Humans

How A 'Sixth Sense' Helps Simone Biles Fly, And The Rest Of Us Walk

5:03pm September 21, 2016

by Jon Hamilton

Scientists are finally beginning to understand proprioception, a sense that tells us where our body is in space. Much of what they've learned comes from two girls with a rare genetic disorder.

A study of 17 people who had been blind since birth found that areas of the brain usually devoted to visual information become active when a blind person is solving math problems.

When Blind People Do Algebra, The Brain's Visual Areas Light Up

6:23pm September 19, 2016

by Jon Hamilton

A study of 17 people who have been blind since birth found that areas of the brain usually devoted to visual information become active when a blind person is solving math problems.

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The Food Industry's Influence In Nutrition Research

9:38am September 17, 2016

NPR's Scott Simon talks to Dr. Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest about the state of industry-sponsored research and how it might influence medical and policy advice.

Eliminating disparities in cancer care requires more than just expanding Medicaid coverage, say cancer epidemiologists who found that patients with private insurance seemed to have a survival advantage.

Studies Link Cancer Patients' Survival Time To Insurance Status

1:17pm September 16, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

Research on patients with testicular cancer and on others fighting a brain malignancy finds that people who are privately insured are more likely to be diagnosed earlier and survive longer.

Yes, It Is Possible To Get Your Flu Shot Too Soon

3:49pm September 15, 2016

by Julie Appleby

The vaccine is already showing up in drugstores, but maybe wait until Halloween to get the shot, doctors say, especially if you're over 65 and want to be protected against flu this winter.

Family medical histories are used to figure out whether it is worthwhile for a woman to be tested for BRCA genetic mutations, which increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Want A BRCA Test? Some Insurers Require Genetic Counseling First

4:58pm September 14, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

Doctors worry that requiring patients to see a separate genetic counselor will keep them from getting tested for mutations that significantly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Democrats and Republicans often have trouble seeing one another's perspectives. Researchers think this might be driven in part by their earliest experience of power — the family.

When It Comes To Our Politics, Family Matters

5:12pm September 13, 2016

This week on Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam explores how unconscious ideas about the family shape the way we think about politics.

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Professor Translates 1,700-Year-Old Obituary From Ancient Greek

8:44am September 10, 2016

The inscription has just been translated by a professor at Brigham Young University. The epitaph, found in Egypt, honors a woman named Helene who loved and cared for orphans.

Can New Technology Decode The Biggest Data Set Of All?

8:35am September 09, 2016

by NPR/TED Staff

Scientist Riccardo Sabatini says we have the technology to read the human genome and predict things like height, eye color, age — all from a vial of blood.

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Facebook can be fun, research suggests, except when it stirs up envy or depression.

Facebook And Mortality: Why Your Incessant Joy Gives Me The Blues

2:02pm September 07, 2016

by Jon Brooks

Has the social media site been good for our mental health or not? The evidence isn't straightforward, researchers say, despite lots of study. How Facebook makes you feel may depend on how you use it.