Mental Health

The search for the cause of Alzheimer's has so far come up dry. Some researchers are now asking if germs play a role.

Infectious Theory of Alzheimer's Disease Draws Fresh Interest

7:30am September 09, 2018

by Bret Stetka

Money has poured into Alzheimer's research, but until very recently not much of it went toward investigating infection in causing dementia. A million dollar prize may lead more scientists to try.

Supervised injection sites, like Insite in Vancouver, Canada, provide drug users with clean needles and other supplies to help prevent the spread of disease.

What's The Evidence That Supervised Drug Injection Sites Save Lives?

7:21pm September 07, 2018

by Elana Gordon

Proposals in several cities to offer drug users access to a safe space to consume drugs have caused a political stir, but what do we really know about the effectiveness of safe injection sites?

Jason Rosenthal: What Does the Loss Of A Loved One Teach Us About Life?

11:05am September 07, 2018

by NPR/TED Staff

Before Jason's wife Amy died, she wrote a heartbreaking farewell essay: "You May Want To Marry My Husband." Jason Rosenthal remembers Amy's life — and the lessons he learned from her death.

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Caitlin Doughty: What's Wrong With The Way We Bury The Dead?

11:05am September 07, 2018

by NPR/TED Staff

Mortician Caitlin Doughty is trying to find a more natural and sustainable way to bury our loved ones. But to get there, she says: we need to rethink how we view death altogether.

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Health & Safety

Lux Narayan: What Do Obituaries Teach Us About Lives Well-Lived?

11:05am September 07, 2018

by NPR/TED Staff

Lux Narayan analyzed 2000 New York Times obituaries, of both famous and not-so-famous people, over a two-year period. One common thread among them? A fierce desire to help others.

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Emily Levine: How Do We Make Peace With Death When It's Imminent?

11:04am September 07, 2018

by NPR/TED Staff

Writer Emily Levine has stage IV lung cancer. But instead of fearing the inevitable, she decided to embrace her new reality, and face death with humor and gratitude for a life well-lived.

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Michelle Knox: Can Talking About Death Take Fear And Stress Out Of The Inevitable?

11:04am September 07, 2018

by NPR/TED Staff

How can we better cope with grief? After observing funerals around the world, banker and travel blogger Michelle Knox suggests we talk about death with our loved ones — especially when we're healthy.

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In this animation from Invisibilia's season one episode "How to Become Batman," we explore whether your private thoughts and expectations can influence how well a rat runs a maze, and how those expectations can have a profound impact on our own lives.

Health & Safety

WATCH: Can You Affect Another Person's Behavior With Your Thoughts?

10:36am September 07, 2018

by Liana Simstrom

It's not mind control. But researchers think your opinions of others can have a surprising influence on their actions.

Laura Randall, pictured at Mill Pond Park in Portland, gives her son, Matthew Randall, 7, a lot of freedom to explore on his own.

To Raise Confident, Independent Kids, Some Parents Are Trying To 'Let Grow'

8:26am September 03, 2018

by Deena Prichep

Research suggests kids who have more freedom and independence grow up to be less anxious and depressed. But in the age of helicopter parenting, giving kids freedom to roam can be difficult.

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"We put on perfumes, we cover up our holes with anything that excretes or is moist we don't want anything to do with."

'Gross Anatomy' Turns Humor On Taboos About The Female Body

5:46pm August 30, 2018

Author Mara Altman got tired of hiding her hairy, sweaty self from the world, and set out to reframe the shame in her latest book of essays — part memoir, part scientific exploration, part manifesto.

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