Bird flu, Avian influenza, Diabetes, Cholesterol, Caner, HIV

NPR Health and Science (151 unread)

Artificial Sperm Not So Hot

Posted: July 31st, 2009, 4:48pm CDT

Research describing "lab-made-sperm" was partly plagiarized, the journal that published the scientific paper now says.
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A Scientist Homes In On Our Sense Of Direction

Posted: July 31st, 2009, 2:05pm CDT

You Are Here delves into the physiology and folklore of wayfinding. Alternating between scientific experiments and real-world examples, psychologist Colin Ellard bares the brain's algorithms for finding the body's location on the planet.
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See Galactic Disorder and Death!

Posted: July 31st, 2009, 12:53pm CDT

If you could see inside a dying star — and if your eyes were tuned to perceive that ephemeral property of the universe called entropy — this might be what you would see. This computer simulation shows how disorder, aka entropy, spreads through a supernova.
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Scientists Say Some Fisheries Are Recovering

Posted: July 31st, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

A new report in the journal Science, crediting good management, says some over-fished ecosystems are improving and fish numbers are up. Marine biologist Boris Worm — who in 2006 warned that without action many fish populations could be gone by 2048 — describes the study's findings.
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Who Really Owns Your Digital Data?

Posted: July 31st, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Tech columnist Randy Stross discusses whether users really own the digital books and music they purchase, or merely rent them. Computer scientist Hank Levy talks about privacy software that causes e-mails and documents on remote servers to self-destruct after eight hours.
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SEAPLEX Mission To Visit 'Garbage Patch'

Posted: July 31st, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Grad students from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography will visit the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch," where plastics and other refuse collect. Chief scientist Miriam Goldstein outlines what the researchers hope to learn about the material dumped in the ocean.
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Art, Science Converge In Museum Displays

Posted: July 31st, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Creating realistic and accurate museum exhibitions requires close collaboration between artists and scientists. Ira Flatow talks with exhibit designers about what is involved in recreating animals and environments that disappeared long ago.
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Shuttle Endeavour Returns To Earth

Posted: July 31st, 2009, 11:18am CDT

Endeavour and its seven astronauts glided through a slightly hazy sky and touched down on Kennedy Space Center's landing strip in Cape Canaveral, Fla., after completing a long but successful construction job that boosted the size and power of the international space station.
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Jellyfish Stir Up Oceans, May Influence Climate

Posted: July 30th, 2009, 5:00pm CDT

It may come as a surprise, but some small marine creatures may have a big impact on oceans, CO2 levels and the environment. A new study says that jellyfish and creatures like them take part in circulating ocean waters, mixing dissolved gases like CO2, and could possibly help curb global climate change. Mixing is a key regulator of the Earth's temperature and the ocean's nutrients.
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Jellyfish May Help Keep Planet Cool

Posted: July 30th, 2009, 5:00pm CDT

Researchers believe that some small marine creatures may help curb global climate change. A new study suggests that jellyfish and creatures like them play an important role in circulating ocean waters, mixing nutrients, and helping to reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere.
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Imperiled Fisheries Make A Comeback, Study Shows

Posted: July 30th, 2009, 5:00pm CDT

In many areas, fishermen are pulling fish out of the seas faster than the populations can withstand, and some fisheries are heading toward collapse. But a major new study shows that all fisheries aren't doomed. In fact, some are on the mend.
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Bones The Size Of A Pea

Posted: July 29th, 2009, 11:36pm CDT

We started the morning with two infant burial sites. Life can be rough for little gorillas. For one thing, infanticide is common, just as it is among many primate species.
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Hum Along With Male Plainfin Midshipman Fish

Posted: July 29th, 2009, 5:00am CDT

It's time for another installment in our occasional series Wild Sounds — short stories that take you to remote parts of the world to hear the sounds of rare animals. Biologist Andy Bass of Cornell University explains what makes the plainfin midshipman fish hum.
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Poetry In Pathology

Posted: July 28th, 2009, 11:48pm CDT

Where I see a lump on a bone, my more senior colleagues see a broken wrist that healed with time. They know that lump tells the story of a gorilla that walked with a slight limp on the right side and put most of its weight on the other arm. That's what we're doing here, deciphering the lives of these gorillas.
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When Rain Falls On Snow, Arctic Animals May Starve

Posted: July 28th, 2009, 12:00am CDT

In the Arctic, a change in the weather could mean starvation for herds of musk oxen and other grazing animals. Scientists who study the far north planet have documented "rain-on-snow" events. Rain falls onto the snowpack and freezes into a hard sheet of ice, preventing some wildlife from getting to the plants trapped below.
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Rwanda And A Golden Monkey

Posted: July 27th, 2009, 11:56pm CDT

Paleontology student Erin Marie Williams ventures into Rwanda, where she works on a research team exhuming gorilla bones.
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Why Dig Up Fossey's Gorillas?

Posted: July 27th, 2009, 12:09am CDT

No mountain gorilla is ordinary, but those found in northwest Rwanda are especially fascinating. They are the gorillas studied by legendary primatologist Dian Fossey — the "gorillas in the mist." Now, researchers are exhuming the descendants of those gorillas, in the search of clues to primate evolution. Researcher Erin Marie Williams is part of that team, and has sent dispatches from the field.
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Why Dig Up Mountain Gorillas?

Posted: July 26th, 2009, 11:09pm CDT

No mountain gorilla is ordinary, but those found in northwest Rwanda are especially fascinating. They are the gorillas studied by legendary primatologist Dian Fossey — the "gorillas in the mist." Now, researchers are exhuming the descendants of those gorillas, in the search of clues to primate evolution. Researcher Erin Marie Williams is part of that team, and has sent dispatches from the field.
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Will The Rise Of The Robots Mark The End Of The 'Human Era'?

