Research News

Out Of The Lab And Into The Streets, Science Community Marches For Science

6:27pm April 22, 2017

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Thousands of scientists and their supporters took to the streets to advocate for public support for science and technology today in Washington, D.C., and other cities around the country.

Can Placebos Work If You Know They're Placebos?

8:14am April 22, 2017

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly asks writer Robert Siegel about "open label placebos" and whether placebos work even when patients know they're placebos. He wrote about his experience in Smithsonian Magazine.

Say what you will about naked mole-rats, but their bodies have a trick that lets them survive periods of oxygen deprivation.

Science

Researchers Find Yet Another Reason Why Naked Mole-Rats Are Just Weird

6:20pm April 20, 2017

by Rae Ellen Bichell

The hairless, ground-dwelling, cold-blooded rodents have proven capable of surviving total oxygen deprivation. Their odd biology allows them to run on an alternative fuel.

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Small pulses of electricity to the brain have an effect on memory, new research shows.

Electrical Stimulation To Boost Memory: Maybe It's All In The Timing

6:20pm April 20, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

Research in epilepsy has found a key to why small pulses of electricity to the brain sometimes help and sometimes hurt a failing memory. Brains hurt by physical trauma or dementia might benefit, too.

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Researchers found that a protein in human umbilical cord blood plasma improved learning and memory in older mice, but there's no indication it would work in people.

Human Umbilical Cord Blood Helps Aging Mice Remember, Study Finds

7:57pm April 19, 2017

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Researchers found that a protein in human umbilical cord plasma improved learning and memory in older mice, but there's no indication it would work in people.

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In two recent clinical trials of Harvoni and Sovaldi in the treatment of young people between the ages of 12 and 17, the drugs eliminated all traces of the hepatitis C virus in 97 to 100 percent of patients, generally in 12 weeks.

FDA Approval Of Hepatitis C Drugs For Kids Is Likely To Speed Treatment

5:00am April 19, 2017

by Michelle Andrews

Many insurers have required that adults with hepatitis C be very sick before they can get access to expensive drug treatment. But Medicaid has special rules that may get kids and teens access sooner.

Science

Researchers Examine The Psychology Of Protest Movements

11:30am April 18, 2017

by Shankar Vedantam

Social science researchers examine whether extreme protest tactics are an effective way for recruiting popular support. The public may not be relating to protesters like the way protesters aimed for.

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Hannah Berkowitz in her parents' home in West Hartford, Conn. Getting intensive in-home drug treatment is what ultimately helped her get back on track, she and her mom agree.

Home-Based Drug Treatment Program Costs Less And Works

5:42pm April 17, 2017

by Jack Rodolico

Treating addiction is expensive and patients often relapse. A new company is offering better results at a price that's lower in the long run — and clients get treatment right at home.

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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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Science

Spider Scientists Find 50 New Species

8:12am April 16, 2017

A team of arachnologists discovered over 50 new species of spider in Cape York, Australia. Dr. Robert Raven is one of them. He tells Lulu Garcia-Navarro about the expedition and their findings.