Humans

A still from the alien hand syndrome episode of Invisibilia.

'Invisibilia': The Otherworldly Alien Hand Syndrome, Animated

6:00pm February 09, 2018

by Menaka Wilhelm

Imagine trying to play the piano or button a shirt, while one hand does something else, entirely of its own volition. Invisibilia explored this phenomenon. More stories are coming in the new season.

Adam Frank, who has been working with computational science since its initial stages, weighs in on the new threat of computational propaganda.

Science

Computational Propaganda: Bots, Targeting And The Future

3:19pm February 09, 2018

by Adam Frank

Computational propaganda was invented by people who realized the possibilities emerging from the intersection of new technologies and behaviors they create — and it's frightening, says Adam Frank.

Simon Beck's snow art at Target Field in Minneapolis.

Embracing Winter's Chill Through Snow Artistry

3:58pm February 08, 2018

by Barbara J. King

Simon Beck's large-scale snow images — like the one made earlier this month in Minneapolis — bring extra beauty to this cold winter season, says commentator Barbara J. King.

A chemical irritant that onions use to protect themselves against animals is released when we cut them, making us cry.

Stop Crying! Tear-Free Onions Are Here

1:22pm February 08, 2018

by Tove Danovich

For years, people have been crying about how chopping onions brings on the waterworks. Well, there's finally a tearless onion, but the allium has not quite caught on with the general public yet.

In a small Malaysian village, some residents speak a language that linguists had never before identified. It has now been documented, under the name Jedek, by Swedish researchers.

Science

Linguists Discover Previously Unidentified Language In Malaysia

2:10pm February 07, 2018

by Camila Domonoske

Swedish researchers were studying one rare language in Southeast Asia, when they discovered a group of 280 resettled people speaking a different language, never observed or documented before.

The SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off from launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Science

Our Ancestors, Elon Musk And The First Car In Space

2:09pm February 07, 2018

by Marcelo Gleiser

Musk's successful rocket launch is a step on the ambitious road to Mars; as with our adventurous ancestors, where we might go seems to be limited only by our imagination, says Marcelo Gleiser.

Scientists say low chlorine levels in Flint's water system during the city's water crisis in 2014 and 2015 led the bacterium Legionella pneumophila to proliferate, causing a deadly outbreak of Legionnaire's disease.

Lethal Pneumonia Outbreak Caused By Low Chlorine In Flint Water

11:26pm February 05, 2018

by Rebecca Hersher

Two new studies confirm that an outbreak of deadly Legionnaires' disease in Flint, Mich., was caused by the city's water crisis in 2014 and 2015.

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Antipsychotic drugs, such as haloperidol and risperidone are FDA-approved for treating schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but can increase the risk of death in older people who have dementia.

Risky Antipsychotic Drugs Still Overprescribed In Nursing Homes

8:51pm February 05, 2018

by Ina Jaffe

Too many people with dementia are being given sedating drugs to make them easier to handle in understaffed facilities, a new study finds, despite federal warnings to stop the practice.

Data show that some of the most individualistic countries are also the most giving, says Abigail Marsh.

Science

Could A More Individualistic World Also Be A More Altruistic One?

3:11pm February 05, 2018

by Abigail Marsh

Equating individualism with selfishness may be a mistake: Some of the world's wealthiest and most individualistic countries are some of the most altruistic, says 13.7 guest commentator Abigail Marsh.

Scientists are keen to figure out how diet influences aging, including brain health. A five-year study of healthy seniors found those who ate a serving or two of daily greens had less cognitive decline.

Eating Leafy Greens Each Day Tied to Sharper Memory, Slower Decline

12:07pm February 05, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

Scientists are keen to figure out how diet influences aging, including brain health. A 5-year study of healthy seniors found those who ate a serving or two of daily greens had less cognitive decline.

Queue Listen Now