Posted: July 26th, 2009, 8:44pm CDT

Advances in artificial intelligence and robotics have some scientists warning that humanity should be on guard for challenges from independently minded machines.
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In Africa, Bringing AIDS Treatment Closer To Home

Posted: July 26th, 2009, 3:18pm CDT

The results of a five-year clinical trial underline problems with forcing rural Africans to travel to cities for routine lab tests. The findings could lead to new protocols that free up money currently used for testing to provide treatment for more African HIV/AIDS patients.
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The Crow Paradox

Posted: July 26th, 2009, 3:00pm CDT

Here's a surprise: Wild crows can recognize individual people. They can pick a person out of crowd, follow them, and remember them for years. But people — even people who love crows — can't recognize individual crows. Here, two experiments that tell the story.
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Get The Most Nutrition From Your Veggies

Posted: July 25th, 2009, 11:16pm CDT

You may be eating the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, but are you getting the maximum health benefits? Research suggests that you get more nutrients out of some vegetables when they are cooked, chopped or even served with a bit of fat.
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Stranger Than Fiction: Summer Science Books

Posted: July 25th, 2009, 11:01pm CDT

Our search for the most fascinating new science books finds true tales of Aztec super-athletes, criminal butterfly collectors, Isaac Newton's unknown detective career and the mysteries of the human stomach and brain.
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Contaminated Food: A More Watchful Eye Needed

Posted: July 25th, 2009, 11:00pm CDT

Congress and FDA officials agree that food distributed in the United States needs to be monitored more closely. In a global economy, the effects of contaminated food can quickly spread far and wide.
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Last Galapagos Tortoise May Become Oldest Dad

Posted: July 24th, 2009, 11:43pm CDT

Scientists have been playing matchmaker for the "rarest living creature" for more than a decade. Now Lonesome George, the last known Galapagos giant tortoise, may soon become a father. George is somewhere between 90 and 100 years old.
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Bipartisan Health Bill Still Gets No Respect

Posted: July 24th, 2009, 2:02pm CDT

Two senators have crafted a health care plan that promises coverage for virtually every American — and it may not add a single penny to the federal deficit. But are they too junior to get attention for their bill?
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Single Payer: The Health Care Plan Not On The Table

Posted: July 24th, 2009, 12:15pm CDT

Many of the world's industrialized countries have a single-payer health care system, in which government administers all medical care. Support for such a system exists in the U.S.; even President Obama has expressed admiration for it. Yet it is absent from the debate.
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Cell Phone Microscope Spots Tuberculosis Bacteria

Posted: July 24th, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Reporting in the journal PLoS ONE, scientists describe how to convert a camera-enabled cell phone into a fluorescent microscope capable of detecting and counting tuberculosis bacteria in a saliva sample. Bioengineer Daniel Fletcher discusses the technology's potential.
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How Does The Brain Decide Who To Trust?

Posted: July 24th, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Former CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite was called "the most trusted man in America." But how does the brain decide someone is trustworthy? Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio explains the brain processes that establish trust, and why some inspire more trust than others.
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Jovian Impact A Lucky Strike For Science

Posted: July 24th, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

A space rock smashed into Jupiter earlier this week, leaving a dark scar about the size of Earth. Australian backyard astronomer Anthony Wesley recounts his discovery of the impact, and planetary scientist Leigh Fletcher talks about what he hopes to learn by studying it.
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Decoding The Science Of Decision Making

Posted: July 24th, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

For decades researchers ranging from economists to psychologists to neuroscientists have tried to understand how people make decisions, both mundane and major. Guest host Paul Raeburn and guests look at what happens in the mind of "the decider" when there's a choice to be made.
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New Movie Probes Future Of Moon Travel

Posted: July 24th, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Duncan Jones talks about his first feature film, Moon. It's an indie sci-fi flick about living on the moon. Drawing from current NASA research projects, Moon aims to paint a realistic picture of a lone astronaut in charge of mining the moon for an energy source.
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Engineering A Band-Aid Of Beating Heart Cells

Posted: July 24th, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Jordan Lancaster and Steven Goldman, of the Southern Arizona Veterans Administration and the University of Arizona, put rat heart cells on a piece of synthetic mesh and within a few days, the mesh started beating. The hope is that the patch could be used to treat damaged hearts.
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Drug Firms Pour $40 Million Into Health Care Debate

Posted: July 23rd, 2009, 4:05pm CDT

During three critical months in the debate to overhaul health care, a powerful drugmaker consortium known as PhRMA and its members spent more than $3 million each week lobbying Congress. In the past, PhRMA has won most of its lobbying battles.
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FDA Meets On Swine Flu Vaccine

Posted: July 23rd, 2009, 3:00pm CDT

The Food and Drug Administration is meeting Thursday to discuss a vaccine for the new H1N1 swine flu. Manufacturers are going to begin testing vaccines in people in early August, but it will be a couple of months before there's any meaningful data on the vaccine's safety and effectiveness.
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Obama Stumps For Health Vote Despite Setback

Posted: July 23rd, 2009, 1:10pm CDT

After Senate Democratic leaders on Thursday abandoned plans to vote before the August recess, the president pressed ahead in his effort to gain supporters for overhauling the nation's health care system.
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Big-Beaked Toucans Play It Cool

Posted: July 23rd, 2009, 10:03am CDT

Animals often have brilliantly colored or large features that attract mates. Until now, scientists thought the toucan bill was just another one of those pretty characteristics. But it turns out the bill may have another purpose — cooling down the bird.
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Swine Flu Vaccine Poses Challenges To FDA

