http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1007 The latest health and science news. Updates on medicine, healthy living, nutrition, drugs, diet, and advances in science and technology. Subscribe to the Health & Science podcast. en Copyright 2016 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Tue, 06 Dec 2016 03:31:44 -0500 https://media.npr.org/images/podcasts/primary/npr_generic_image_300.jpg?s=200 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1007 How do you cope with parenting in the digital age? And how do you balance it all? How do you protect your kids, yet give them the freedom to create and explore. Tue, 06 Dec 2016 03:31:44 -0500 http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/12/06/496907205/real-parents-real-talk-about-kids-and-screens?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/12/06/496907205/real-parents-real-talk-about-kids-and-screens?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science How do you cope with parenting in the digital age? And how do you balance it all? How do you protect your kids, yet give them the freedom to create and explore.

]]> Elissa Nadworny An analysis of car accidents found that drivers who slept only five or six hours in the previous 24 had nearly twice the accident rate of drivers who slept a full seven hours or more. Tue, 06 Dec 2016 00:01:17 -0500 http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/12/06/504448639/drivers-beware-crash-rate-spikes-with-every-hour-of-lost-sleep?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/12/06/504448639/drivers-beware-crash-rate-spikes-with-every-hour-of-lost-sleep?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science An analysis of car accidents found that drivers who slept only five or six hours in the previous 24 had nearly twice the accident rate of drivers who slept a full seven hours or more.

]]> Allison Aubrey Pipeline opponents are celebrating Sunday's decision by the Army Corps of Engineers to not approve a key part of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Protesters fear the decision will be reversed by the incoming Trump administration. Mon, 05 Dec 2016 16:37:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/2016/12/05/504467148/opponents-celebrate-decision-to-halt-construction-of-dakota-access-pipeline?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science http://www.npr.org/2016/12/05/504467148/opponents-celebrate-decision-to-halt-construction-of-dakota-access-pipeline?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science Pipeline opponents are celebrating Sunday's decision by the Army Corps of Engineers to not approve a key part of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Protesters fear the decision will be reversed by the incoming Trump administration.

]]> Nathan Rott A day after the Army Corps of Engineers blocked the proposed route for the Dakota Access Pipeline, the tribal leader said "nothing will happen" until the Trump administration begins. Mon, 05 Dec 2016 16:27:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/05/504420616/standing-rock-leader-asks-those-who-are-not-sioux-to-leave-pipeline-protest-area?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/05/504420616/standing-rock-leader-asks-those-who-are-not-sioux-to-leave-pipeline-protest-area?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science A day after the Army Corps of Engineers blocked the proposed route for the Dakota Access Pipeline, the tribal leader said "nothing will happen" until the Trump administration begins.

]]> Rebecca Hersher A gene-editing technology called CRISPR-cas9 could be a gold mine for its inventors, but it's not clear who owns the idea. U.S. patent judges will soon hear oral arguments to decide the issue. Mon, 05 Dec 2016 15:41:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/12/05/504454201/scientists-battle-in-court-over-lucrative-patents-for-gene-editing-tool?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/12/05/504454201/scientists-battle-in-court-over-lucrative-patents-for-gene-editing-tool?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science A gene-editing technology called CRISPR-cas9 could be a gold mine for its inventors, but it's not clear who owns the idea. U.S. patent judges will soon hear oral arguments to decide the issue.

]]> Richard Harris Sure, brown rice is better for you than refined white rice. But if you cringe when you see it on sushi, there's good reason behind that, and it's rooted in flavor science and biochemistry. Mon, 05 Dec 2016 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/12/05/503907000/why-is-brown-rice-sushi-so-awful-heres-the-science?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/12/05/503907000/why-is-brown-rice-sushi-so-awful-heres-the-science?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science Sure, brown rice is better for you than refined white rice. But if you cringe when you see it on sushi, there's good reason behind that, and it's rooted in flavor science and biochemistry.

]]> Sujata Gupta Searching for alien life is harder than you might think, because whatever is out there might be really odd. So leading astrobiologists are meeting to advise NASA on how to go about looking for it. Mon, 05 Dec 2016 05:03:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/05/504128463/if-youre-looking-for-alien-life-how-will-you-know-if-youve-found-it?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/05/504128463/if-youre-looking-for-alien-life-how-will-you-know-if-youve-found-it?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science Searching for alien life is harder than you might think, because whatever is out there might be really odd. So leading astrobiologists are meeting to advise NASA on how to go about looking for it.

