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Friday

A 'Mole' Isn't Digging Mars: NASA Engineers Are Trying To Find Out Why

A photo of the mole on NASA's InSight lander trying to drill into the Martian surface. NASA hide caption

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NASA

Joe's Big Idea

A 'Mole' Isn't Digging Mars: NASA Engineers Are Trying To Find Out Why

After the InSight lander had trouble drilling a sophisticated thermometer into the Martian surface, a Plan B also didn't work, and the instrument ended up backing itself out of the ground.

A 'Mole' Isn't Digging Mars: NASA Engineers Are Trying To Find Out Why

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The Science Of Smell And Memory

Your olfactory system is actually more sensitive in colder weather. Pauline Pilon/Getty Images hide caption

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Pauline Pilon/Getty Images

Short Wave

The Science Of Smell And Memory

Why can a smell trigger such a powerful memory? Biological anthropologist Kara Hoover explains what's going on in the brain when we smell, how smell interacts with taste, and why our sense of smell is heightened in the winter. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.

The Science Of Smell And Memory

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Wednesday

One Small Step For Cookie Baking

Earlier this month, crew aboard the International Space Station received a a novel item in their cargo re-supply: a Zero-G oven and cookie dough. NASA/Nanoracks hide caption

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NASA/Nanoracks

Short Wave

One Small Step For Cookie Baking

Imagine having your Thanksgiving meal in microgravity? That's the reality for the six astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Today, we look at the evolution of astronaut food and a planned attempt to bake chocolate chip cookies in space.

One Small Step For Cookie Baking

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Tuesday

A Single Dose Of Ketamine Might Help Heavy Drinkers, Study Finds

A newly published study from University College London suggests that a single dose of ketamine could help dramatically reduce the alcohol intake of heavy drinkers. Bruce Forster/Getty Images hide caption

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Bruce Forster/Getty Images

Research News

A Single Dose Of Ketamine Might Help Heavy Drinkers, Study Finds

Participants in the U.K. experimental study dramatically reduced their average alcohol intake for months after the initial dose. Ketamine has also been used to treat severe depression.

Seeing Monsters? It Could Be The Nightmare Of Sleep Paralysis

Art historians point to images like John Henry Fuseli's 1754 painting "The Nightmare" as early depictions of sleep paralysis. UniversalImagesGroup/Getty Images hide caption

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UniversalImagesGroup/Getty Images

Short Wave

Seeing Monsters? It Could Be The Nightmare Of Sleep Paralysis

As a teenager, Josh Smith was plagued by sleep paralysis. Now he's afraid his kid might be experiencing it too. In this listener questions episode, Josh asks what the science says about this sleep disorder and what he can do to help his son.

Seeing Monsters? It Could Be The Nightmare Of Sleep Paralysis

Listen · 11:11
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Greenhouse Gas Emissions Are Still Rising, U.N. Report Says

Solar panels at Chile's Quilapilún energy plant are part of a joint venture by Chile and China. China has been investing heavily in renewable energy technology. Esteban Felix/AP hide caption

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Esteban Felix/AP

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Are Still Rising, U.N. Report Says

A United Nations report warns that greenhouse gas emissions from the world's largest economies must drop dramatically in the next decade to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change.

Monday

Young Researchers Feel Excitement And Sadness To See Arctic Ice That May Disappear

Chunks of ice float past the hull of the Akademik Fedorov as the ship moves through the southern edge of the Arctic Ocean ice pack. Ravenna Koenig/NPR hide caption

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Ravenna Koenig/NPR

Environment And Energy Collaborative

Young Researchers Feel Excitement And Sadness To See Arctic Ice That May Disappear

Some projections say that by 2040 the Arctic Ocean may see its first ice-free summer in modern history. That means mixed emotions for young scientists seeing the ice for the first time.

Young Researchers Feel Excitement And Sadness To See Arctic Ice That May Disappear

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Sunday

'An Eye-Opener': Virtual Reality Shows Residents What Climate Change Could Do

Climate researcher Juliano Calil helps a resident of Turner Station use the virtual reality program he created to show the expected impacts of sea level rise there. Nathan Rott/NPR hide caption

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Nathan Rott/NPR

Environment And Energy Collaborative

'An Eye-Opener': Virtual Reality Shows Residents What Climate Change Could Do

In a historic African American community near Baltimore, residents put on virtual reality headsets and watch their homes flood. The town hopes they'll support efforts to prepare for sea level rise.

Excess Weight Can Weaken The Flu Shot

Being overweight or obese can diminish the effectiveness of a flu shot, researchers say. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald/Getty Images hide caption

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Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Excess Weight Can Weaken The Flu Shot

Scientists have come to realize that flu vaccines are less effective for people who are overweight or obese. Now researchers are trying to figure out why and hope to develop better vaccines.

Excess Weight Can Weaken The Flu Shot

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Friday

Helen Fisher: How Does Love Affect The Brain?

Helen Fisher on the TED stage. Bret Hartman/TED hide caption

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Bret Hartman/TED

TED Radio Hour

Helen Fisher: How Does Love Affect The Brain?

Helen Fisher says love is a biological drive and a survival mechanism. She discusses the science of love and how much control we have over who we love, how we love, and whether that love lasts.

Helen Fisher: How Does Love Affect The Brain?

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Dessa: How Can You Fall Out Of Love?

Dessa on the TED stage. Josh Tam hide caption

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Josh Tam

TED Radio Hour

Dessa: How Can You Fall Out Of Love?

For years, musician Dessa tried to get over a toxic relationship. But she couldn't figure out how — until she tried something unconventional: using neuroscience to dull her feelings for her ex.

Dessa: How Can You Fall Out Of Love?

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Guy Winch: How Can We Choose To Move On From Heartbreak?

Guy Winch on the TED stage. Bret Hartman/TED hide caption

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Bret Hartman/TED

TED Radio Hour

Guy Winch: How Can We Choose To Move On From Heartbreak?

We don't consider heartbreak to be as serious as physical injury, but emotional pain can stay with us much longer. Psychologist Guy Winch says dealing with heartbreak starts with asserting control.

Guy Winch: How Can We Choose To Move On From Heartbreak?

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How The CDC's Reluctance To Use The 'F-Word' — Firearms — Hinders Suicide Prevention

In the U.S., firearms kill more people through suicide than homicide. Joe Raedle/Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Short Wave

How The CDC's Reluctance To Use The 'F-Word' — Firearms — Hinders Suicide Prevention

Congress prohibits the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from using any of its funding to promote or advocate for gun control. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce looked into how that makes it difficult for the CDC to talk frankly about the role guns play in suicide.

How The CDC's Reluctance To Use The 'F-Word' — Firearms — Hinders Suicide Prevention

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Thursday

'It's Going To Get Worse': How U.S. Countertop Workers Started Getting Sick

Samples of Silestone, a countertop material made of quartz. Cutting the material releases dangerous silica dust that can damage people's lungs if the exposure to the dust is not properly controlled. Catie Dull/NPR hide caption

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Catie Dull/NPR

Shots - Health News

'It's Going To Get Worse': How U.S. Countertop Workers Started Getting Sick

The story of the first worker in the U.S. to suffer lung damage after cutting a new kind of countertop material shows the way a workplace hazard emerged in this country.

'It's Going To Get Worse': How U.S. Countertop Workers Started Getting Sick

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