Posted: July 23rd, 2009, 7:34am CDT

As manufacturers start to roll out vaccines against the new H1N1 swine flu, the Food and Drug Administration will only have weeks to decide whether they're safe. It's a high-pressure situation, complicated by the memory of a flu-vaccine scare in 1976, and by a new ingredient that some manufacturers are experimenting with.
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Australian Spies Giant Hole On Jupiter's South Pole

Posted: July 23rd, 2009, 7:20am CDT

An amateur astronomer in Australia saw something remarkable the other night: a hole the size of the Pacific Ocean near Jupiter's south pole, probably caused by a comet striking the planet. Linda Wertheimer talks with Anthony Wesley, the man who discovered the impact site.
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Calif. Cuts Children's Health Insurance Program

Posted: July 23rd, 2009, 4:30am CDT

More than a dozen states are responding to President Obama's call to expand their CHIP programs — that's Children's Health Insurance for low-income families. But California, the most populous state in the nation, is cutting back, even as its program reports record demand for coverage.
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The History Of Space Tourism

Posted: July 22nd, 2009, 11:00pm CDT

Timeline: It's not exactly a family road trip destination, but space travel is beginning to pick up momentum — particularly among the rich and famous. Here, a look at key moments in the ongoing journey toward spaceflight for all.
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Crows Can Do This, But Can You?

Posted: July 22nd, 2009, 11:00pm CDT

Interactive: Crows have this uncanny ability to tell one human from another. And they'll hold a grudge if you do them wrong. But can you tell one crow from another?
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Study: Chimps Die From AIDS, Too

Posted: July 22nd, 2009, 6:49pm CDT

Scientists were surprised to find that chimps infected with a close relative of HIV can die of AIDS. Previous studies suggested the simian virus caused little or no disease.
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Obama: Health Overhaul 'Central' To Economic Fix

Posted: July 22nd, 2009, 5:37pm CDT

President Obama argued during a prime-time news conference Wednesday that the U.S. economy cannot be rebuilt without overhauling the nation's health care system. The news conference is part of the health care hard sell the president has undertaken this week.
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GOP Says More Time Needed On Health Care Plan

Posted: July 22nd, 2009, 12:29pm CDT

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday he hopes to see a bill that improves the health care system passed by year's end, but that lawmakers must take the time to craft a plan that won't increase the federal debt or hurt small businesses.
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For Obama, Health Care Overhaul Is Make-Or-Break

Posted: July 22nd, 2009, 11:15am CDT

President Obama is set to take his health care hard sell to the American people in a prime-time news conference Wednesday night. His planned overhaul is mired in a partisan fight that even supporters say Obama needs to win — at the risk of the rest of his agenda.
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Hot! Hot! Hot! How Much Heat Can You Take?

Posted: July 22nd, 2009, 11:00am CDT

Now that it's high summer, you're probably wondering how much heat you can take. Some 230 years ago, three curious London gentlemen walked into a room with a few eggs, a steak and a dog — with exactly that question.
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Despite Glitches, India Shoots For The Moon

Posted: July 22nd, 2009, 5:00am CDT

India launched its first moon mission in October amid a great gust of patriotic excitement about securing membership in the world's tiny lunar explorers' club — which includes its regional rival, China. Despite the mission's technical problems — and the space program's huge costs — Indian scientists' ambitions are high.
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CDC Reports Rise In Teen Pregnancy, STD Rates

Posted: July 22nd, 2009, 5:00am CDT

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is concerned about sexual health trends among teens and young adults: Pregnancies and STD rates are up. Children have access to a lot of information via the Internet, but experts say prevention programs have to interpret it for them.
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Providing Better Health Care For Less Money

Posted: July 22nd, 2009, 1:42am CDT

The health care debate on Capitol Hill has basically deteriorated into a choice between raising taxes or cutting care. But a group of health care experts say there's a third option: redesigning the system. Some U.S. communities are already providing better care at lower costs. But can their success be replicated nationwide?
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China Aims High For Its Space Program

Posted: July 21st, 2009, 11:01pm CDT

In 2003, China became the third country after the United States and the Soviet Union to put a human in space. China may be a latecomer to the field of space exploration, but it has big plans, including its first unmanned mission to the moon's surface some three years from now.
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Global health officials mull how to slow swine flu

Posted: July 21st, 2009, 4:30pm CDT

WHO working on formulas to model swine flu spread
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AMA Chief: Health Bill Still In Early Stages

Posted: July 21st, 2009, 4:10pm CDT

The American Medical Association, which last week backed the House Democrats' version of a bill to overhaul health care, endorsed the measure not for what it is now, but for what it may yet become, Dr. James Rohack says. He says the status quo is unacceptable.
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Obama: Overtreatment Drives Health-Care Costs

Posted: July 21st, 2009, 3:31pm CDT

President Obama, and experts from the Mayo Clinic, are advocating an end to the "fee-for-service" system that encourages doctors to order more office visits, tests and procedures — and pushes up costs for health care.
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Obama Says Congress Close To Health Overhaul

Posted: July 21st, 2009, 1:24pm CDT

Despite increasing criticism from Republicans and a recent poll that shows public dissatisfaction, "we are closer than ever before to the reform that the American people need," the president said Tuesday.
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Are Health Insurance Companies The Problem?

Posted: July 21st, 2009, 12:46pm CDT

In the debate over health care, many point the finger at insurance companies.
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Why Health Care Overhaul Now?

