Humans

Doctors are trying to slowly wean Lexi from her dependence on methadone. She's just 2 weeks old. Under a doctor's advice, her mom took methadone while pregnant, to help kick a heroin habit.

Tiny Opioid Patients Need Help Easing Into Life

4:07pm March 25, 2016

by Kristin Gourlay

More babies are being born dependent on opioids. The good news is they can safely be weaned from the drug. But there is little research on which medical treatment is best, or on the long-term effects.

Science

Peer Pressure May Not Work The Way We Think It Does

9:56am March 25, 2016

by Shankar Vedantam

A new research study finds that students exposed to their very best peers became discouraged about their own abilities and performance — and were more likely to drop out.

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A slurry of cleaned silica sand flows into the wash plant, where it is washed in preparation for storage at the Wisconsin Industrial Sand Co.'s Maiden Rock facility in Maiden Rock, Wis.

Tighter, Controversial Silica Rules Aimed At Saving Workers' Lungs

1:36pm March 24, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Long known as a workplace hazard, silica dust can cause irreversible lung scarring and cancer. The Department of Labor expects its new limit to save about 600 lives a year. But industry is balking.

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More than 20,000 babies in the U.S. were born with congenital rubella syndrome during an outbreak of rubella in 1964-65. A vaccine developed in 1969 helped curb the virus's spread but hasn't eliminated it worldwide.

Lessons From Rubella Suggest Zika's Impact Could Linger

4:08pm March 22, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Forty-seven years after a vaccine against rubella was created, the virus still harms about 300 newborns every day, worldwide. Even a cheap vaccine can be a financial burden for poorer countries.

The Israeli-built separation wall at Qalandia checkpoint, between the cities of Ramallah and Jerusalem. The watch tower shows signs of being vandalized with paint and fire.

What Happens When You Empathize With The Enemy

9:25am March 22, 2016

by NPR Staff

This week on Hidden Brain, the stories of two men who showed empathy for the other side and found themselves labeled "enemy" by their own people.

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Standing water and abandoned tires make Houston's Fifth Ward hospitable for mosquitoes.

Houston Prepares Now For Zika's Potential Arrival This Summer

8:25pm March 21, 2016

by Joe Palca

When summer brings heat, humidity and mosquitoes, cities along the Gulf Coast may become gateways for Zika into the U.S. Impoverished areas are likely to bear the brunt, health officials say.

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Science

Studies Suggest Multilingual Exposure Boosts Children's Communication Skills

5:25pm March 21, 2016

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Katherine Kinzler, associate professor of psychology and human development at Cornell University, about her research into the social skills developed by children raised in multilingual environments versus monolingual environments.

Hector Moreno checks a basement for lead paint in Baltimore. He is an environmental assessor with Green and Healthy Homes.

Baltimore Struggles To Protect Children From Lead Paint

4:56pm March 21, 2016

by Jennifer Ludden

Despite the attention to lead in water, the biggest health risk to children is still from lead paint. The city of Baltimore banned lead paint way back in 1950, but children continue to be poisoned.

Mature death caps in West Marin's Point Reyes National Seashore in December.

In California, Poisonous Death Cap Mushrooms Are The Forager's Bane

10:28am March 20, 2016

by Gabriela Quirós

Death caps, which are abundant throughout California, can easily be confused for edible mushrooms. But just one of these unassuming, greenish caps contains enough poison to kill someone.

"[Parasites] exert this enormous influence on the world around us, they shape ecosystems and they change minds and manipulate behavior." — Ed Yong

Can We Fall Prey To Hidden Parasites?

9:51am March 18, 2016

by NPR/TED Staff

Science writer Ed Yong delves into the hidden world of parasites. He describes how parasites, once inside a host's body, become masters in the craft of manipulation.

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