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Monday

Celebrate Christmas in July with research on The Sims 4, sleep and free snacks

A screenshot taken by journalist Jordan Oloman during his playthrough as a doctor in the social simulation video game The Sims 4. Jordan Oloman/The Sims 4 hide caption

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Jordan Oloman/The Sims 4

Short Wave

Celebrate Christmas in July with research on The Sims 4, sleep and free snacks

Would you survive as a doctor in The Sims 4? What's the appropriate amount of free food to take from a public sample station before it's considered greedy? And how much of an impact do clock towers have on sleep?

Celebrate Christmas in July with research on The Sims 4, sleep and free snacks

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Yes, heat can affect your brain and mood. Here's why

Extreme heat can slow cognition and increase anxiety, research finds. AleksandarGeorgiev/Getty Images hide caption

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AleksandarGeorgiev/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Yes, heat can affect your brain and mood. Here's why

Hot summer temperatures can make you anxious and irritable and dull your thinking. Here's what researchers think is going on.

Yes, heat can affect your brain and mood. Here's why

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Sunday

This Ivy League researcher says spirituality is good for our mental health

Professor Lisa Miller has dedicated most of her career to the study of neuroscience and spirituality. Getty hide caption

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Getty

Enlighten Me with Rachel Martin

This Ivy League researcher says spirituality is good for our mental health

A Columbia University professor says spiritual beliefs can decrease our rates of anxiety and depression. I needed to understand how she came to these conclusions.

This Ivy League researcher says spirituality is good for our mental health

Listen · 15:54
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A worm that survived 46,000 years in permafrost wows scientists

A Panagrolaimus kolymaensis nematode is seen under the microscope at the University of Cologne's worm lab in Germany. Video by Laura Villegas/screenshot by NPR hide caption

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Video by Laura Villegas/screenshot by NPR

Animals

A worm that survived 46,000 years in permafrost wows scientists

A nematode found deep in frozen sediment has proven its ability to survive extreme environments long term. Scientists studying the species say their work could inform the protection of other animals.

Saturday

The Jackson water crisis through a student journalist's eyes

Georgianna McKenny, 17, is the high school grand-prize winner in NPR's fifth-annual Student Podcast Challenge. Imani Khayyam for NPR hide caption

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Imani Khayyam for NPR

Short Wave

The Jackson water crisis through a student journalist's eyes

In this special episode, we hear from the high school grand prize winner of NPR's Student Podcast Challenge: Georgianna McKenny. A rising senior at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, the 17-year-old rings an alarm on the water crisis in Jackson, through the lens of young people. Emily, who was one of the judges of this year's contest, talks to Georgianna about her winning podcast and their shared love for storytelling.

The Jackson water crisis through a student journalist's eyes

Listen · 11:54
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Friday

Peanuts for infants, poopy beaches and summer pet safety in our news roundup

In 2006, Waikiki Beach was near empty of swimmers due to a sewage spill which diverted millions of gallons of raw sewage into a nearby canal. Marco Garcia/Getty Images hide caption

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Short Wave

Peanuts for infants, poopy beaches and summer pet safety in our news roundup

For most infants, introducing peanuts early can help prevent allergies later on — but a new study reveals most caregivers don't know that. Why? Plus — some summertime advice for keeping pets cool in the heat, and avoiding beaches contaminated with poop. (A lot of them are.) All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly joins Regina G. Barber and Aaron Scott to discuss those stories in our science news roundup.

Peanuts for infants, poopy beaches and summer pet safety in our news roundup

Listen · 9:18
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Thursday

Weighted infant sleepwear is meant to help babies rest better. Critics say it's risky

A growing number of doctors and safe sleep advocates are warning about the potential dangers of weighted sleepwear for infants. Oscar Wong/Getty Images hide caption

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Oscar Wong/Getty Images

Family

Weighted infant sleepwear is meant to help babies rest better. Critics say it's risky

Parents are increasingly turning to weighted sleepwear to help lull their babies to sleep, but a growing number of doctors and safe sleep advocates warn it comes with risks that shouldn't be ignored.

Weighted infant sleepwear is meant to help babies rest better. Critics say it's risky

Listen · 3:54
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Wednesday

Hep C has a secret strategy to evade the immune system. And now we know what it is

An image of the hepatitis C virus Image made from a transmission electron microscopy. The virus is adept at evading the immune system. BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images hide caption

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BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Goats and Soda

Hep C has a secret strategy to evade the immune system. And now we know what it is

How does the hepatitis C virus keep the immune system at bay? A scientist finds the answer — and it involves a standard technique used by villains.

Why babies babble, and what it can teach adults about language

UCLA researcher Megha Sundara says that, even early on, babies are very good at imitating the rhythm and intonations — part of what makes up "prosody" — of the language they're hearing. Image Source/Getty Images hide caption

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Image Source/Getty Images

Short Wave

Why babies babble, and what it can teach adults about language

In which we metaphorically enter the UCLA Language Acquisistion Lab's recording castle, guided by linguistics researcher Dr. Megha Sundara. NPR science correspondent Sydney Lupkin temporarily takes over the host chair to talk to Sundara about all things baby babble. Along the way, we learn why babies babble, how that babbling can change with exposure to new languages — and if there are any lessons for adults.

Why babies babble, and what it can teach adults about language

Listen · 10:57
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Tuesday

U.S., European heat waves 'virtually impossible' without climate change, study finds

Tens of millions of Americans — including residents in Phoenix, where a billboard displays a temperature of 118 degrees last week — have been living under extreme heat warnings or advisories during the last few weeks. A new study finds climate change is making heat waves more common. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Climate

U.S., European heat waves 'virtually impossible' without climate change, study finds

Punishing heat waves have gripped America, Asia and Europe this July. A new study finds human-caused climate change is a major reason why.

Monday

Young men making quartz countertops are facing lung damage. One state is taking action

This image, from a video produced by government safety researchers, shows a countertop worker using a machine with a spray of water that's intended to control dust. NIOSH hide caption

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NIOSH

Shots - Health News

Young men making quartz countertops are facing lung damage. One state is taking action

Countertops made of the engineered stone "quartz" are incredibly popular, but public health experts say cutting this material unsafely can expose workers to deadly dust.

Affirmative action for rich kids: It's more than just legacy admissions

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 29: People walk through the gate on Harvard Yard at the Harvard University campus on June 29, 2023 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Scott Eisen/Getty Images hide caption

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Scott Eisen/Getty Images

Analysis

Planet Money

Affirmative action for rich kids: It's more than just legacy admissions

A blockbuster new study finds that America's elite private colleges are systematically giving huge advantages to rich kids over their equally bright, yet less privileged peers.