Posted: July 21st, 2009, 10:16am CDT

You'd think with two wars and a stumbling economy, it would be enough for a new administration to focus on the big-ticket and national security issues — and leave a health-system makeover for calmer times.
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Health Effects Of Comparing Care: No Easy Answers

Posted: July 20th, 2009, 11:00pm CDT

Studies to determine the best treatment for common health conditions have become a hot topic in the health care debate. Atrial fibrillation treatments, for example, range from a few dollars a day to a surgical procedure costing tens of thousands of dollars. Jay Allen decided the surgical procedure would be the best fix for his lifestyle needs.
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Charting NASA's Future: To The Moon And Beyond

Posted: July 20th, 2009, 11:00pm CDT

Forty years ago, the Cold War pushed the United States to the moon. Now, NASA hopes to return to the moon to further scientific exploration, technology development and economic expansion. But some groups think instead of focusing on the moon, NASA should invest in traveling to places like near-Earth asteroids.
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Obama Presses Anew For Health Care Overhaul

Posted: July 20th, 2009, 3:17pm CDT

President Obama said Monday that rising health care costs threaten the lives and livelihoods of U.S. families, pushing again for a major overhaul and saying some opponents of his plan were playing politics.
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Saying `sorry' pays off for U. of Michigan doctors

Posted: July 20th, 2009, 1:18pm CDT

Saying `sorry' pays off for U. of Michigan doctors
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A Small Step To The Moon, A Giant Leap To Mars

Posted: July 20th, 2009, 10:56am CDT

The first astronauts — swaggering test pilots and fighter jocks — set NASA's original can-do tone. But after NASA reached the moon, senior people left and were replaced by management types. NASA's dynamic has slowed, but the sheer distance to Mars is not to be underestimated.
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Gum: A Stick A Day May Keep The Dentist Away

Posted: July 20th, 2009, 12:00am CDT

Good news for frequent chewers: Sugarless gum with xylitol may be good for your teeth. Experts say xylitol works against cavity-causing bacteria, helping to prevent tooth decay.
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Officials Scramble To Prep Swine Flu Vaccine By Fall

Posted: July 19th, 2009, 11:18pm CDT

For the first time ever, U.S. health officials will vaccinate Americans against two flu strains in one season. They're aiming to have an H1N1 vaccine ready by the fall, but slow growth of the vaccine strain means there likely won't be enough for everyone until December.
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Aldrin Reflects On Life After Moon Mission

Posted: July 19th, 2009, 11:00pm CDT

Forty years after walking on the moon, Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin talks with NPR about preparing for the Apollo 11 mission, and how his life has changed since splashing down back on Earth.
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Military Study Ties War Trauma, Violence At Home

Posted: July 19th, 2009, 3:52pm CDT

Soldiers in a single Army unit killed as many as 11 people after returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, the military said last week. One contributing factor? The psychological trauma of war. NPR's Daniel Zwerdling talks to Guy Raz about the military's efforts to deal with soldier trauma and ease their re-entry into civilian life.
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Obama, Congress Ready For Overhaul Fight

Posted: July 19th, 2009, 10:14am CDT

President Obama is pushing hard for a consensus on health care legislation before Congress adjourns for the summer. That goal, however, has already hit a snag — a report issued Thursday by the Congressional Budget Office that says none of the health reform proposals floated so far will achieve his goal of curbing the skyrocketing rate of health care costs.
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Rep. Ross: 'Blue Dogs' Can't Back Health Care Bills

Posted: July 18th, 2009, 4:58pm CDT

As President Obama's health plan hits resistance in Congress, the key may be the "Blue Dog" Democrats in the House. One of the leading Blue Dogs, Rep. Mike Ross of Arkansas, said the group's health care task force would need to see more protections for small businesses and rural health care providers before he could sign on.
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White House Moves To Calm Health Care Bill Fears

Posted: July 18th, 2009, 9:39am CDT

The White House is fighting back against accusations that the health care overhaul legislation moving through Congress would actually increase health spending rather than save money over the long haul.
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Shark Victim Wants Greater Protection — For Sharks

Posted: July 18th, 2009, 9:13am CDT

Back in 2004, Debbie Salamone was wading waist deep in the water on the east coast of Florida when she was attacked by a shark. It tore at her foot, mangling tendons and her heel. But this past week, Salamone was on Capitol Hill with eight other shark attack survivors, lobbying their senators to help strengthen laws against shark finning.
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Vacation In Space? It's Possible ... For The Rich

Posted: July 17th, 2009, 1:08pm CDT

We missed the deadline set by 2001: A Space Odyssey, but private companies are trying to realize the potential for space tourism. One firm hopes to offer safe, regular flights within the next three years. But the price remains out of reach for most.
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Marking 40 Years Since Apollo 11

Posted: July 17th, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Humans first landed on the moon 40 years ago this July. Just three years later, the last human mission left the lunar surface. Ira Flatow talks with Apollo astronauts Alan Bean and Harrison Schmitt about their time on the moon, and whether humans should make the trip again.
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Gene Ignites Antibody Production

Posted: July 17th, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Reporting in the journal Science, researchers say they've identified a gene that turns on and off the production of one kind of immune cell — the CD4 T cell. Shane Crotty says the finding could aid in better understanding the immune system and in the design of new vaccines.
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Scientists Weave A Camera

Posted: July 17th, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Researchers have created a light-sensitive fabric that can take simple images without lenses, mirrors, or other conventional optics. Yoel Fink, author of a paper about the research in the journal Nano Letters, says more advanced functional fibers are on the horizon.
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Paint The Town White

Posted: July 17th, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Light-colored clothing is cooler in the sun, and the same goes for cities. Hashem Akbari has studied the advantages — in reduced energy use and lower carbon dioxide emissions — of switching dark-colored roofing and pavement materials for lighter, more reflective alternatives.
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Some Moths Escape Bats By Jamming Sonar

