Science

Science

2 different brain circuits influence our taste for salt, study finds

7:56am November 21, 2023

by Jon Hamilton

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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When army ants encounter obstacles, they link together to build living bridges.

Science

Army ants use collective intelligence to build bridges. Robots could learn from them

5:00am November 21, 2023

by Kai McNamee

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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Two different brain circuits influence our taste for salt, study finds

5:58pm November 20, 2023

by Jon Hamilton

Two different brain circuits help regulate salt intake, according to a study in the journal Cell. One adjusts salt cravings, the other determines whether we find salty food delicious or disgusting.

A worker in a Bangladeshi lead mill, without safety protection. A new analysis finds the death toll from lead exposure is about six times higher than the previous estimate.

A new study says the global toll of lead exposure is even worse than we thought

11:35am November 20, 2023

by Nicole Estvanik Taylor

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.

There are 80 different autoimmune diseases, affecting up to 50 million Americans.

Autoimmune disease patients hit hurdles in diagnosis, costs and care

12:07pm November 18, 2023

by Andy Miller

Despite the prevalence of autoimmune conditions, like the thyroid disease Hashimoto's, finding help can prove frustrating and expensive. Patients may rack up big bills as they search for a diagnosis.

SpaceX's mega rocket Starship launches for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on Saturday.

Science

A 'successful failure': SpaceX's Starship achieves liftoff, loses contact mid-flight

11:25am November 18, 2023

by Geoff Brumfiel

The rocket cleared the launchpad and separated from its booster, surpassing the first attempt. But minutes later, controllers lost contact with the vehicle.

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'It feels like I'm not crazy.' Gardeners aren't surprised as USDA updates key map

12:08pm November 17, 2023

by Julia Simon

The USDA is updating an important map for gardeners and growers picking plants and flowers. The new map shows the contiguous U.S. is about 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the last map 11 years ago.

Science

Can we grow veggies in space?

6:15pm November 16, 2023

A Texas undergrad is investigating sustainable agriculture systems for growing vegetables on Mars - and grew test samples of English peas in simulated Martian soil, with fertilizer from maggots.

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Science

NPR's Short Wave gives us the latest on black holes, sea turtles, and blood pressure

4:41pm November 16, 2023

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Regina Barber and Aaron Scott of Short Wave about a black hole nearly as old as the universe, how pollution plagues sea turtles, and a simple fix to cut blood pressure.

Rice's whales are one of the most recently discovered whale species in the world — and already one of the most endangered. But protections for the Gulf of Mexico species have been repeatedly delayed.

Only 51 of these U.S. whales remain. Little has been done to prevent their extinction

9:52am November 16, 2023

Rice's whales are one of the world's newly discovered whale species – and already one of the most endangered. Protections for the whales in the Gulf of Mexico are not coming fast.

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