Humans

The back of your throat relaxes when you sleep, and that can cause the airway to vibrate — in a thundering snore.

Do Anti-Snoring Gadgets Really Work?

12:53pm January 04, 2017

by Erin Ross

Your noisy roommate probably won't like paying cold cash to get electric shocks. And that may not stop the snoring, sleep doctors say. Fortunately, there are other ways to turn down the volume.

There aren't many options for child care.

Child Care Scarcity Has Very Real Consequences For Working Families

6:49pm January 03, 2017

by Jessica Deahl

In much of the U.S., demand for licensed infant care outstrips supply. Parents face lengthy waitlists, hefty waitlist fees, and few good options when returning to work after the birth of a baby.

Queue Listen Now

Having volunteers who are learning German answer questions about grammar and semantics of the language while inside an MRI machine might show particular patterns in brain changes, researchers say. They hope their study could offer clues to how the brain b

Learning German In The Name Of Science And Cross-Cultural Collaboration

5:21pm January 03, 2017

by Joe Palca

Ninety young Syrian refugees are teaming up with neuroscientists in Leipzig to figure out the quickest and best way to teach German as a second language. Vocabulary first, or grammar early on, too?

'National Geographic' Tackles Changing Gender Norms Worldwide

4:40pm January 03, 2017

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with reporter Robin Marantz Henig on her new feature in National Geographic about changing gender norms worldwide.

Queue Listen Now

Creatine's popularity among adult athletes as a way to build muscle has prompted many young people to want to try it, too.

Is The Warning That Creatine's Not For Teens Getting Through?

1:05am January 02, 2017

by Patti Neighmond

Researchers who surveyed 244 shops across the U.S. found that, despite label warnings, two thirds would recommend the dietary supplement to a 15-year-old football player trying to gain muscle.

Emil Girardi, 83, and Shipra Narruhn, 67, chat in Girardi's San Francisco apartment. They were paired through a nonprofit called Little Brothers, Friends of the Elderly, which aims to relieve isolation and loneliness.

Easing Old People's Loneliness Can Help Keep Them Healthy

8:35pm January 01, 2017

by Anna Gorman

Little Brothers, which operates in San Francisco and several other cities, sends volunteers to brighten up the lives of isolated elderly people, helping them reduce the risk of serious illness.

The genes in mitochondria, which are the powerhouses in human cells, can cause fatal inherited disease. But replacing the bad genes may cause other health problems.

Unexpected Risks Found In Editing Genes To Prevent Inherited Disorders

5:00am January 01, 2017

by Jill Neimark

In 2016, scientists combined the genes of three people in an effort to make a baby free of an inherited disease. But the process doesn't wipe out all faulty mitochondria, and could pose new risks.

It's sometimes hard to assess the value of health claims about yoga, but if it relieves some pain, that may be enough.

A Skeptic Fact-Checks Yoga's Health Claims And Goes With The Om

10:00am December 31, 2016

by Ann Finkbeiner

Yoga has been promoted as the cure for many ills, from diabetes to insomnia. Scientific proof is mixed. But this skeptic says if yoga makes climbing the stairs hurt less, that's good enough.

From Psychedelics To Alzheimer's, 2016 Was A Good Year For Brain Science

5:00am December 31, 2016

by Bret Stetka

A woman with ALS was able to type just by thinking about the letters, and people with cancer found their anxiety and depression erased by a single encounter with magic mushrooms.

A diet high in saturated fats and sugars can affect the parts of the brain that are important to memory.

The Wrong Eating Habits Can Hurt Your Brain, Not Just Your Waistline

10:13am December 30, 2016

by Alan Yu

A diet high in saturated fats and sugars can affect the parts of the brain that are important to memory. Diet-linked brain changes can also make people more likely to crave unhealthful food.