Posted: July 17th, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

For over 50 million years, bats and moths have been engaged in an evolutionary arms race. A study in the journal Science identifies another weapon in the moth arsenal: the ability to jam bat sonar. Aaron Corcoran, of Wake Forest University, explains the research.
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Moths Outwit Bats By Jamming Sonar

Posted: July 17th, 2009, 12:01am CDT

Bats are among nature's cleverest predators, using ultrasonic signals to locate their prey at night. But one species of tiger moth has learned to outfox the bats by jamming the bat's sonar using its own bursts of ultrasound.
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One Small Town's Big Role In The Apollo Missions

Posted: July 16th, 2009, 3:17pm CDT

More than 40 years ago, NASA sent the Apollo 11 astronauts to the small town of Flagstaff, Ariz., to prepare for their mission. The desert terrain and a meteor crater just east of town were much like what they would encounter on the moon.
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The Politics, Power Players Of Health Care Reform

Posted: July 16th, 2009, 3:02pm CDT

The New Republic senior editor Jonathan Cohn discusses power players of health care reform, including the insurance lobby, the pharmaceutical lobby, the American Medical Association and Congress.
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Budget Chief: Health Care Bills Would Raise Costs

Posted: July 16th, 2009, 3:01pm CDT

Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf says the heath care legislation he has seen "significantly expands the federal responsibility for health care costs." His remarks come even as the American Medical Association endorses the House measure.
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Being A Jockey Isn't Just Horsing Around

Posted: July 16th, 2009, 3:00pm CDT

It's not just new age breeding and training methods that are making racehorses faster each year. Jockeys are actually utilizing the laws of physics to maximize the speed of their horses.
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House Committees To Release Health Bills

Posted: July 16th, 2009, 8:44am CDT

Work continues on Capitol Hill to overhaul the nation's health care system. A Senate committee on Wednesday became the first panel to complete work on a health bill. Meanwhile, three House committees launch their formal drafting sessions Thursday.
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Houston, We Erased The Apollo 11 Tapes

Posted: July 16th, 2009, 4:07am CDT

After three years of painstakingly thorough searching, NASA has concluded that the original tapes of the first manned moon landing are most likely lost forever. However, with the help of tape restoration experts, the agency has refurbished the existing footage.
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Health Overhaul Bills Move Forward On Capitol Hill

Posted: July 15th, 2009, 6:46pm CDT

A Senate committee approved a plan along party lines to remake the American health care system. The bill would cost $600 billion and provide subsidies to make it easier for many people to get health insurance. Meanwhile, House Democrats pushed forward their own version of health reform.
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Creating New Stem Cell Lines Not Easy

Posted: July 15th, 2009, 3:17pm CDT

Congress and President Obama have shown little interest in lifting the ban on using federal funds to create new human embryonic stem cell lines. But creating new human embryonic stem cell lines is an expensive undertaking and few researchers are doing it.
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Health Care Overhaul Clears Senate Committee

Posted: July 15th, 2009, 10:09am CDT

The Senate health committee cast a milestone vote Wednesday to approve legislation expanding insurance coverage to nearly all Americans, becoming the first congressional panel to act on President Obama's top domestic priority.
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Blogging To Cope With A Daughter's Cancer Fight

Posted: July 14th, 2009, 11:16pm CDT

Christina Avery describes herself as "someone who likes to keep private stuff private." But she found that blogging helped her deal with the stress of having a child with cancer, and it kept loved ones updated on her daughter's treatments.
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Abortion Issue Could Derail Health Care Overhaul

Posted: July 14th, 2009, 7:14pm CDT

Senators working to craft an overhaul bill have turned back several abortion-related amendments. And in the House, a group of Democrats has vowed to vote against any bill unless it explicitly excludes abortion as a covered or subsidized benefit.
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Reporter: Calif. Nursing Panel Ignored Abuse Cases

Posted: July 14th, 2009, 4:31pm CDT

Charles Ornstein, a reporter for ProPublica co-wrote a story in Sunday's Los Angeles Times about why abusive nurses in California were allowed to keep working even after an oversight panel learned of their practices. The report prompted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to fire most of the nursing board.
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Democrats Unveil Health Care Measure

Posted: July 14th, 2009, 3:28pm CDT

House Democrats unveiled a health care measure Tuesday with provisions for a government-sponsored plan. The measure would require most people to have insurance and for most employers to pay for it. It was missing a key ingredient, however: how it would be financed.
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Japanese Structure Withstands Earthquake Test

Posted: July 14th, 2009, 3:00pm CDT

In Miki, Japan, Tuesday, a six-story wooden model condominium was shaken by the equivalent of a 7.5 magnitude earthquake. The test was said to be the largest simulated earthquake ever attempted with a wooden structure. John Van de Lindt, a professor at Colorado State University, says six-story wooden buildings can be designed to stand and barely be damaged.
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Treating Ballast Water Could Fight Invasive Species

Posted: July 14th, 2009, 3:00pm CDT

Billions of microscopic eggs or larvae of local marine creatures live in ships' ballast water. When transported across the globe, these invasive species can wreak havoc on ecosystems, costing billions of dollars in cleanup each year. Scientists are developing water treatment systems to remove these organisms from the water.
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Reporter On California Nursing Abuses

Posted: July 14th, 2009, 3:00pm CDT

The Los Angeles Times published an investigation Sunday into why abusive nurses in California were allowed to keep working even after an oversight panel learned of their practices. The report prompted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to fire most of the nursing board. Charles Ornstein, a senior reporter for ProPublica, talks about the series of articles he co-wrote.
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Understanding Dementia And 'Wandering'

