How The Turtle Got Its Shell
The ribs of a 240 million-year-old fossil hold clues to how the first turtle shell evolved. And its skull shape seems closer to that of lizards and snakes than to an ancestor of dinosaurs and birds.
Research News
Froggy Went A-Courtin', But Lady Frogs Chose Second-Best Guy Instead
Given two choices of attractive mates, female frogs pick the top vocalist. But add a third, inferior male to the mix, and females go for No. 2. The "decoy effect" shapes some human choices, too.
Good Vibrations Key To Insect Communication
For some insects, sound waves or vibrations are the real social media — high-speed rumbles sent through the air and along leaf stems to help the bugs claim territory, send warnings and find mates.
Illicit Version Of Painkiller Fentanyl Makes Heroin Deadlier
U.S. drug officials have traced a sharp spike in the already climbing death toll from heroin overdoses to an additive — acetyl fentanyl. The fentanyl is being cooked up in clandestine labs in Mexico.
Snooze Alert: A Sleep Disorder May Be Harming Your Body And Brain
A lack of sleep can increase the risk of traffic accidents, heart attacks, diabetes and maybe even Alzheimer's disease, research suggests. Yet most people with sleep disorders don't get treatment.
Study Suggests Some Treatment For Early Breast Cancer Is Unnecessary
A new study renews questions about how aggressively doctors should treat a very early form of breast cancer or pre-cancer.
Can Health Care Be Cured Of Racial Bias?
A growing body of research suggests that doctors' racial biases and other prejudices continue to affect the care patients received. Medical educators say self-awareness is an important first step.
'Science Of Mom': Scientist Sorts Through Studies So Parents Don't Have To
Alice Callahan uses her background in nutritional biology and fetal physiology to help new parents tell fact from fiction in her new book The Science of Mom. She gives tips to NPR's Rachel Martin.
For Cancer-Detecting Canines, The Nose Knows
A British hospital will soon launch a clinical trial using dogs to detect prostate cancer. With their powerful noses, the dogs can sniff out cancer in as little as one-fifth of a teaspoon of urine.
A Hot Bath Could Help Grocery-Store Tomatoes Keep Their Flavor
Scientists have found a new way to give some taste to those bland supermarket tomatoes. NPR's Scott Simon gives the details.