Science

A Protein That Moves From Muscle To Brain May Tie Exercise To Memory

4:55pm June 23, 2016

by Jon Hamilton

In mice, monkeys and people, exercise releases a protein called cathepsin B. And as blood and brain levels of this protein rise, memory gets better. But the protein has a dark side, too.

Mike Marsella, center, runs during the ACC Outdoor Championships in Tallahassee this year.

Can You Psych Yourself Into Running A 4-Minute Mile?

4:31pm June 23, 2016

by Lulu Miller

NPR's Lulu Miller tells the story of one runner who always believed he could break the four-minute mile. Then a terrible accident made him question if he would ever be the same runner.

The Text4Baby app sends free, periodic text messages in Spanish or English to pregnant women and new moms about prenatal care, labor and delivery, breastfeeding, developmental milestones and immunizations.

The Challenge Of Taking Health Apps Beyond The Well-Heeled

9:03am June 23, 2016

by Barbara Feder Ostrov

A nutrition app may not be the top priority for someone who struggles to pay for groceries. But cellphones have the potential to improve the health of people with low incomes, if they can get them.

A Canadian-owned Twin Otter aircraft evacuated two people from the South Pole on Wednesday.

Risky South Pole Rescue Succeeds As 2 Patients Are Airlifted Out

8:33pm June 22, 2016

by Geoff Brumfiel

Two individuals have been flown out of the South Pole in the dead of Antarctic winter. It's only the third such evacuation ever conducted.

Dangerous Rescue Mission Underway In The South Pole

4:39pm June 22, 2016

NPR's Kelly McEvers talks with Jerry Macala, who previously managed the South Pole station, about what it's like during winter at the South Pole and the obstacles facing the mission to rescue a sick worker.

The onion, says allium expert Eric Block, "really is quite beautiful from a scientific perspective."

Science

The Science Of Why Onions Make Us Cry

10:50am June 22, 2016

by Maanvi Singh

Sure, their beautiful, multilayered complexity has moved poets to weep. But the real answer is more practical: A bulb's gotta keep the baddies away. We get the lowdown from a chemist.

The Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, south of Los Osos, Calif., sits near earthquake fault lines, and will close by 2025.

California's Last Nuclear Power Plant To Be Shut Down

8:16pm June 21, 2016

by Chris Arnold

Diablo Canyon's reactors are close to earthquake fault lines. Public concerns are split between the dangers of quake damage and of carbon dioxide gas released by the burning of fossil fuels.

Evacuations from the South Pole during the winter months are considered risky. Temperatures can drop below -70 degrees Fahrenheit.

U.S. Mounts Daring Rescue Mission At The South Pole

6:44pm June 21, 2016

by Geoff Brumfiel

A sick worker at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station must be evacuated by plane at the height of the Antarctic winter. The current temperature is -70 degrees Fahrenheit.

California To Close State's Last Nuclear Power Plant

6:28pm June 21, 2016

by Lauren Sommer

California's last nuclear power plant will close by 2025 under a proposal announced Tuesday. Safety concerns are the main reason, but the Diablo Canyon plant produces enough power for 1.7 million homes. There's now a plan to replace the energy with renewables.

Queue Listen Now

Record-Breaking Heat Wave Hits The Southwest

4:30pm June 21, 2016

Meteorologist Iris Hermosillo describes the extreme heat residents of Phoenix are experiencing.