Science

Aaron Hernandez (81), of the New England Patriots, lost his helmet during this play against the New York Jets in 2011. Hernandez killed himself in 2017, and researchers found that he had had one of the most severe cases of CTE ever seen in someone his age

Repeated Head Hits, Not Just Concussions, May Lead To A Type Of Chronic Brain Damage

6:57pm January 18, 2018

by Tom Goldman

Scientists believe they have solid evidence that repeated direct hits to the head can cause the degenerative brain disease seen in some athletes, even if there are no signs of concussion.

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In one study, participants who routinely got less than seven hours of sleep were coached to extend their sleep time. They also changed their diets, without being asked — taking in less sugar each day.

Sugar And Sleep: More Rest May Dull Your Sweet Tooth

6:16pm January 18, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

When study participants who routinely got less than seven hours of sleep were coached to extend their sleep time, they also changed their diets, without being asked — taking in less sugar each day.

Scientists are trying to invent a blood test to diagnose cancer.

Scientists Edge Closer To A Blood Test To Detect Cancers

5:33pm January 18, 2018

by Richard Harris

This blood test detected signs of cancer in 70 percent of people with eight common forms of the disease. But it was much less good at identifying cancer in people in the early stages.

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When you smell ginger root or petrol, do you have a specific word to describe the odor?

That Smells Like ... Um, I Can't Think Of A Word For It!

4:36pm January 18, 2018

by Angus Chen

A new study looks at the way we identify smells. English speakers kind of stink at it. But that's not the case in every language.

Moscow Sees Only 6 Minutes Of Sunlight During All Of December

4:17pm January 18, 2018

Moscow experienced the darkest month in its recorded history in December. There was a total of six minutes of sunlight. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with reporter Charles Maynes, who lived through this dark month.

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Yellows, oranges and reds show regions where the average temperature from 2013 to 2017 was higher than a baseline average from 1951 to 1980, according to an analysis by NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

2017 Among Warmest Years On Record

3:36pm January 18, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

The planet's global surface temperature last year was the second warmest since 1880, NASA says. Scientists say the five warmest years on record have been since 2010.

What can you learn from knowing whether your cat is right- or left-pawed?

Science

Cat Lovers, Is Your Cat Right- Or Left-Pawed?

11:32am January 18, 2018

by Barbara J. King

Do you know which paw your cat uses first when coming down the stairs? Anthropologist and cat lover Barbara J. King discusses with researchers why a new finding of paw preference matters for our pets.

Robert Murray of Murray Energy (right) meets with Energy Secretary Rick Perry at the Department of Energy headquarters in Washington in a March 29, 2017, photo obtained by The Associated Press.

Photographer Says He Lost His Job After Leaking Pictures Of Rick Perry And Coal CEO

11:08am January 18, 2018

by Scott Neuman

Former Department of Energy photographer Simon Edelman is filing a federal whistleblower suit after he leaked the photos of a private meeting between the energy secretary and Robert Murray.

Dr. Mathilde Krim at the World AIDS Day Symposium presented by the Foundation For AIDS Research and the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2002. Krim had a knack for helping people talk about HIV/AIDS rationally, colleagues say.

Pioneering HIV Researcher Mathilde Krim Remembered For Her Activism

7:26pm January 17, 2018

by Patti Neighmond

Mathilde Krim, who died this week, was a vocal pioneer in HIV treatment and research at a time when discrimination against people with AIDS in the U.S. was rampant, even in medical care.

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Ronda Goldfein, attorney and executive director of the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, holds an envelope that revealed a person's HIV status through the clear window.

Aetna Agrees To Pay $17 Million In HIV Privacy Breach

6:18pm January 17, 2018

by Elana Gordon

Health insurer Aetna has reached a settlement with people whose privacy was compromised when their HIV status was visible through the clear address windows on envelopes sent to them.