Science

Secondhand exposure to vaping poses health risks, according to the Surgeon General.

Many Adults Don't Think Exposure To Vaping Is Bad For Kids

2:11pm May 25, 2017

by Courtney Columbus

Nicotine, heavy metals and tiny particles that can harm the lungs float around in the aerosol from e-cigarettes. But a survey finds many adults don't think secondhand vape is dangerous for children.

Science

How Elections Influence Judges

10:40am May 25, 2017

by Shankar Vedantam

Social science research looks at the relationship between how judges rule and how they are influenced by election campaigns.

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The latest evidence that a chocolate habit may lower your risk of heart disease: A study finds people who ate small amounts of chocolate several times a week had a lower risk of atrial fibrillation.

Eating Chocolate, A Little Each Week, May Lower The Risk Of A Heart Flutter

6:30pm May 24, 2017

by Allison Aubrey

The latest evidence that a chocolate habit may lower your risk of heart disease: A study finds people who ate small amounts of chocolate several times a week had a lower risk of atrial fibrillation.

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Researchers had participants wear the fitness trackers while walking or running on a treadmill and while riding an exercise bike to determine how well the trackers measured heart rate and energy expenditure.

Fitness Trackers: Good at Measuring Heart Rate, Not So Good At Measuring Calories

4:30pm May 24, 2017

by Patti Neighmond

A study of seven popular fitness trackers found they are generally good at measuring heart rate, but may mislead consumers about how many calories they have burned.

A groundskeeper at Pinecrest Gardens sprays pesticide to kill mosquitoes in Miami-Dade County, Fla., in 2016.

Miami's Zika Outbreak Began Months Before It Was First Detected

3:02pm May 24, 2017

by Greg Allen

Travelers infected with the Zika virus in the Caribbean brought it to South Florida multiple times before officials realized it had reached the U.S., an analysis of virus genomes finds.

Susan Morgan, age 5, holds a bunch of bananas in Ponchatoula, La., in 1955. Susan was diagnosed with celiac disease and was prescribed a diet of 200 bananas weekly.

Doctors Once Thought Bananas Cured Celiac Disease. They Saved Kids' Lives — At A Cost

2:39pm May 24, 2017

by Jill Neimark

In the early 20th century, kids with the disease faced severe malnutrition, even death. The banana-based diet doctors came up with seemed to cure them — but led kids back to foods that made them sick.

A blue whale, the largest animal on the planet, engulfs krill off the coast of California.

Science

How The Biggest Animal On Earth Got So Big

7:19pm May 23, 2017

by Madeline K. Sofia

Whales might be the largest animals on the planet, but they haven't always been so huge. Researchers say the ocean giants only became enormous fairly recently, and over a short period of time.

This is a vertebrae of the Selam skeleton.

3.3 Million-Year-Old Fossil Sheds Light On How The Spine Evolved

6:58pm May 23, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

It's hard evidence that the type of spinal segmentation and numbering found in modern humans emerged 3.3 million years ago, the scientists say. The remarkable fossil was discovered in Ethiopia.

John Goodenough's work led to the lithium-ion battery, now found in everything from phones to electric cars. He and fellow researchers at the University of Texas, Austin say they've come up with a faster-charging alternative.

Science

At 94, Lithium-Ion Pioneer Eyes A New Longer-Lasting Battery

10:56pm May 22, 2017

by Mose Buchele

In 1980, John Goodenough's work led to the lithium-ion battery, now found in everything from phones to electric cars. He and fellow researchers say they've come up with a faster-charging alternative.

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Modern psychology shows that we all have a little bit of Narcissus in us. Most of us like people who remind us of ourselves — whether that is someone else with the same name or the same birthday.

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Me, Myself, and IKEA: What Our Love For Swedish Furniture Says About Narcissism

9:01pm May 22, 2017

In general, people show a subtle bias toward the self. This is why we love the IKEA furniture we've built, and gravitate toward others with the same name. But there are much larger implications, too.