.
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Mar 08, 2024
Neuroscientist Nathan Sawtell has spent a lot of time studying the electric elephantnose fish. These fish send and decipher weak electric signals, which Sawtell hopes will eventually help neuroscientists better understand how the brain filters sensory information about the outside world. As Sawtell has studied these electric critters, he's had a lingering question: why do they always seem to organize themselves in a particular orientation. At first, he couldn't figure out why, but a new study released this week in Nature may have an answer: the fish are creating an electrical network larger than any field a single fish can muster alone, and providing collective knowledge about potential dangers in the surrounding water.
Want to hear us cover more animal news? Email the show at shortwave@npr.org to let us know!
Listen to Short Wave on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.
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Mar 06, 2024
After the 1996 Dickey Amendment halted federal spending on gun violence research, a small group of academics pressed on, with little money or support. Now a new generation is taking up the charge.
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Mar 06, 2024
The Voyager 1 space probe is the farthest human-made object in space. It launched in 1977 with a golden record on board that carried assorted sounds of our home planet: greetings in many different languages, dogs barking, and the sound of two people kissing, to name but a few examples. The idea with this record was that someday, Voyager 1 might be our emissary to alien life - an audible time capsule of Earth's beings. Since its launch, it also managed to complete missions to Jupiter and Saturn. In 2012, it crossed into interstellar space.
But a few months ago, the probe encountered a problem. "It's an elderly spacecraft," says NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce, "and it had some kind of electronic stroke." Greenfieldboyce talks to Short Wave Host Regina G. Barber about the precarious status of Voyager 1 - the glitch threatening its mission, and the increasingly risky measures NASA is taking to try and restore it.
What interstellar adventure should we cover next? Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.
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Mar 05, 2024
Researchers may one day be able to identify biomarkers that could indicate when a patient's brain is showing signs of assault, even when they themselves are unable or too afraid to report it.
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Mar 05, 2024
Science magazine's annual contest "Dance Your PhD" invites grad students to present their research through dance. This year's winner, Weliton Menário Costa, showcased his work on kangaroo behavior.
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Mar 01, 2024
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with glaciologist Ted Scambos about the conclusion of a multi-year study of Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier, the "plug" holding back a formidable amount of ice.
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Feb 25, 2024
Scientists have found what they say could be one of the oldest Stone Age megastructures in Europe: a giant stone wall on the floor of the Baltic Sea. They've dubbed it the "Blinkerwall."
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Feb 24, 2024
NPR's Scott Simon talks to math historian Glen Van Brummelen about his finding that the decimal point appeared in the 1440s, earlier than thought.
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Feb 23, 2024
Scientists have long struggled to study how whales produce sound. A new paper in the journal Nature paints the most complete picture yet of how baleen whales produce their iconic, haunting calls.
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Feb 23, 2024
After seven years of research, the findings shed light on the long-neglected illness. Scientists say the results could lead to future trials for potential treatments.
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Feb 23, 2024
After seven years of research, the findings shed light on the long-neglected illness. Scientists say the results could lead to future trials for potential treatments.
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Feb 22, 2024
The more than half mile long wall, called the Blinkerwall, was likely used by Stone Age hunter-gatherers to herd reindeer toward a shooting blind.
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Feb 21, 2024
Long COVID has brought new attention to how complex chronic illnesses can develop in the aftermath of a viral infection. Prior research may help forward clinical trials to test possible treatments.
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Feb 21, 2024
We are at the height of the Sun's activity in its eleven year cycle, known to astronomers as the solar maximum. This means that over the next several months there's going to be a lot of solar activity. It's got us thinking back to 1859. That's when astronomer Richard Carrington was studying the Sun when he witnessed the most intense geomagnetic storm recorded in history. The storm, triggered by a giant solar flare, sent brilliant auroral displays across the globe causing electrical sparking and fires in telegraph stations. This encore episode, Regina talks to solar physicist Dr. Samaiyah Farid about what's now known as the Carrington event and about what may happen the next time a massive solar storm hits Earth.
Want to hear us cover other parts of the solar system? Email the show at shortwave@npr.org to let us know!
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Feb 19, 2024
Lately, paleoecologist Audrey Rowe has been a bit preoccupied with a girl named Elma. That's because Elma is ... a woolly mammoth. And 14,000 years ago, when Elma was alive, her habitat in interior Alaska was rapidly changing. The Ice Age was coming to a close and human hunters were starting early settlements. Which leads to an intriguing question: Who, or what, killed her? In the search for answers, Audrey traces Elma's life and journey through — get this — a single tusk. Today, she shares her insights on what the mammoth extinction from thousands of years ago can teach us about megafauna extinctions today with guest host Nate Rott.