Posted: July 14th, 2009, 12:13pm CDT

People suffering from dementia display many common behavioral traits, and one of the hardest to manage and understand is wandering. Correspondent Linton Weeks talks about his recent report for NPR.org entitled "The Mysteries of Dementia-Driven Wandering."
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California Budget Woes Worry Some On Welfare

Posted: July 14th, 2009, 8:44am CDT

As California lawmakers consider making cuts to the state's health and welfare programs to close the budget gap, people like Gina Jackson, who relies on state aid, are getting worried. Jackson, a single mother of four from Fremont, Calif., says the potential cuts are keeping her up at night.
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Perservering Doctor Picked For Surgeon General

Posted: July 13th, 2009, 3:00pm CDT

President Obama has made his choice for U.S. surgeon general. Regina Benjamin's clinic in Alabama was destroyed twice by hurricanes and once by a fire. She's also a MacArthur fellow who was the first minority to sit on the board of the American Medical Association.
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Obama Picks Rural Ala. Doctor For Surgeon General

Posted: July 13th, 2009, 10:09am CDT

The president has picked Dr. Regina Benjamin, a rural Alabama family physician who made headlines with her fierce determination to rebuild her nonprofit medical clinic in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
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Stress, Anxiety May Keep Women Smoking

Posted: July 12th, 2009, 11:08pm CDT

Women may have a harder time kicking their smoking habit than men do. Researchers say women are more likely to get stressed and reach for a cigarette when trying to quit, meaning it takes them more tries to stop for good.
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Anti-Smoking Drugs May Have Psychological Effects

Posted: July 12th, 2009, 11:01pm CDT

The FDA will now require warning labels on Chantix and Zyban, two popular anti-smoking prescription drugs that it says could spark changes in a patient, including depression, hostility and suicidal thoughts.
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Birds' Survival Relies On World's Largest Crab Orgy

Posted: July 12th, 2009, 1:29pm CDT

Mating season for horseshoe crabs in the Delaware Bay brings millions of crabs onto the beaches. It's a feast for tens of thousands of migratory shorebirds, including the red knot, but lately their population has been dropping.
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What's In The Health Care Overhaul For Us?

Posted: July 12th, 2009, 9:53am CDT

From long-term care savings accounts to parks funding, revamping the health care system is about more than just new taxes and deals with hospitals and insurance companies.
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The Hunt For Affordable Health Insurance

Posted: July 11th, 2009, 11:52pm CDT

Last month, small business owner Larry Harbour of Broken Bow, Neb., told NPR that health insurance was unaffordable because of the $24,000- to $40,000-a-year premiums. That sounded way off-base to a Nebraska insurance broker. So, he called Harbour himself.
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Democrats Face Uphill Climb On Climate Bill

Posted: July 11th, 2009, 11:01pm CDT

A climate change bill squeaked through the House last month. Now the question is whether a 60-vote Democratic supermajority can succeed in the Senate, where past efforts have failed. But Democrats have already pushed back a self-imposed deadline.
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Horseshoe Crabs Pile Up For Night Of Whoopee

Posted: July 11th, 2009, 3:00pm CDT

On the Delaware Bay shore, there's a swinging party that's been taking place for millions of years. Some aren't there to take part in the orgy, however. Human volunteers in headlamps and waders come to tally up the amorous crabs and make sure the party's still going strong.
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In Phoenix, Homeless Battle Summer Heat

Posted: July 11th, 2009, 3:00pm CDT

Summers in Phoenix can be long and lethal for those who can't escape the heat. Those who live in it say the heat makes them irritable, disoriented and unable to eat. Even at night, the temperature can hover in the lower 90s.
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Climate Change Bill Postponed By Senate

Posted: July 10th, 2009, 3:00pm CDT

Senate Democratic leaders are mothballing a climate change bill until September. The bill faces withering opposition from Republicans, and many deals will have to be made before the measure — which seeks to create a greener economy — is passed.
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Central Valley Disconnect: Rich Land, Poor Nutrition

Posted: July 10th, 2009, 2:42pm CDT

California's Central Valley produces many of the fruits and vegetables consumed by Americans — but not by the residents themselves. The area is one of the poorest in the country, with high rates of malnutrition and obesity. Some locals are working to change that.
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Pigs Harbor A Form Of Ebola Virus

Posted: July 10th, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Reporting in the journal Science, researchers say they've found a form of Ebola virus in pigs in the Philippines. The strain doesn't harm humans, but there's concern it may mutate. USDA foreign animal disease expert Michael McIntosh explains how the virus was found and what happens next.
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How To Reform Health Care Reform

Posted: July 10th, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Writing in the New York Review of Books, former editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine and retired M.D. Arnold Relman says President Obama's health care plan won't work. Relman outlines the changes he thinks are necessary for success but missing in the plan.
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'Heart Of Power' Probes Presidential Priorities

Posted: July 10th, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

In the new book The Heart of Power writer and political scientist James Morone examines how the health issues faced by past presidents may have helped shape their health care priorities and policies. From Franklin Roosevelt to Clinton, how did the personal and the public intersect?
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Want To Cut Grass Out Of Your Life? Try Moss

Posted: July 10th, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Summertime doesn't have to mean hours behind the lawn mower, at least for shade-dwellers. Forty years ago, David Benner, horticulturist and moss enthusiast, killed all the grass on his property and cultivated moss in its place. Benner has 25 different moss species growing in his garden near New Hope, Pa.
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Human Organ Transplant Drug Slows Aging In Mice

Posted: July 10th, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Reporting in the journal Nature, scientists write that rapamycin, an immunosuppressant drug currently used in human organ transplants, boosted the life span of old mice. Study author David Harrison discusses the findings, and the implications for human longevity.
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How Tasty Foods Change The Brain

