Technology

NPR Topics: Research News

New advances in science, medicine, health, and technology.Stem cell research, drug research, and new treatments for disease.

As Kids Grow Older, Egalitarianism Honed A study in Nature shows that egalitarianism begins to appear in most kids between ages 3 and 8. Scientists who studied 229 Swiss children found that at age 3, 9 percent were willing to share candy with another person. But by age 8, that number rose to 45 percent. Medication Error Death Rate Up 500 Percent Painkillers, sleeping pills and anti-anxiety drugs are being prescribed to out-patients in high doses, without the oversight of a doctor. A new study found that in the last 20 years there has been a 500 percent increase in the death rate from medication errors made at home. Breast Exam Rebuttal: 'An Exam Saved Me' Last week we reported on a study that showed that self breast exams don't help prevent death from breast cancer in women. The interview generated quite a response from listeners. Several women wrote in to say that they had found cancerous lumps in their own breasts and wouldn't be alive today if not for breast self exams. Study Shows Europe's Population Falling Birthrates across Europe are falling, says a new study by the Berlin Institute for Population and Development. Reiner Klingholz, the institute's director, says the region's population will be constant over the next 50 years thanks only to immigration. If Bigfoot Isn't In Georgia, Where Is He? One more Bigfoot hoax went down in history this week. But Jeffrey Meldrum, a professor of anatomy and biological sciences at Idaho State University, says strange tracks are part of a growing body of evidence that something may be out there. Mice Can Sniff Out Fear, Study Finds Scientists have isolated an organ in a mouse's nose that can detect alarm pheromones emitted by other mice. This kind of chemical signaling of danger or fear is known in fish, insects and even plants, but it has not been extensively studied much in mammals. Magpies Can Recognize Reflection Recognizing one's self in a mirror used to be considered the hallmark of humans some other animals such as elephants, dolphins and chimps. Now scientists have shown that even a magpie can do the trick. Study: Breast Exams Don't Prevent Death Doctors encourage women to examine their own breasts for lumps. New research shows that this practice doesn't help prevent deaths from breast cancer. Antibodies To 1918 Flu Found In Elderly Survivors In the journal Nature, scientists report the antibodies were found in 32 people who were alive in 1918 and were able to protect mice infected with a variant of the 1918 virus. The discovery is helping scientists understand what it might take to battle a modern flu pandemic. Bending Light In Pursuit Of Invisibility Guy Bartal, from the light refraction lab at Berkeley, talks about the research his lab is doing on "invisible cloaks." Bartal oversees research in this lab and is a co-author of two papers that came out this week on light bending. Study: Runners Live Longer A good jog can stave off some effects of aging according to a Stanford University study. The lead author of the study discusses why she thinks elderly runners showed fewer disabilities and lived longer than their non-jogging counterparts. The Possibility Of An Invisibility Cloak Researchers report they've created an artificial material that bends some wavelengths of light differently. If they're able to expand the work to a wider range of wavelengths, the material could provide an unprecedented level of control over the way light moves, perhaps even making a "cloak of invisibility" possible. Are We Headed Toward Extinction? Scientists studying many different parts of the planet's ecosystems are warning that Earth may be on the verge of a sixth major mass extinction event. What Made Chili Peppers So Spicy? New research indicates chili pepper plants may have developed their signature heat as a way to fight off fungal infections caused by insects. Allowing Components to Self Assemble Nanoscale Patterns Using a technique known as self assembly, researchers have found a way to create high-quality repeating patterns with features just ten nanometers across.