Humans

Loose-leaf green tea of the modern variety. Archaeologists have discovered ancient tea in the tomb of a Chinese emperor who died in 141 B.C. It's the oldest known physical evidence of tea. But scientists aren't sure if the emperor was drinking tea as we k

Science

World's Oldest Tea Discovered In An Ancient Chinese Emperor's Tomb

2:14pm January 26, 2016

by Jeremy Cherfas

Archaeologists found the 2,100-year-old tea leaves in the tomb of a Han dynasty emperor, suggesting tea was highly valued. But was the emperor drinking tea as we do, or using it as medicine?

Nyumah (left) and Sahr, just a few days after the dramatic bonﬁre ceremony that restored their friendship.

Fambul Tok: Forgiveness And 'Family Talk' In Sierra Leone

1:20am January 26, 2016

by NPR Staff

Following 11 years of brutal civil war, perpetrators and victims are forging peace around bonfires across Sierra Leone.

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A pharmacist counts pain pills. In an effort to curb the abuse of Oxycontin, Vicodin and other opioid painkillers, some health plans in Massachusetts now limit a patient's initial prescription to a 15-day supply, and plan to halve that number in February.

Insurers Hire Social Workers To Tackle The Opioid Epidemic

6:33pm January 25, 2016

by Deborah Becker

Some health plans in Massachusetts are putting tighter limits on painkiller prescriptions. Others are hiring their own social workers to help customers who struggle with opioid abuse quit for good.

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A chicken house in Seagrove, N.C. North Carolina is one of the country's largest poultry producers. As farms move closer to residential areas, neighbors are complaining that the waste generated is a potential health hazard.

When A Chicken Farm Moves Next Door, Odor May Not Be The Only Problem

6:19pm January 24, 2016

by Keri Brown

Large-scale poultry production is ramping up in North Carolina and getting closer to residential areas. Neighbors say the smells and pollution from these farms can make it hard to breathe.

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Sex And The Snowed-In Cities: Why This Blizzard Could Cause A Baby Bump

6:35pm January 23, 2016

by NPR Staff

Often when big storms strike, so does an uptick in births — to the tune of a 2 percent increase nine months later. But be careful: With the most severe storms, births in the area actually decrease.

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The routines that students learn at Dance for PD classes in Venice, Calif., can be quite challenging, instructors say.

Dance Returns The 'Joy Of Movement' To People With Parkinson's

8:14am January 23, 2016

by Ina Jaffe

Many struggle with tremors and balance much of the time, but when the music starts, these people dance. It gives them joy — body and soul. Scientists say dance might have lasting brain benefits, too.

When Warm Weather Refugees First Met Snow: Readers, Share Your Stories!

7:27pm January 21, 2016

by Maanvi Singh

A YouTube video shows Syrian refugees celebrating their first snowy winter in Canada. Goats and Soda readers, tell us, when was your first snow — and how did you react?

Florida Researchers Complete Investigation Into Shuttered Reform School

7:24pm January 21, 2016

by Greg Allen

University of South Florida researchers completed an investigation of unmarked graves at the now closed Dozier School for Boys. Twenty-one of 55 sets of remains found at the school were identified.

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Scientists Unearth Remains Of Ancient Massacre In Kenya

6:57pm January 21, 2016

NPR's Robert Siegel interviews University of Cambridge Professor Robert Foley, co-author of a study in Nature about remains of a massacre from 10,000 years ago in Kenya. He talks about why he believes this is evidence of the earliest known warfare among humans.

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The position of the hands of this skeleton, one of several excavated at Nataruk, suggests her wrists may have been bound. This woman, found reclining on her left elbow, with fractures on the knees and possibly the left foot, was found surrounded by fish.

Science

Discovery Of Ancient Massacre Suggests War Predated Settlements

3:37pm January 21, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

A group of hunter-gatherers died 10,000 years ago in modern-day Kenya. Archaeologists say the remains suggest warfare — often seen as a trait of settled societies, not nomadic ones.