Humans

Darwin sits in front of Shrewsbury Library in England, which was formerly a school he attended.

Science

Altering A Species: Darwin's Shopping List

5:10pm January 15, 2018

by Jimena Canales

Few scientific discoveries have caused as much excitement as that of editing our genes; yet we owe some of the most stunning wonders around us to old-fashioned breeding practices, says Jimena Canales.

Ben and Tara Stern relax at home in Essex, Md. Ben was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2016. After conventional treatment failed to stop the tumor, Ben tried an experimental drug.

For Now, Sequencing Cancer Tumors Holds More Promise Than Proof

3:17pm January 15, 2018

by Richard Harris

Sequencing the DNA of cancer tumors to help pinpoint treatment is an emerging element of precision medicine. While patients and doctors alike want these tests, they often don't benefit patients.

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A skull discovered at a sacred Aztec temple. A new study analyzed DNA extracted from the teeth of people who died in a 16th century epidemic that destroyed the Aztec empire, and found a type of salmonella may have caused the epidemic.

Salmonella May Have Caused Massive Aztec Epidemic, Study Finds

11:13am January 15, 2018

by Rebecca Hersher

The 16th century epidemic, likely set off or exacerbated by European invaders, was one of the most deadly in human history. New evidence traces it to a type of salmonella that causes a deadly fever.

When teens step out of their comfort zone to help people they don't know, they feel confident.

Helping Strangers May Help Teens' Self-Esteem

10:59am January 13, 2018

by Juli Fraga

Adolescents are under more pressure than ever, and many suffer from depression and anxiety. But new research suggests that volunteering to help strangers makes them feel better about themselves.

Arts

Give Us Your Moments Of Love; We'll Give You A Poem

8:22pm January 12, 2018

For Valentine's Day, we offer a love poem request line. Tell us about a moment in your life involving love, and NPR's Rachel Martin and author Kwame Alexander will find a poem to capture that feeling.

Waves crash onto the beach near Brighton Pier in England, in January 2007. Gale force winds and heavy rain brought disruption to large parts of the country. Severe weather events like this one may be linked to more frequent fluctuations in the polar jet s

Scientists Say A Fluctuating Jet Stream May Be Causing Extreme Weather Events

4:54pm January 12, 2018

by Christopher Joyce

A new study says unusual patterns of the polar jet stream circling the Northern Hemisphere may have led to dramatic weather in Europe and North America.

Adam Frank considers the idea that to be able to defend what we do know, we need to begin with what we do not know.

Science

Science Says That To Fight Ignorance, We Must Start By Admitting Our Own

3:17pm January 12, 2018

by Adam Frank

The best way to defend everything we really do know, according to science, is to begin by admitting our own ignorance — to ask "What don't you know?" says astrophysicist Adam Frank.

MaryJane Sarvis, an artist in Shaftsbury, Vt., weaned herself from the opioid painkillers she was prescribed for chronic nerve pain. "I felt tired all the time and I was still in pain," she says. Marijuana works better for her, but costs $200 per month ou

The High Cost Of Medical Marijuana Causes Pain In Vermont

7:27pm January 11, 2018

by Emily Corwin

Though medical marijuana is legal in most states, some patients still have a hard time affording it. The federal government won't allow states to cover medical marijuana with Medicaid dollars.

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Women are catching up with men nationally in overall drinking, as well as in binge drinking, drunk driving and deaths from cirrhosis of the liver caused by alcoholism.

Alcohol-Related ER Visits Soar, Especially Among Women

2:07pm January 11, 2018

by Robin Lloyd

The nine-year period ending in 2014 saw a sharp increase in the U.S. of alcohol-related visits to emergency rooms, a study finds. And binge drinking doesn't completely explain it.

Cameroonian kids were part of an experiment based on the classic "marshmallow test": Put a single treat before a child but tell the child if he or she waits, say, 10 minutes, a second treat will be given.

Does Serena Williams Have The Willpower To Ace The 'Marshmallow Test'?

10:48am January 11, 2018

by Michaeleen Doucleff

In the experiment, kids get a treat. If they don't eat it for, say, 10 minutes, they're promised a second treat. What would Williams do? What do most kids do?

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