NPR People: Jon Hamilton http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2100615&ft=1&f=2100615 Jon Hamilton has served as a correspondent for NPR's science desk since 1998. His current beat includes neuroscience, health risks, behavior, and bioterrorism. Recent pieces include a series on the chemical perchlorate, which is turning up in California's water supply; a government effort to find out just how many autistic children there are in the U.S.; and an exploration of "neuromarketing." Copyright 2009 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.93 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:00 -0500 http://media.npr.org/images/podcasts/thumbnail/npr_generic_image_75.jpg Jon Hamilton http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2100615&ft=1&f=2100615 yes Sounds During Sleep May Help You Remember Certain sounds played while people napped helped them remember information associated with those sounds once they woke up, say researchers at Northwestern University. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120573613&ft=1&f=2100615 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120573613&ft=1&f=2100615 Certain sounds played while people napped helped them remember information associated with those sounds once they woke up, say researchers at Northwestern University. 226 no Certain sounds played while people napped helped them remember information associated with those sounds once they woke up, say researchers at Northwestern University.

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]]> Success Boosting Monkey Muscle Could Help Humans Researchers have successfully used gene therapy to increase monkeys' muscle strength. The team hopes to use the same treatment to help people with muscle-wasting diseases grow back their muscle strength. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120316010&ft=1&f=2100615 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120316010&ft=1&f=2100615 Researchers have successfully used gene therapy to increase monkeys' muscle strength. The team hopes to use the same treatment to help people with muscle-wasting diseases grow back their muscle strength. 230 no Researchers have successfully used gene therapy to increase monkeys' muscle strength. The team hopes to use the same treatment to help people with muscle-wasting diseases grow back their muscle strength.

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]]> Writing Study Ties Autism To Motor-Skill Problems Researchers who looked at handwriting samples found that children with autism struggle more than their peers to correctly form letters. The findings add to evidence that autism is a brain disorder that isn't limited to behavior, but affects motor skills, too. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120275194&ft=1&f=2100615 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120275194&ft=1&f=2100615 Researchers who looked at handwriting samples found that children with autism struggle more than their peers to correctly form letters. The findings add to evidence that autism is a brain disorder that isn't limited to behavior, but affects motor skills, too. 220 no Researchers who looked at handwriting samples found that children with autism struggle more than their peers to correctly form letters. The findings add to evidence that autism is a brain disorder that isn't limited to behavior, but affects motor skills, too.

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]]> With A Nerve Freed By Surgery, A Facial Pain Ends Sandra McGee suffered for years from debilitating facial pain — even a smile could trigger it. Like many with a rare condition called trigeminal neuralgia, she was told she needed a root canal. But what she really needed was a surgery pioneered by UCLA. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120140173&ft=1&f=2100615 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120140173&ft=1&f=2100615 Sandra McGee suffered for years from debilitating facial pain — even a smile could trigger it. Like many with a rare condition called trigeminal neuralgia, she was told she needed a root canal. But what she really needed was a surgery pioneered by UCLA. 305 no Sandra McGee suffered for years from debilitating facial pain — even a smile could trigger it. Like many with a rare condition called trigeminal neuralgia, she was told she needed a root canal. But what she really needed was a surgery pioneered by UCLA.

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]]> Radar Reveals Dynamic World Under Antarctica's Ice By flying planes over Antarctica with ice-penetrating radar, lasers and other technology, NASA scientists are able to piece together a picture of the vast mountains, valleys and rivers under the miles of Antarctic ice, revealing a dynamic and complex world. And scientists have already found some really surprising stuff happening inside the ice itself. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120087654&ft=1&f=2100615 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120087654&ft=1&f=2100615 By flying planes over Antarctica with ice-penetrating radar, lasers and other technology, NASA scientists are able to piece together a picture of the vast mountains, valleys and rivers under the miles of Antarctic ice, revealing a dynamic and complex world. And scientists have already found some really surprising stuff happening inside the ice itself. 218 no By flying planes over Antarctica with ice-penetrating radar, lasers and other technology, NASA scientists are able to piece together a picture of the vast mountains, valleys and rivers under the miles of Antarctic ice, revealing a dynamic and complex world. And scientists have already found some really surprising stuff happening inside the ice itself.

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]]> NASA Launches Mission To Track Polar Ice By Plane Climate scientists are about to lose a satellite that helped show how global warming affects the Earth's polar ice caps. A replacement won't be in orbit until at least 2015, so NASA will use a DC-8 aircraft instead to track whether the process of melting and subsequent sea-level rise is accelerating. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:24:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114299675&ft=1&f=2100615 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114299675&ft=1&f=2100615 Climate scientists are about to lose a satellite that helped show how global warming affects the Earth's polar ice caps. A replacement won't be in orbit until at least 2015, so NASA will use a DC-8 aircraft instead to track whether the process of melting and subsequent sea-level rise is accelerating. 284 no Climate scientists are about to lose a satellite that helped show how global warming affects the Earth's polar ice caps. A replacement won't be in orbit until at least 2015, so NASA will use a DC-8 aircraft instead to track whether the process of melting and subsequent sea-level rise is accelerating.