Thoughts on other ancient animal stories we should tell? Email us at shortwave@npr.org and we might make a future episode about it!
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Feb 18, 2024
Memory is complicated. A new study co-authored by Jeopardy! contestant Monica Thieu looks at how two different memory systems might give some people an edge with recalling facts.
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Feb 14, 2024
The slow-moving Chinese martial art tai chi is known to increase flexibility and balance. Now, research suggests it's more effective at reducing blood pressure than more vigorous forms of exercise.
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Feb 14, 2024
In a Valentine's Day exclusive report, NPR has learned there is currently a gay anteater couple at Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington D.C.But this couple is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to queerness in the animal world - it's been documented in hundreds of species. We spoke with wildlife ecologist Christine Wilkinson of the "Queer is Natural" TikTok series to uncover the wildest, queerest animals of the bunch.
Questions, comments or thoughts on queer animal love? Email us at shortwave@npr.org and we might feature it on a future episode!
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Feb 12, 2024
In a landmark UN study, researchers found nearly half of the world's threatened migratory species have declining populations. More than a fifth of the assessed animals face extinction.
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Feb 09, 2024
At least, that's what a group of researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University thinks. The team recently published a study in the journal Experimental Biology suggesting that Amphiphrion ocellaris, or clown anemonefish, may be counting. Specifically, the authors think the fish may be looking at the number of vertical white stripes on each other as well as other anemonefish as a way to identify their own species. Not only that — the researchers think that the fish are noticing the minutiae of other anemonefish's looks because of some fishy marine geopolitics.
Questions, comments or thoughts on another marine sea creature you want to hear us cover? Email us at shortwave@npr.org and we might feature it on a future episode!
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Feb 08, 2024
Short Wave's Regina Barber and Margaret Cirino talk through how moths produce an anti-bat signal, why clownfish could be counting to 3 and the first GMO food crop sold directly to home gardeners.
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Feb 08, 2024
California sea otter populations have rebounded in recent decades. New research finds that by feasting on shore crabs, these otters are helping to protect their coastal marsh habitat against erosion.
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Feb 05, 2024
In 1986 the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, releasing radioactive material into northern Ukraine and Belarus. It was the most serious nuclear accident in history. Over one hundred thousand people were evacuated from the surrounding area. But local gray wolves never left — and their population has grown over the years. It's seven times denser than populations in protected lands elsewhere in Belarus. This fact has led scientists to wonder whether the wolves are genetically either resistant or resilient to cancer — or if the wolves are simply thriving because humans aren't interfering with them.
This episode, researchers Shane Campbell-Staton and Cara Love talk through what might be causing this population boom. Plus, why researchers in the field of human cancer are eager to collaborate with them.
Want to hear about other ways humans are impacting the planet? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
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Feb 04, 2024
NPR's Elissa Nadworny speaks with Elena Zavala of the University of California, Berkeley, about new research showing how homo sapiens and Neanderthals interacted and may have even interbred.
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Feb 04, 2024
NPR's Elissa Nadworny speaks with Elena Zavala of the University of California, Berkeley, about new research showing how homo sapiens and Neanderthals interacted and may have even interbred.
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Feb 01, 2024
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Kyle Atkins-Weltman, a PhD student of paleoecology at Oklahoma State University, about a newly discovered dinosaur dubbed the "chicken from hell".
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Feb 01, 2024
Spiderwebs can capture environmental DNA, or eDNA, from vertebrate animals in their area, potentially making them a useful tool in animal monitoring, tracking and conservation.
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Jan 31, 2024
Scientists have found that spiderwebs can be used to capture environmental DNA, which reflects the animal population of an area. The technique may help track the biodiversity of an ecosystem.
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Jan 30, 2024
Those insects you see flying in crazed circles are trying to keep their backs towards the light because they think that direction is up, new research suggests.
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Jan 30, 2024
Those insects you see flying in crazed circles are trying to keep their backs towards the light because they think that direction is up, new research suggests.
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Jan 28, 2024
A new study looking at hearing loss finds that it's greater among people living in rural areas. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with audiologist Nicholas Reed, who co-authored the study.
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Jan 28, 2024
How long does immunity last after an infection? Are rapid tests always accurate? How often is a booster in order? In this installment of our FAQ series, we look into questions about "COVID time."
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Jan 26, 2024
Scientists looked at trees to better understand the interplay between temperatures and droughts in the Western U.S. Human-caused climate change is exacerbating both.
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Jan 26, 2024
The ancient extinct shark that starred in the film The Meg is thought to be the largest shark that ever swam the Earth. But there's debate over what it really looked like.
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Jan 23, 2024
The megalodon went extinct 3.6 million years ago, and is thought to be the largest shark that ever swam the Earth. But the megalodon may not have been as big as once thought, some researchers suggest.
