Your Health

Paul Knoepfler: What Are The Unintended Consequences Of Human Gene Editing?

10:00am September 15, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

New gene editing tools hold a great deal of promise, but biologist Paul Knoepfler says we should be cautious. He warns altering DNA can have dire consequences, including a new form of eugenics.

Queue Listen Now

The new Medicare cards (right) will not use Social Security numbers for identification. Instead, they will have random sequences of letters and numbers.

Get Ready! Medicare Will Mail New Cards to 60 Million People

7:14pm September 14, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

The federal health program for seniors and the disabled is removing Social Security numbers from the ID cards of 60 million people in an effort to prevent identity theft

The perception that everyone's more connected than you is pretty common.

If You Think Everyone Else Has More Friends, You're Not Alone

12:11pm September 14, 2017

by April Fulton

Many first-year college students think their peers have more friends than they do, a study finds. But that can actually help motivate students to make new connections.

A smokestack rises in the background over the East Houston community of Manchester, Texas, where the air was heavy with what smelled like gasoline after Hurricane Harvey in late August. The neighborhood is ringed by industrial sites.

Air Pollution From Industry Plagues Houston In Harvey's Wake

5:05am September 14, 2017

Flooding in Houston and utility outages led to belches of fumes from refineries and other industrial sites. Residents of a region already struggling with air pollution wonder: Is it safe to breathe?

Is One Drink OK For Pregnant Women? Around The Globe, The Answer Is No

11:20pm September 12, 2017

by Allison Aubrey

Researchers set out to answer this question: Is there a safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy? Turns out, that's a hard question to answer. The advice remains: Don't risk it.

Queue Listen Now

Campylobacter infections are common in dogs, cats and people.

Pet-Store Puppies Linked To Campylobacter Outbreak In People

4:20pm September 12, 2017

by Greta Jochem

Adorable fuzzy puppies aren't usually thought of as disease vectors. But they come with germs, too. It's not clear how pet-store puppies caused dozens of humans to get sick with Campylobacter.

Residents of the community of Tujunga, Calif., flee a fire near Burbank on Sept. 2. Even people much farther from the flames are feeling health effects from acrid smoke.

Is All That Wildfire Smoke Damaging My Lungs?

11:54am September 11, 2017

by Jane Greenhalgh

Forest fires have brought a smoky haze to the West, along with stinging eyes, sore throats and headaches to people far from flames. Unseen particles of ash also make it hard for some to breathe.

Queue Listen Now

For the first time, scientists have carefully analyzed all the critters in a kitchen sponge. There turns out to be a huge number. Despite recent news reports, there is something you can do about it.

So Your Kitchen Sponge Is A Bacteria Hotbed. Here's What To Do

10:25am September 11, 2017

by Michaeleen Doucleff

For the first time, scientists have carefully analyzed all the critters in a kitchen sponge. There turns out to be a huge number. Despite recent news reports, there is something you can do about it.

Queue Listen Now

For Teens Knee-Deep In Negativity, Reframing Thoughts Can Help

5:00am September 09, 2017

by Mary Alvord

Irritation and gloom may seem like the default mode for teenagers, but parents can help them gain a more realistic and resilient way of thinking. A clinical psychologist explains how.

Third-year students at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine learn how to trim crowns and prep a tooth for a crown. They're also learning to deal with the aftereffects, studying alternatives to opioids for pain relief.

Dental Schools Add An Urgent Lesson: Think Twice About Prescribing Opioids

7:20pm September 08, 2017

Opioid painkillers prescribed by dentists have helped fuel the nation's addiction epidemic. Dental schools are teaching the next generation of dentists that there are other ways to treat pain.

Queue Listen Now