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]]> Bionic Eye Opens New World Of Sight For Blind Implanting an electronic retina can help restore some vision to people who've been blinded by retinal diseases, scientists reported Tuesday at the Neuroscience 2009 conference. Other researchers partially restored sight by growing new retina cells from stem cells. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:35:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113968653&ft=1&f=2100615 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113968653&ft=1&f=2100615 Implanting an electronic retina can help restore some vision to people who've been blinded by retinal diseases, scientists reported Tuesday at the Neuroscience 2009 conference. Other researchers partially restored sight by growing new retina cells from stem cells. 256 no Implanting an electronic retina can help restore some vision to people who've been blinded by retinal diseases, scientists reported Tuesday at the Neuroscience 2009 conference. Other researchers partially restored sight by growing new retina cells from stem cells.

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]]> Say What?! Musicians Hear Better Musicians don't have better ears than the rest of us, but several new studies find that musical training can improve hearing. The musically trained brain can distinguish between subtle pitch and tonal differences in sound that many of us cannot. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113938566&ft=1&f=2100615 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113938566&ft=1&f=2100615 Musicians don't have better ears than the rest of us, but several new studies find that musical training can improve hearing. The musically trained brain can distinguish between subtle pitch and tonal differences in sound that many of us cannot. 236 no Musicians don't have better ears than the rest of us, but several new studies find that musical training can improve hearing. The musically trained brain can distinguish between subtle pitch and tonal differences in sound that many of us cannot.

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]]> In Milliseconds, Brain Zips From Thought To Speech Researchers had the rare chance to learn more about how speech works by testing patients with electrodes embedded in their brain. The study found it takes the brain less than half a second to cue up what the mouth is about to say. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:01:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113834285&ft=1&f=2100615 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113834285&ft=1&f=2100615 Researchers had the rare chance to learn more about how speech works by testing patients with electrodes embedded in their brain. The study found it takes the brain less than half a second to cue up what the mouth is about to say. 237 no Researchers had the rare chance to learn more about how speech works by testing patients with electrodes embedded in their brain. The study found it takes the brain less than half a second to cue up what the mouth is about to say.

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]]> Virus Linked To Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Chronic fatigue affects more than 1 million people in the U.S. Scientists have discovered that nearly two-thirds of them are infected with a retrovirus called XMRV. Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113613955&ft=1&f=2100615 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113613955&ft=1&f=2100615 Chronic fatigue affects more than 1 million people in the U.S. Scientists have discovered that nearly two-thirds of them are infected with a retrovirus called XMRV. 0 no Chronic fatigue affects more than 1 million people in the U.S. Scientists have discovered that nearly two-thirds of them are infected with a retrovirus called XMRV.

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]]> Americans Win Nobel For Research On Aging The 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Americans Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak, who made key discoveries about how living cells age. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:55:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113491995&ft=1&f=2100615 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113491995&ft=1&f=2100615 The 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Americans Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak, who made key discoveries about how living cells age. 229 no The 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Americans Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak, who made key discoveries about how living cells age.

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]]> American Scientists Win Nobel For Aging Insights Three American scientists won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology for research that has implications for cancer and aging. Elizabeth Blackburn, Jack Szostak and Carol Greider won the prize worth $1.4 million. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:58:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113491848&ft=1&f=2100615 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113491848&ft=1&f=2100615 Three American scientists won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology for research that has implications for cancer and aging. Elizabeth Blackburn, Jack Szostak and Carol Greider won the prize worth $1.4 million. 239 no Three American scientists won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology for research that has implications for cancer and aging. Elizabeth Blackburn, Jack Szostak and Carol Greider won the prize worth $1.4 million.

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]]> Thanks To Gene Therapy, Monkeys See In Full Color Scientists have used gene therapy to achieve full color vision in two male squirrel monkeys that were born unable to tell red from green. Researchers say the technique could someday be used on people with colorblindness or other vision problems. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:20:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112897277&ft=1&f=2100615 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112897277&ft=1&f=2100615 Scientists have used gene therapy to achieve full color vision in two male squirrel monkeys that were born unable to tell red from green. Researchers say the technique could someday be used on people with colorblindness or other vision problems. 224 no Scientists have used gene therapy to achieve full color vision in two male squirrel monkeys that were born unable to tell red from green. Researchers say the technique could someday be used on people with colorblindness or other vision problems.

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]]> Brain Scientists Misled By Squid For years scientists have used squid data to estimate how human brains use energy. Squid brains are easy to study, as some of their nerve signals are big enough to be seen by the naked eye. Now German scientists say these data are misleading, and they are working to set the record straight. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:10:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112731816&ft=1&f=2100615 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112731816&ft=1&f=2100615 For years scientists have used squid data to estimate how human brains use energy. Squid brains are easy to study, as some of their nerve signals are big enough to be seen by the naked eye. Now German scientists say these data are misleading, and they are working to set the record straight. 198 no For years scientists have used squid data to estimate how human brains use energy. Squid brains are easy to study, as some of their nerve signals are big enough to be seen by the naked eye. Now German scientists say these data are misleading, and they are working to set the record straight.

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]]> In Future, Science Could Erase Traumatic Memories A new study in rats illuminates why fearful memories are so persistent and discovers a possible treatment. Scientists successfully used a drug to make rats forget their fear. They say it could work in humans, too. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:20:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112531962&ft=1&f=2100615 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112531962&ft=1&f=2100615 A new study in rats illuminates why fearful memories are so persistent and discovers a possible treatment. Scientists successfully used a drug to make rats forget their fear. They say it could work in humans, too. 238 no A new study in rats illuminates why fearful memories are so persistent and discovers a possible treatment. Scientists successfully used a drug to make rats forget their fear. They say it could work in humans, too.

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