Research News

Scientists around the world criticized Chinese researcher He Jiankui's experimental editing of DNA in embryos that became twin girls.

World Health Organization Forms Committee To Guide Editing Of Human Genes

3:02pm February 14, 2019

by Rob Stein

WHO acted in reaction to a Chinese scientist's announcement in 2018 that he had created the world's first gene-edited babies, a step that highlighted the need for uniform gene-editing guidelines.

John Van Dreal, director of safety and risk management for the Salem-Keizer Public Schools system in Salem, Ore., has intervened with more than 1,000 students in hopes of deterring violence. Of that group, he says, only one has gone on to be involved in a

When Teens Threaten Violence, A Community Responds With Compassion

8:00pm February 13, 2019

After years of being beaten up, this teen decided to take justice into his own hands. A school district in Oregon showed him a better way to solve his problems.

A white-tailed deer keeps its ears open while grazing in South Hero, Vt.

Science

Hungry Deer May Be Changing How Things Sound In The Forest

3:37pm February 13, 2019

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Sound travels differently through open fields than the woods. When deer eat up bushes, small trees and other forest plants, it affects the transmission of bird calls and other natural sounds.

Scientists have isolated a molecule with disease-fighting potential in a microbe living on a type of fungus-farming ant (genus Cyphomyrmex). The microbe kills off other hostile microbes attacking the ants' fungus, a food source.

Bugs Vs. Superbugs: Insects Offer Promise In Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance

1:27pm February 13, 2019

by Paul Chisholm

With the rise of antibiotic-resistant infections, scientists are exploring nature to find new disease-fighting compounds. They're finding them in surprising new places: the microbiomes of insects.

Images of the object nicknamed "Ultima Thule" photographed from the New Horizons spacecraft on January 1, 2019.

Science

NASA Says Ultima Thule Actually Looks Like A Pancake And A Walnut

4:58pm February 12, 2019

by Merrit Kennedy

They had initially thought the object four billion miles from Earth looked like a snowman. The New Horizons spacecraft flew by it on New Year's Day and new images give scientists a clearer picture.

A researcher examines the underwater hull of the USS Hornet CV-8, which played a role in several key events of World War II.

Wreckage Of WWII Aircraft Carrier Found In The South Pacific Ocean

2:55pm February 12, 2019

by Merrit Kennedy

The Hornet played a role in several key events in the war – including the Doolittle Raid on Japan and the Battle of Midway. Researchers have located it 3 miles below the surface.

Science

Why Morning People May Have A Health Edge Over Night People

6:05am February 07, 2019

by Joe Palca

A new study suggests that being a morning person makes you slightly less susceptible to depression or mental illness. It, however, is not a very big effect.

Queue Listen Now

A cross section of the human brain shows fiber tracts involved in aging.

Scans Show Women's Brains Remain Youthful As Male Brains Wind Down

5:09pm February 04, 2019

by Jon Hamilton

Researchers say the metabolism of a woman's brain remains higher than a man's throughout a lifetime. And that may help with late-life creativity and learning.

Queue Listen Now

Physicians have been taught to look for signs of hopelessness, sadness and lack of motivation to help them diagnose depression. But anger as a depression symptom is less noticed or addressed.

If You're Often Angry Or Irritable, You May Be Depressed

10:47am February 04, 2019

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Physicians have been taught to look for signs of hopelessness, sadness and lack of motivation to help them diagnose depression. But anger as a depression symptom is less often noticed or addressed.

Queue Listen Now

Dieter Egli, a developmental biologist at Columbia University, and Katherine Palmerola examine a newly fertilized egg injected with a CRISPR editing tool.

New U.S. Experiments Aim To Create Gene-Edited Human Embryos

1:18pm February 01, 2019

by Rob Stein

Despite outrage over gene editing in China that affected the birth of twins, research is underway in the U.S. to assess the safety and effectiveness of CRISPR tools to edit genes in human embryos.

Queue Listen Now