Humans

A woman walks with her dog in the Carrizo Plain National Monument near Taft, Calif., in April.

Dog Owners Have Lower Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease, Swedish Data Suggest

6:51pm November 20, 2017

by Camila Domonoske

Researchers looked at hospital visits in Sweden's public health care system and checked them against dog registration records. They found dog owners had lower rates of heart disease.

Can science explain everything related to our beings — including love at first site and belief in God?

Science

Can Science Explain The Human Mind?

2:53pm November 20, 2017

by Tania Lombrozo

Science will one day explain visual perception and memory loss. But will it also explain romantic love and morality? Tania Lombrozo considers people's beliefs about what science can and can't explain.

Many children recover quickly from a concussion, but some have much more severe symptoms. Competitive sports are a major source of injury.

Spit Test May Help Reveal Concussion Severity

2:11pm November 20, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

When a child suffers a concussion, it's very hard to tell if the brain injury will cause long-term problems. An experimental test that looks for bits of genetic material in spit might help.

Network Theory has hundreds of applications, says physicist Adam Frank.

Science

The Big Idea Behind Big Data

11:02am November 17, 2017

by Adam Frank

As we find our way in a world shaped by Big Data, it's not the reams of information we gather but the networks they illuminate that's the newest addition to science's index of things, says Adam Frank.

Amos Winter: How Do You Build An All-Terrain Wheelchair For Under $200?

9:38am November 17, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

In many countries, uneven and unpaved roads make it hard to get around in a standard wheelchair. MIT engineer Amos Winter describes his design for a lever-powered all-terrain wheelchair under $200.

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Mileha Soneji: Can Simple Innovations Improve The Lives of Parkinson's Patients?

9:29am November 17, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

When designer Mileha Soneji's uncle got Parkinson's, his quality of life deteriorated rapidly. Mileha couldn't cure her uncle's disease, so she designed simple ways to improve his everyday life.

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A farmer plows his field with an ox-pulled plow in China's Guangxi province. Archaeologists think that domesticated farm animals increased inequality in some ancient societies.

From Cattle To Capital: How Agriculture Bred Ancient Inequality

4:58pm November 15, 2017

by Dan Charles

Archaeologists say early civilizations in North and Central America were more egalitarian than the societies of Eurasia — and they think it's because early Americans didn't have cattle or horses.

MedStar Health clinic in Washington, D.C. An affiliated MedStar hospital is just one of many facilities throughout the U.S. that have been hit with shortages of certain medications because of recent hurricane damage to manufacturers in Puerto Rico.

Hurricane Damage To Manufacturers In Puerto Rico Affects Mainland Hospitals, Too

2:00pm November 15, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

The island is a major center for drug and medical device manufacturing. After Hurricane Maria, those products, including small IV bags, are running short throughout the U.S.

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The study drew on survey data from half a million U.S. teenagers from 2010 to 2015.

Increased Hours Online Correlate With An Uptick In Teen Depression, Suicidal Thoughts

5:03pm November 14, 2017

by Patti Neighmond

It's not proof of cause and effect, but should be a warning, researchers say. Surveys showed teens — especially girls — who spent hours online daily were more likely than others to report depression.

Before anorexia, Maddy Rich (left) says she never thought she was the kind of person who would struggle with an eating disorder. She gets advice on recovery from Julia Sinn.

Health & Safety

Fighting An Eating Disorder When It's 'Hard To Want To Get Better'

4:36pm November 14, 2017

by Connor Donevan

Maddy Rich says anorexia is like a dead body chained to her ankle. She gets advice on recovery from Julia Sinn, who got treatment for her eating disorder seven years ago.