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Jan 23, 2024
A new study of kelp forests from the coast of Washington state show that kelp forests, which host all manner of marine life, developed tens of millions of years ago.
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Jan 22, 2024
Newly discovered kelp fossils peg their existence to 32 million years ago. These fossils may help explain how the Pacific Ocean's underwater 'forests' came to be.
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Jan 20, 2024
Four years after the first known case of COVID-19 in the United States, long COVID remains a mystery to scientists. Medical experts called for more research funding at a Senate hearing Thursday.
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Jan 17, 2024
Data from the James Webb Space Telescope indicate that a galaxy known as GN-z11 has a supermassive black hole at its center — one that's far more massive than astronomers expected.
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Jan 15, 2024
Researchers say they've identified the oldest known Tyrannosaurus, shaking up the ongoing debate over how and when the dinosaurs arrived in North America.
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Jan 13, 2024
Are we in a surge? How would we know? Is winter now "COVID season?" And what do you do if your whole family got the coronavirus over the holidays? We tackle readers' coronavirus questions.
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Jan 10, 2024
Researchers found roughly 240,000 detectable plastic fragments in a typical liter of bottled water. Most of them were nanoplastics — particles less than 1 micrometer in size.
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Jan 05, 2024
Neptune has long been depicted as a deeper, darker blue than its fellow ice giant Uranus, but a new study shows that both are a similar shade of light greenish blue.
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Dec 31, 2023
For decades, researchers have said that our mammalian ancestors were solitary but a new analysis turns that thinking on its head, suggesting they were far more sociable than was previously thought.
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Dec 25, 2023
The Guinness World Record folks would have us believe in a 19th century snowflake more than a foot wide, but some scientists are skeptical.
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Dec 21, 2023
A new study has examined the potential ramifications of declining an invitation for a social outing, and found that people tend to overestimate just how much it matters.
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Dec 15, 2023
A new study showed that cats fetched objects instinctively, in the absence of overt training. Fetching is defined as when the animal retrieves an object that's thrown.
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Dec 13, 2023
An experimental technology that might someday allow infertile couples, as well as gay and trans couples, to have genetically related children stirs hope. So far, the technique has worked in mice.
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Dec 13, 2023
Zebra finches who did not sing every day quickly lose their vocal prowess, a new study finds. The results could potentially shed light on vocal rehabilitation for humans, too.
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Dec 12, 2023
More scientific evidence has surfaced to show that while Mittens may be your sweet angel, letting her roam outside is also a big threat to biodiversity.
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Dec 12, 2023
More scientific evidence has surfaced to show that while mittens may be your sweet angel, letting her roam outside is also a big threat to biodiversity.
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Dec 12, 2023
A new study shows male zebra finches must sing every day to keep their vocal muscles in shape. Females prefer the songs of males that did their daily vocal workout.
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Dec 12, 2023
Scientists have compiled an exhaustive list of all the species cats consume, and it includes more than 2000 birds, reptiles, mammals and insects — a sixth of which are of conservation concern.
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Dec 08, 2023
The Food and Drug Administration approved two genetic treatments for sickle cell disease, including one that uses gene-editing. The approvals offer hope for patients and signal a new medical era.
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Dec 07, 2023
The wild honeyguide responds to distinct calls from local honey foragers. Says one researcher: The bird basically seems to be saying, "Hey, I'm here and I know where there's some honey, so follow me."
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Dec 07, 2023
The wild honeyguide responds to distinct calls from local honey foragers. Says one researcher: The bird basically seems to be saying, "Hey, I'm here and I know where there's some honey, so follow me."
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Dec 07, 2023
A newly discovered pathway between the heart and brain can cause fainting, at least in mice.
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Dec 06, 2023
A small study found that electrically stimulating an area deep in the brain allowed people with severe traumatic brain injuries to complete a cognitive test more quickly.
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Dec 04, 2023
Africa's cities have become home to an invasive, malaria-carrying mosquito. New research suggests vulnerabilities that could be exploited to take on the disease-bearing insects.
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Nov 23, 2023
Scientists say two separate brain circuits control how much salt we consume.
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Nov 22, 2023
This itchy microbe really touches a nerve. A common skin bacterium can directly interact with a nerve cell to trigger an itch, new study shows, suggesting possible new therapies for itchy conditions.
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Nov 22, 2023
A Texas undergrad is investigating how to grow vegetables on Mars — and has cultivated test samples of English peas in simulated Martian soil, with fertilizer from fly larvae.
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Nov 21, 2023
Two brain circuits help regulate salt intake: One adjusts salt cravings, the other determines whether we find salty food delicious or disgusting. (Story aired on ATC on Nov. 20, 2023.)
