Research News

Last year, in her first year of medical school at Harvard, Pooja Chandrashekar recruited 175 multilingual health profession students from around the U.S. to create simple and accurate fact sheets about COVID-19 in 40 languages.

How Medical Jargon Can Make COVID Health Disparities Even Worse

1:43pm May 24, 2021

by Fran Kritz

There's a lot of room for dangerous misunderstanding when doctors and public health officials talk to diverse groups about COVID-19. Health literacy projects aim to dispel confusion in all languages.

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Dozens Of Animals Laugh Too, Study Shows

5:16pm May 22, 2021

A new study in the journal Bioacoustics found that 65 different species of animals have their own form of laughter. Study co-author Sasha Winkler describes the sounds animals make during play.

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How Virtual Reality Is Used To Help Recognize Unconscious Biases

6:13am May 19, 2021

by Megan Shellong

A team of researchers at Michigan State University is using virtual reality to bring awareness to unconscious biases by placing people in "others' shoes."

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This microscope image from the National Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Research shows human colon cancer cells with the nuclei stained red. Americans should start getting screened for colon cancer at age 45, according to new guidelines from the U.S. P

Colorectal Cancer Screening Should Start At Age 45, Experts Recommend

4:27pm May 18, 2021

by Rob Stein

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says the age that routine screening begins for colorectal cancer should drop from 50 to 45. Colorectal is the third-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.

The Case For Universal Pre-K Just Got Stronger

12:01pm May 18, 2021

by Greg Rosalsky

A new study looks at the effects of government-funded preschool in Boston and finds big benefits for kids.

People line up for COVID-19 vaccinations last month in Hagerstown, Md. Each person vaccinated helps end the pandemic, epidemiologists say, and helps lower the rate of hospitalization and death from COVID-19.

It's Time For America's Fixation On Herd Immunity To End, Scientists Say

9:20am May 18, 2021

by Geoff Brumfiel

Researchers say the herd immunity threshold isn't the right finish line to end the pandemic. Instead, the public should just focus on getting as many people vaccinated as possible.

Ahlstrom's 90-minute weekly workouts ultimately helped Robinson drop 65 pounds by March. He's now enlisted and starts basic training this month.

Fighting Weight: How Military Recruiters Take On Obesity, Case By Case

1:12pm May 17, 2021

by Yuki Noguchi

A decade ago, Army recruiters started coaching individuals to help them lose weight so they could enlist. It's not an official Army program, but it has become necessary to recruitment, many say.

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Painful Endometriosis Could Hold Clues To Tissue Regeneration, Scientist Says

6:22pm May 13, 2021

by Terry Gross

MIT bioengineer Linda Griffith spent years in debilitating pain before she was diagnosed with a condition often neglected in research. Her focus on the basic biology could lead to better treatments.

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Scientists believe some heavy elements are forged when a massive star goes through its death throes and explodes as a supernova. Here, the supernova Cassiopeia A was captured in a false-color image from NASA.

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Freshly Made Plutonium From Outer Space Found On Ocean Floor

5:05pm May 13, 2021

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Something went boom in outer space and sent radioactive stardust our way, and it's just been found at the bottom of the ocean.

This 16-year-old got his Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 shot late last month at the UCI Health Family Health Center in Anaheim, Calif. Students as young as 12 are now eligible to get the vaccine, too, the FDA says.

FAQ: What You Need To Know About Pfizer's COVID Vaccine And Adolescents

8:47pm May 10, 2021

by Pien Huang

Adolescents age 12 and older are now eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the FDA says. Buy when and where, and what about younger kids? You have questions. We have answers.