Posted: July 10th, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Former FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler discusses how milkshakes, buffalo wings and other sugary, fatty and salty foods train the brain to overeat. Gail Vance Civille, president of food consulting firm Sensory Spectrum, talks about the most alluring flavors and textures.
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Climate Talks End With Meager Promises

Posted: July 10th, 2009, 12:00am CDT

International climate talks in Italy ended with few promises to cope with global warming. China and other developing countries continue to say they will not commit to stemming the flow of carbon dioxide from their smokestacks. These countries are first demanding dramatic action from the fully industrialized world.
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A Stick A Day May Keep The Dentist Away

Posted: July 9th, 2009, 11:40pm CDT

Good news for chewing-gum fans: Sugarless gum with xylitol may be good for your teeth. Experts say xylitol works against cavity-causing bacteria, helping to prevent tooth decay.
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G-8 Pushes Developing Nations On Climate Change

Posted: July 9th, 2009, 4:02pm CDT

President Obama and the other G-8 leaders meeting in Italy agreed to try to limit the global increase in temperature. But the developing countries refused to set a numerical target for limiting their own greenhouse gases. Experts say without cooperation from developing countries, no effort to fight climate change can succeed.
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Obama Picks Dr. Francis Collins To Head NIH

Posted: July 9th, 2009, 5:00am CDT

President Obama has chosen Dr. Francis Collins to head the National Institutes of Health. Collins helped unravel the human genetic code. He's also known for finding common ground between a belief in God and science.
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16 People, 8 Kidneys, One 'Domino' Transplant

Posted: July 8th, 2009, 5:21pm CDT

Doctors completed the first ever eight-way "domino" kidney transplant — involving eight donors and eight recipients — this week. The surgeries were performed in four hospitals over three weeks, and the surgeon who coordinated the exchange says the patients are all doing well.
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Getting Lost Is Totally Human. Try It

Posted: July 8th, 2009, 4:47pm CDT

Psychology professor Colin Ellard, author of You Are Here: Why We Can Find Our Way to the Moon, but Get Lost in the Mall, says you can train yourself to be more conscious of your surroundings.
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Hospitals Take Pay Cut To Ease Health Bill Cost

Posted: July 8th, 2009, 3:00pm CDT

Hospitals agreed to forgo $155 billion in payments over the next 10 years to help ease the costs of a new health care system. But some say hospitals aren't really giving up that much.
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Obama Joins Global Warming Deal

Posted: July 8th, 2009, 3:00pm CDT

President Obama and other world agreed Wednesday to back new targets to combat global warming. The leaders are supporting a goal to prevent the world's average temperature from rising more than 3.6 degrees.
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Health Care Overhaul Ignores Illegal Immigrants

Posted: July 8th, 2009, 7:06am CDT

As Congress wrangles with overhauling the country's health care system, there is one population that isn't being discussed. No proposal for a national health plan would cover the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.
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White House Proposes New Rules For Food Safety

Posted: July 8th, 2009, 1:00am CDT

Every year, 5,000 Americans die from contaminated food, and tens of millions get sick. The Obama administration is calling for tougher production standards for poultry, beef, leafy greens, melons and tomatoes so consumers can stop fearing their food.
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Obama Backs Helping Hand For Long-Term Care

Posted: July 7th, 2009, 4:52pm CDT

The Obama administration says it favors adding a new and potentially expensive program as part of a health care overhaul. It has sent a letter to Congress indicating support for a new program to help people pay for living in a nursing home, assisted living or getting care at home.
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Robot Mowers Take The Sweat Out Of Lawn Care

Posted: July 7th, 2009, 3:00pm CDT

In sweltering summer heat, mowing the lawn can become the most dreaded chore. But robotic lawnmowers may soon enough allow Americans to do the job without the labor.
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New Funding Rules Issued On Stem Cell Research

Posted: July 7th, 2009, 2:38pm CDT

The National Institutes of Health says it deems stem cell lines eligible for government research dollars if scientists can prove they meet the spirit of the new ethics standards. An NIH registry will list all that qualify. The rules settle the question of whether new ethics requirements would disqualify many of the stem cells created over the past decade.
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False Signals Cause Misleading Brain Scans

Posted: July 7th, 2009, 2:11pm CDT

Images that show brain activity in vivid bursts of color may not be as clear as people think. Scientists say false signals and flawed statistics often make the results of fMRI studies murkier than they appear.
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States Look To Cigarettes To Bridge Budget Gaps

Posted: July 7th, 2009, 9:04am CDT

As state legislatures struggle with big budget deficits, some are looking to smokers to help balance the books. But as the number of smokers declines nationwide, analysts warn that tobacco taxes are a declining source of revenue.
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Study: Social Security Numbers May Be Hackable

Posted: July 6th, 2009, 7:00pm CDT

Scientists have developed an algorithm that can reliably predict most of a person's Social Security number using public information, raising alarms about using the numbers for identifying purposes.
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Some Docs Resist Repeal Of Bush-Era Abortion Regs

Posted: July 6th, 2009, 6:00pm CDT

Some doctors who oppose abortion say that if President Obama repeals controversial Bush administration regulations that allow doctors to refuse to provide care that conflicts with their beliefs, they would rather quit their practice than provide care that violates their conscience.
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Alzheimer's Patients Struggle Without Insurance

Posted: July 6th, 2009, 9:48am CDT

Alzheimer's is thought of as a disease of the elderly, but hundreds of thousands of cases are in men and women under 65. Because the disease makes it difficult to work, these people often lose their jobs — and their health insurance.
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Those Achy Joints Could Be Osteoarthritis