]]> Nell Greenfieldboyce Nestles announces a scientific breakthrough that will allow it to greatly cut the amount of sugar in its chocolate without affecting the taste. Sun, 04 Dec 2016 08:41:29 -0500 http://www.npr.org/2016/12/04/504322104/nestle-says-its-found-a-way-to-reduce-sugar-in-chocolate-by-40-percent?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science http://www.npr.org/2016/12/04/504322104/nestle-says-its-found-a-way-to-reduce-sugar-in-chocolate-by-40-percent?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science Nestles announces a scientific breakthrough that will allow it to greatly cut the amount of sugar in its chocolate without affecting the taste.

]]> To research mysterious and deadly diseases, a scientist puts on a plastic bodysuit and steps into a lab sealed off from the outside world. Sun, 04 Dec 2016 07:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/12/04/502132637/what-its-like-to-handle-the-nastiest-pathogens-as-your-day-job?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/12/04/502132637/what-its-like-to-handle-the-nastiest-pathogens-as-your-day-job?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science To research mysterious and deadly diseases, a scientist puts on a plastic bodysuit and steps into a lab sealed off from the outside world.

]]> Rae Ellen Bichell Recent scientific advances have offered some hopes of recovery to Florida's citrus industry, which has been declining over two decades due to a horrible bacterial disease called citrus greening. Sun, 04 Dec 2016 05:50:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/12/04/503183540/after-a-sour-decade-florida-citrus-may-be-near-a-comeback?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/12/04/503183540/after-a-sour-decade-florida-citrus-may-be-near-a-comeback?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science Recent scientific advances have offered some hopes of recovery to Florida's citrus industry, which has been declining over two decades due to a horrible bacterial disease called citrus greening.

]]> Greg Allen Many parents and teachers report that schools won't use the word dyslexia. Why might this be? And what is the Department of Education doing about it? Sat, 03 Dec 2016 17:05:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/12/03/502601741/dyslexia-the-learning-disability-that-must-not-be-named?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/12/03/502601741/dyslexia-the-learning-disability-that-must-not-be-named?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science Many parents and teachers report that schools won't use the word dyslexia. Why might this be? And what is the Department of Education doing about it?

]]> Gabrielle Emanuel Many believe dyslexia is about jumbled letters, but experts say that's not quite right. This story explores what's happening in the brain that causes those backward letters. Sat, 03 Dec 2016 08:39:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/2016/12/03/504244488/dyslexia-b-and-d?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science http://www.npr.org/2016/12/03/504244488/dyslexia-b-and-d?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science Many believe dyslexia is about jumbled letters, but experts say that's not quite right. This story explores what's happening in the brain that causes those backward letters.

]]> Gabrielle Emanuel Noctilucent clouds, high-altitude clouds that appear to glow in the sky at night, usually show up in the Southern Hemisphere summer. Satellite images showed them covering Antarctica in early November. Fri, 02 Dec 2016 17:05:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/02/504153643/the-electric-blue-polar-cloud-season-came-early-this-year?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/02/504153643/the-electric-blue-polar-cloud-season-came-early-this-year?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science Noctilucent clouds, high-altitude clouds that appear to glow in the sky at night, usually show up in the Southern Hemisphere summer. Satellite images showed them covering Antarctica in early November.

]]> Rebecca Hersher A new survey finds strong public support for organic food, and suspicion of GMOs — regardless of whether people vote Republican or Democratic. Also, people don't trust scientists much at all. Fri, 02 Dec 2016 17:02:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/12/02/504034298/americans-dont-trust-scientists-take-on-food-politicians-even-less?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/12/02/504034298/americans-dont-trust-scientists-take-on-food-politicians-even-less?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science A new survey finds strong public support for organic food, and suspicion of GMOs — regardless of whether people vote Republican or Democratic. Also, people don't trust scientists much at all.

]]> Dan Charles A new study looks at clusters of tornadoes, like those that hit the Southeast this week. They are costly in lives and insurance payouts. Thu, 01 Dec 2016 17:14:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/01/504039462/tornado-outbreaks-are-on-the-rise-and-scientists-dont-know-why?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/01/504039462/tornado-outbreaks-are-on-the-rise-and-scientists-dont-know-why?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science A new study looks at clusters of tornadoes, like those that hit the Southeast this week. They are costly in lives and insurance payouts.

]]> Christopher Joyce