Humans

An organization campaigning against foreign drug imports has deep connections to the lobbying group PhRMA, which includes Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Bayer.

Nonprofit Working To Block Drug Imports Has Ties To Pharma Lobby

5:00am April 18, 2017

An organization campaigning against foreign drug imports has deep connections to the lobbying group PhRMA, which includes Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Bayer, an analysis by Kaiser Health News reveals.

The laces on the left are tied in a strong knot that lies horizontally. The laces on the right are tied in a knot that makes the bow lie vertically and which, according to new research, can come untied more easily.

Untangling The Mystery Of Why Shoelaces Come Untied

2:09pm April 17, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have figured out why shoelaces seem to come untied at the worst moments, like when you're running.

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This dish features a scallop in its shell. Bivalves, like scallops are threatened by rising ocean acidification. Wist left it in the shell, so people would think of it "as an animal and not just a scallop on a plate."

Artist Sets Futuristic Dinner Party In World Reshaped By Rising Seas

12:50pm April 16, 2017

by Rhitu Chatterjee

How will our diets shift as climate change causes sea-level rise and coastal flooding? Photographer Allie Wist attempts to answer that with pictures of an imagined "post-sea-level-rise dinner party."

Carl Goulden, of Littlestown Pa., developed hepatitis B 10 years ago. Soon his health insurance premiums soared beyond a price he and his wife could afford.

U.S. Health Care Wrestles With The 'Pre-Existing Condition'

8:04am April 15, 2017

by Elana Gordon

Insurers and politicians struggle constantly to thread the needle between making sure people have good health insurance and figuring out who should pay, especially for those who need a lot of care.

Stories of outright misconduct are rare in science. But the pressures on researchers manifest in many more subtle ways, say social scientists studying the problem.

How A Budget Squeeze Can Lead To Sloppy Science And Even Cheating

6:44pm April 14, 2017

by Richard Harris

The hypercompetitive world of biomedical research occasionally drives scientists to cheat. More often, scientists make decisions that undercut their results. That can lead colleagues astray.

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The fiasco with a United passenger being dragged off a plane illustrates the problem of enticing people to voluntarily give up their seats.

Economy

The United Airlines Fiasco: How Game Theory Could Help

3:13pm April 13, 2017

by Chris Arnold

The fiasco with United dragging a passenger off its plane illustrates the problem of enticing people to voluntarily give up their seats. We talk to game theorists about some options.

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Science

How To Get Low-Income Students Into Selective Colleges

8:13am April 12, 2017

by Shankar Vedantam

New social science research looks at how to get more low-income students into college.

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A study suggests spinal manipulation can reduce lower back pain for some people.

Spinal Manipulation Can Alleviate Back Pain, Study Concludes

7:19pm April 11, 2017

by Patti Neighmond

Physically manipulating the spine appears to offer a modestly effective alternative to medication for lower back pain, according to a new evaluation of scientific studies.

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The new report from leading U.S. scientists shines a spotlight on how the research enterprise as a whole creates incentives that can be detrimental to good research.

Top Scientists Revamp Standards To Foster Integrity In Research

4:21pm April 11, 2017

by Richard Harris

The National Academy of Sciences has toughened up its guidelines to call cutting corners, dubious statistics and not fully sharing research methods "detrimental" to science.

A common blood test checks for elevated levels of prostate-specific antigens (PSA) in a man's blood, as an indicator that he may have prostate cancer.

Federal Task Force Softens Opposition To Routine Prostate Cancer Screening

2:01pm April 11, 2017

by Rob Stein

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force proposes each man decide with his doctor whether to undergo routine PSA testing, citing recent evidence of benefits and ways to minimize downsides of screening.

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