Research News

A virtual reality program developed by NASA could help scientists visualize the magnetic fields around the earth.

Science

NASA Taps Young People To Help Develop Virtual Reality Technology

8:02am November 24, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Scientists at NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Center are hoping to use virtual reality technology to study space, and Earth, without leaving their offices. Talented high school students are helping.

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A chimpanzee skull, at left, and a human skull. Scientists are probing why our brains evolved so differently despite many similarities.

Human Brains Have Evolved Unique 'Feel-Good' Circuits

2:01pm November 23, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

A comparison of brain tissue from monkeys, chimps and humans suggests that our brains produce the chemical messenger dopamine, which plays a major role in pleasure and rewards, far differently.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station took this image of southern Scandinavia lit up at night. A green aurora is visible over the horizon.

Earth Is Lit, And That's A Problem

3:20pm November 22, 2017

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Over the last five years, global light pollution has increased nearly 10 percent, a new study shows, The fastest rise occurred in developing nations.

A new report reveals how the industry influenced research in the 1960s to deflect concerns about the impact of sugar on health — including pulling the plug on a study it funded.

What The Industry Knew About Sugar's Health Effects, But Didn't Tell Us

11:39pm November 21, 2017

by Allison Aubrey

The sugar industry pulled the plug on an animal study it funded in the 1960s. Initial results pointed to a link between sugar consumption and elevated triglycerides, which raises heart disease risk.

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Doctors think the chronic pain of "shoulder impingement" may arise from age-related tendon and muscle degeneration, or from a bone spur that can rub against a tendon.

Popular Surgery To Ease Chronic Shoulder Pain Called Into Question

7:44pm November 20, 2017

by Patti Neighmond

U.K. scientists say arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs or bits of ragged tissue in sore shoulders offered no more pain relief than than sham surgery in their randomized test.

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.

The core of the RBT-3 reactor at the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors in Dimitrovgrad, Russia. Some scientists suspect the institute's work on medical isotopes might explain radioactivity detected over Europe.

Clues In That Mysterious Radioactive Cloud Point Toward Russia

3:23pm November 17, 2017

Western scientists say they may never know the source of the cloud of ruthenium-106 that hovered over Europe last month. But what little data there is suggests a research facility inside Russia.

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.

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.

Science

Researchers Explore The Effects Of Section 8 Grants In Houston

6:48am November 14, 2017

by Shankar Vedantam

A study looks at the effect of housing vouchers on criminal activity. People who receive Section 8 vouchers are more likely to be arrested for violent crimes, but this effect only shows up for men.