Posted: July 5th, 2009, 11:59pm CDT

Osteoarthritis, the sometimes painful degeneration of tissue surrounding joints, is common in the aging population. The earlier it's caught, the easier osteoarthritis is to treat.
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On The Road Again: Specialists Help Aging Drivers

Posted: July 5th, 2009, 11:01pm CDT

As we age, vision, physical strength and memory may decline, making the act of driving challenging, and potentially dangerous. For some seniors and people with disabilities, special training with a driver rehabilitation specialist offers a way to learn to drive safely, and regain their independence.
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Swine Flu Pandemic: What May Lie Ahead

Posted: July 5th, 2009, 3:46pm CDT

Swine flu has been out of the headlines lately, but it's still making people sick in more than 100 countries. In fact, the World Health Organization recently named it the first official pandemic since 1968.
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Measuring The Carbon Footprint Of A Charcoal Grill

Posted: July 4th, 2009, 3:00pm CDT

Researcher Eric Johnson recently revealed that charcoal grills leave a much larger carbon footprint than their gas-powered counterparts. On what may be the busiest grilling day of the year, Guy Raz speaks with Johnson about his study.
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In Spain, The Dead Help Fight Climate Change

Posted: July 4th, 2009, 1:47pm CDT

In the Barcelona suburb of Santa Coloma de Gramenet, a cemetery installed more than 450 solar panels on top of the mausoleums.
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Acetaminophen Levels Prompt FDA Concern

Posted: July 4th, 2009, 12:36pm CDT

This week, an advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration raised a red flag about a very popular and very effective painkiller — acetaminophen. The panel of experts has recommended lowering levels of acetaminophen in prescription and over-the-counter drugs because of concerns about liver damage.
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Debate Over Food Movie Misses Most Farmers

Posted: July 4th, 2009, 11:59am CDT

Food Inc., a documentary film about the modern agricultural industry, is a hit with big-city movie reviewers, small organic farmers and vegetarians. But ordinary farmers — the people who grow the lion's share of what America eats — have largely been left out of the mainstream media debate over the film.
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Top 10 Reasons Why The BMI Is Bogus

Posted: July 4th, 2009, 10:17am CDT

Weekend Edition math guy Keith Devlin graded the body mass index, a popular measure of determining healthy body weight, and failed it on 10 grounds.
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Astronomers See A New Class of Black Hole

Posted: July 3rd, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Scientists say X-ray data collected by the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton spacecraft show evidence of a new type of black hole in a galaxy about 290 million light years from Earth. Astronomer Sean Farrell explains what the discovery might tell us about galaxy evolution.
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Celebrate July 4th With Backyard Science

Posted: July 3rd, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

In case you forgot to pick up some sparklers for the holiday weekend, don't despair. Ira Flatow and a team of backyard science experts explain how to (safely) make firecrackers, smoke bombs and even an Oreo-fueled rocket, all while learning some basic scientific principles.
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Fireworks Are Packed With Chemistry

Posted: July 3rd, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Why do some fireworks shoot golden flaming balls while others produce green sparks? It's just chemistry. Bassam Shakhashiri, chemistry professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, explains the science of fireworks.
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Can The Mississippi Delta Survive Rising Seas?

Posted: July 3rd, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Reporting in Nature Geoscience, two coastal scientists write that rising sea levels, combined with slow Mississippi Delta growth, could drown the Louisiana coast by 2100. Delta expert Ivor van Heerden, who is not involved with the research, discusses the findings.
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Robert Ballard: 50 Years Exploring Deep Waters

Posted: July 3rd, 2009, 12:00pm CDT

Deep-sea voyager Robert Ballard has discovered everything from 10-foot-tall tube worms to the Titanic on his ocean expeditions around the world. Ballard discusses his underwater finds and how new robotic technology allows scientists to explore the sea from ashore.
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Fossil Hunters Uncover Rare Dinosaur Skin

Posted: July 3rd, 2009, 12:00am CDT

Dinosaur bones are pretty rare ... but even more unusual is dinosaur skin. Paleontologists working in North Dakota have unearthed the remains of a hadrosaur with much of its fossilized skin still intact. They hope it will offer insights into how these creatures lived, and what they really looked like.
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Pain Management And Prescription Painkillers

Posted: July 2nd, 2009, 1:32pm CDT

The deaths of Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith focused attention on prescription pain killers. Michael Jackson, too, may have been taking pain medication. Doctors walk a fine line in treating patients who are seeking relief from chronic pain.
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Politicians Reconsider Drilling Off Florida Coast

Posted: July 1st, 2009, 11:01pm CDT

For years, oil production has been largely banned in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida. In large part, that's because of concerns that a spill could devastate the state's tourism industry. But now, some elected officials seem willing to take another look at offshore drilling after years of opposition.
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More Care Means Better Health, But Not Always

Posted: July 1st, 2009, 11:00pm CDT

A new study finds that when Medicare expanded its prescription drug coverage, people did spend more on drugs. However, those who had little to no drug coverage beforehand reduced what they spent on going to doctors and hospitals.
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Schizophrenia May Be Linked To Immune System

Posted: July 1st, 2009, 3:00pm CDT

Scientists have identified anomalies in immune system genes that may be linked to schizophrenia. The findings suggest that schizophrenia may behave like an autoimmune disease.
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Are You Over The Acetaminophen Limit?

Posted: July 1st, 2009, 2:09pm CDT

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel wants to reduce the public's exposure to the potent painkiller.
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FDA Recommends New Limits On Acetaminophen

Posted: July 1st, 2009, 1:16pm CDT

An FDA advisory panel yesterday warned about the risk of acetaminophen, a painkiller in Tylenol, Nyquil and other drugs. The panel also called for a ban on Vicodin and Percocet, two drugs that combine acetaminophen with narcotics.
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