Humans

This image is from lab-grown brain tissue — a minibrain — infected by Zika virus (white) with neural stem cells in red and neuronal nuclei in green.

'Minibrains' Could Help Drug Discovery For Zika And For Alzheimer's

6:01pm November 13, 2016

by Jon Hamilton

Each lab-grown cluster of human cells fits on a pin's head, but contains some of the cell types and circuitry of a real brain. The structures already are offering insights into how Zika attacks.

Yes, getting exercise and eating right can significantly cut your risk of developing heart disease, a study finds, even if you inherited genes that predispose you to the illness.

DNA Is Not Destiny When It Comes To Heart Risk

4:01pm November 13, 2016

by Richard Harris

People with unlucky genes but good health habits were half as likely to develop heart disease as those who had an unhealthful lifestyle and genes that increased their heart risk, a study found.

Army Specialist Jim McGough with members of his unit in 1971. Then 19, he was photographed by a columnist from The Des Moines Register.

Name Of A Vietnam Veteran Killed By Hepatitis C Added To 'The Wall'

6:30am November 12, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

Members of the military are more than twice as likely to have hepatitis C as the general public. For many, including Jim McGough, the virus takes its final toll decades after they are first infected.

Peanuts and straight peanut butter are a choking hazard for infants, doctors say, but a bit of watered-down puree of peanut butter, starting at around 6-months-old, can help prevent peanut allergies.

Hey, Baby, Meet Peanuts: How And When To Safely Introduce The Food

4:37pm November 11, 2016

by Patti Neighmond

Giving infants peanut puree as one of their first solid foods can help prevent peanut allergies, research has shown. To do that safely, start early — and only after checking with your doctor.

Melissa Smith (left) offers some advice to Sarah Weeldreyer about amicable divorce.

Finding A New Kind Of Partnership Through Divorce

6:47pm November 10, 2016

by NPR Staff

After 11 years of marriage, Sarah Weeldreyer is going through a divorce — and trying to do it amicably. Melissa Smith, who went through her own divorce via mediation last year, offers some advice.

Queue Listen Now

When in a playful mood, rats like a gentle tickle as much as the next guy, researchers find.

Brain Scientists Trace Rat Ticklishness To Play Behavior

3:03pm November 10, 2016

by Geoff Brumfiel

Why and when tickling makes us laugh is still mysterious. But researchers who studied what happens in rat brains when they're tickled say they emit ultrasonic giggles, too — when in the mood for fun.

A member of a whaling crew waves a flag at the start of the butchering of a just-captured bowhead whale in the outskirts of Barrow, Alaska, in 1998.

Science

In Ancient Trash Heaps, A Whale Hunting Puzzle Emerges

12:28pm November 10, 2016

by Angus Chen

New DNA evidence from a 4,000-year-old archaeological site along the coast of Greenland suggests the paleo-Inuit or Saqqaq culture ate large amounts of whale. But how?

Our unconscious brains can have a big effect on pain and healing.

How The Brain Powers Placebos, False Memories And Healing

5:12pm November 08, 2016

by Nancy Shute

Erik Vance didn't see a doctor until he was 18 years old; he grew up in a Christian Science family. As a science journalist, he explores how the mind affects the body's response to pain and disease.

Millions of people use Wikipedia for medical advice, but what they find there isn't always accurate.

Should I Trust Wikipedia With My Health?

11:16am November 08, 2016

Some doctors lambaste Wikipedia for errors in its medical pages. But there are many physicians, science teachers and researchers working overtime to make the crowdsourced health content better.

Testing Begins On An Experimental Zika Vaccine With Inactivated Virus

5:08pm November 07, 2016

by Richard Harris

Scientists are racing to create a vaccine. The latest effort being tested uses inactivated virus, a technique that has been used successfully to fight other diseases, and human volunteers.