Science

A scanning electron micrograph shows microglial cells (yellow) ingesting branched oligodendrocyte cells (purple), a process thought to occur in multiple sclerosis. Oligodendrocytes form insulating myelin sheaths around nerve axons in the central nervous s

Researchers Find A Web Of Factors Behind Multiple Sclerosis

8:35am January 21, 2019

by Bret Stetka

It's looking like MS strikes when a variety of triggers gang up to impair neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Researchers are using their new knowledge to search for treatments.

The key to making the quintessential biscuit of the American South, like these from Callie's Charleston Biscuits Bakery in Charleston, S.C., is more about technique than a specific flour, some bakers say.

Science
Arts

Is The Power Of The Flour Really The Secret To Baking The Perfect Biscuit?

8:02am January 19, 2019

by Kristen Hartke

While some bakers believe that soft wheat flour, found primarily in the American South, is the best for making light, flaky biscuits, others say the key to better biscuits comes down to technique.

Lake Elsinore, Calif., was drenched Thursday by a storm that dropped rain and snow across much of the state. The National Weather Service is providing forecasts and warnings as usual, but employees are working without pay.

Back-To-Back Storms And No Pay For Federal Weather Forecasters

4:15pm January 18, 2019

by Rebecca Hersher

Despite the shutdown, the National Weather Service is putting out forecasts and helping local officials prepare for dangerous weather, even as employees worry about making ends meet at home.

Queue Listen Now

A curious harbor seal checks out diver Mike Weber as he and other divers pick up golf balls in the waters off the coast of Northern California. His daughter wrote a paper about all the golf balls found in the ocean from nearby golf courses.

Teenage Diver Finds Tons Of Golf Balls Rotting Off California

12:10pm January 18, 2019

by Christopher Joyce

Alex Weber discovered more than 50,000 balls in the ocean near coastal California golf courses. When golf balls degrade, as these were doing, they release plastic particles and toxic chemicals.

Queue Listen Now

A so-called "blood moon" seen during a total lunar eclipse in western Germany, on Sept. 28, 2015.

Science

Heads-Up For Sunday, A Super 'Blood Moon' Is On The Way

9:50pm January 17, 2019

by Ian Stewart

Not only will the moon be particularly close to Earth, but it will also be bathed in a reddish light just before midnight Eastern time.

Trump Unveils Ambitious Missile Defense Plans

6:55pm January 17, 2019

by Geoff Brumfiel

The strategy, reminiscent of the Cold War-era Star Wars program, calls for new sensors in space, updated missile interceptors and advanced weapons, including lasers.

Queue Listen Now

Science

Playing The Gender Card: Overlooking And Overthrowing Sexist Stereotypes

5:59pm January 17, 2019

This week on the Hidden Brain radio show, we tell the stories of two people who defy gender stereotypes in their jobs.

Queue Listen Now

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope observed Saturn on June 6.

Science

You Don't Look A Day Over 100 Million, Rings Of Saturn

4:40pm January 17, 2019

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

A new study shows that Saturn's rings are only 10 million to 100 million years old, much younger than the planet itself.

Researchers studying mouse brains identified the cells that encode pain's unpleasantness.

Scientists Find Brain Cells That Make Pain Hurt

3:17pm January 17, 2019

by Jonathan Lambert

Researchers have pinpointed the neurons that give pain its unpleasant edge. By turning these neurons off in mice, the scientists relieved the unpleasantness of pain without numbing sensation.

Even something as simple as chopping up food on a regular basis can be enough exercise to help protect older people from showing signs of dementia, a new study suggests.

Daily Movement — Even Household Chores — May Boost Brain Health In Elderly

10:23pm January 16, 2019

by Patti Neighmond

Whether it's exercise or housework, older Americans who move their bodies regularly may preserve more of their memory and thinking skills, even if they have brain lesions and other signs of dementia.

Queue Listen Now