During deep sleep, waves of cerebrospinal fluid (blue) coincide with temporary decreases in blood flow (red). Less blood in the brain means more room for the fluid to carry away toxins, including those associated with Alzheimer's disease. Fultz et al. 2019 hide caption
Science
Thursday
Common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus), such as this group day-roosting in a cave in Mexico, can form cooperative, friendship-like social relationships. B.G. Thomson/Science Source hide caption
For These Vampires, A Shared Blood Meal Lets 'Friendship' Take Flight
Wednesday
Shannan Troncoso, co-owner of Brookland's Finest Bar & Kitchen in Washington, D.C., has turned her customers into fans of Brussels sprouts. Catie Dull/NPR hide caption
From Culinary Dud To Stud: How Dutch Plant Breeders Built Our Brussels Sprouts Boom
A "murder" scene could seem creepy, but what is going on inside these crows' minds may be most unsettling. Dragan Todorovic/Getty Images hide caption
Saturday
A flyer reminding customers about vaping-related deaths and illnesses, on display in a Seattle vape store. The Washington State Board of Health recently passed a four-month emergency ban on flavored vaping products. It applies to products that contain either THC or nicotine. Jovelle Tamayo/Bloomberg/Getty Images hide caption
Some States With Legal Weed Embrace Vaping Bans, Warn Of Black Market Risks
Friday
This year the Drug Enforcement Administration is accepting electronic vaping devices (provided any lithium ion batteries are removed) during its annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day event. Lane Turner/The Boston Globe/Getty Images hide caption
Thursday
At Chicago's McCormick Place, neuroscientists from around the world presented their work to colleagues. But some researchers were denied entry because of the Trump administration's travel ban. Rob Piercy/Allen Institute hide caption
U.S. Travel Ban Disrupts The World's Largest Brain Science Meeting
Climate change is here. These 6 tips can help you talk to kids about it
Wednesday
Google's processor, Sycamore, performed a truly random-number generation in 200 seconds. The achievement marks a major breakthrough in the decadeslong quest to use quantum mechanics to solve computational problems. Above, a Google sign at the company's campus in Mountain View, Calif. Jeff Chiu/AP hide caption
A firefighter participates in a controlled burn in a forest outside El Perelló in Catalonia, Spain, on Sept. 27. NPR followed a special unit into the woods in Spain to see how they burn for prevention. Aaron Labaree for NPR hide caption
Though there are websites, hotlines, therapists and coaches to help teens manage nicotine cravings, there's been little research to show what works best. Recently, some programs have turned to texting to help kids find resources specific to vaping cessation. Towfiqu Photography/Getty Images hide caption
Engineer Joel Steinkraus tests solar panels on one of two CubeSats that made up NASA's Mars Cube One mission. The MarCO CubeSats — the first to be sent into deep space — flew to Mars and relayed telemetry from NASA's InSight lander. NASA/JPL-Caltech hide caption
Itty-Bitty Satellites Take On Big-Time Science Missions
Tuesday
for salmon but delivering less water for cities and farmers. State officials say water users along the Tuolumne River have agreed to voluntary concessions that would improve salmon habitat instead of the mandated increase in water flows. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) Jae C. Hong/AP hide caption
A blood transfusion bag hangs in an operating room in a hospital in the Republic of Congo. Most countries in sub-Saharan Africa have a huge gap between blood supply and demand, new research found. Godong/Universal Images Group/Getty Images hide caption
Monday
Scientists are exploring a new technique, called prime editing, that is more precise than CRISPR and which uses certain enzymes, including reverse transcriptase, to edit DNA. Evan Oto/Science Source hide caption