Research News

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute excavate the East Gallery of Denisova Cave in Siberia in August 2010. With ancient bone fragments so hard to come by, being able to successfully filter dirt for the DNA of extinct human ancestors can open new door

Dust To Dust: Scientists Find DNA Of Human Ancestors In Cave Floor Dirt

4:39pm January 04, 2017

by Joe Palca

Anthropologists in Germany say they may not need old bones to recover ancient DNA. They just analyze dust from the floor of caves where Neanderthals and other now-extinct human relatives once resided.

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?

A natural gas drilling rig's lights shimmer in the evening light near Silt, Colo. Methane is the main component of natural gas, and studies show some methane escapes from leaky oil and gas operations.

Methane's On The Rise, But Regulations To Stop Gas Leaks Still Debated

5:16pm January 02, 2017

by Christopher Joyce

Scientists concede that oil and gas production is only partly to blame for the 3 percent surge in the greenhouse gas in the last decade. Obama tightened rules on the industry. Will Trump repeal them?

Queue Listen Now

Science

Design Thinking Could Help Those Who Want To Get Unstuck

6:14am January 02, 2017

by Shankar Vedantam

Psychologists and self help gurus have advice for people who feel stuck. If you're looking for new ways to reboot your life as you enter the new year, you could also turn to the tech world.

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.

An Egyptian fruit bat flies in an abandoned quarry near the village of Mammari, Cyprus, in 2007.

Science

When Bats Squeak, They Tend To Squabble

7:53am December 31, 2016

by NPR Staff

Researchers have found new clues to how bats communicate. And it turns out they tend to argue — a lot. The research could lead to a broader understanding of animal communication.

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.

Diseased brain tissue from an Alzheimer's patient showing amyloid plaques (in blue) located in the gray matter of the brain.

Where Does Alzheimer's Treatment Go From Here?

12:35pm December 29, 2016

by Bret Stetka

The failure of an experimental drug that targets clumps of protein inside the brains of Alzheimer's patients called into question one of the leading theories about the cause of the dementia.