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Nov 21, 2023
As army ants travel over uneven terrain, they link their bodies together to create bridges — a system that might give engineers insight into controlling robotic swarms.
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Nov 20, 2023
A new study finds that 5.5 million adults worldwide died in 2019 from cardiovascular disease attributable to lead exposure, more than six times higher than a previous estimate.
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Nov 15, 2023
On Earth, clouds and rain are made of water. But the James Webb Space Telescope has found that on a planet called WASP-107b, the rain and clouds are made of sand.
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Nov 14, 2023
As army ants travel over uneven terrain, they link their bodies together to create bridges — a system that might give engineers insight into controlling robotic swarms.
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Nov 14, 2023
Many symptoms of long COVID are related to the brain. Now scientists are beginning to understand why brain fog, fatigue, and pain can linger for years after a person was infected.
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Nov 13, 2023
A new study found engineers should make roads narrower to reduce car crashes. Such improvements would also come with environmental and economic benefits.
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Nov 11, 2023
Attenborough's long-beaked echidna, a mammal with a unique evolutionary history, was caught on camera for the first time. Researchers hope their find advances conservation efforts in remote Indonesia.
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Nov 09, 2023
Indiana University trustees will decide whether to partially sever the University's long standing ties with the famous organization.
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Nov 09, 2023
For years, programs like D.A.R.E. told students to "just say no" to drugs. But research shows that approach alone didn't work. Now experts are backing a new approach that could help save lives.
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Nov 05, 2023
In some species of frogs, the females play dead to avoid mating with aggressive males. Dr. Carolin Dittrich, behavior ecologist at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, tells us more.
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Nov 01, 2023
Leishmaniasis, a disease spread by a parasite carried by sand flies, is generally considered a tropical disease. Now, thanks to climate change, new research finds it's endemic to the United States.
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Oct 27, 2023
Inspired by a childhood in sun-baked Ethiopia, Heman Bekele wanted to tackle skin cancer. He came up with a topical cancer-fighting soap, and it won him the 3M Young Scientist's Challenge.
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Oct 27, 2023
Intermittent fasting is popular for weight-loss. A new study finds it might help with diabetes too.
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Oct 27, 2023
Heman Bekele, winner of 3M's Young Scientist Challenge, wants to make cancer treatment cheaper and more accessible.
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Oct 25, 2023
A study released this month from the Pew Research Center has delved into what friendship in the U.S. looks like, and just how much they mean to us.
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Oct 24, 2023
Scientists studying the causes of long COVID symptoms are proposing a surprising pathway. Their research weaves together several prominent lines of evidence on what might be driving the condition.
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Oct 19, 2023
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Regina Barber and Aaron Scott of Short Wave about albatrosses' impressive navigational abilities, fossilized ocean worms and an upcoming meteor shower.
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Oct 16, 2023
A new atlas of the human brain could help explain abilities like language - and vulnerabilities, like Alzheimer's disease.
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Oct 12, 2023
An NIH-led effort to create an atlas of human brain cells has identified more than 3,000 types of cells. The finding will help researchers understand disorders like autism, ADHD, and schizophrenia.
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Oct 11, 2023
Researchers find flipped coins have what's called same side bias. They flipped coins in 46 currencies 350,000 times, and registered that 51% of the time the coins landed on the side they started on.
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Oct 08, 2023
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to Howard University professor Gloria Washington about a new project that will make it easier for Black people to be understood by automatic speech recognition technology.
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Oct 08, 2023
When it comes to the health benefits of cold water dips, the hype is ahead of the science. NPR talked to researchers about what's true, what's not, and the latest on how to get the most out of it.
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Oct 07, 2023
A new study of fossil footprints in White Sands National Park bolsters the argument that humans may have lived in North America longer than thought.
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Oct 05, 2023
How long have humans lived in North America? For decades, the commonest answer has been perhaps 14,000 years — but new findings add weight to arguments for a longer human history in the Americas.
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Oct 04, 2023
A new global assessment of the world's amphibians finds that more than 2 of every 5 known species is at risk of extinction. Habitat loss, disease and climate change are the main drivers.
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Oct 04, 2023
A new global assessment of the world's amphibians finds that more than 2 of every 5 known species is at risk of extinction. Habitat loss, disease and climate change are the main drivers.
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Oct 04, 2023
Amber Wutich, an anthropologist and newly minted 'MacArthur genius,' says water scarcity is a human-caused problem that requires human-generated solutions.
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Oct 04, 2023
When COVID-19 first emerged, Linsey Marr suspected right away it spread through the air. Time has proved this aerosols engineer right. Now she's being honored with a MacArthur "genius grant."
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Oct 04, 2023
Three scientists were honored for their work with the tiny nanoparticles that allow for very bright colors. They are used in many electronics, like LED displays.
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