NPR News: Ancient humans used psychoactive drugs dating back to the Ice Age, study finds

Ancient humans used psychoactive drugs dating back to the Ice Age, study finds
A new study on ancient human remains finds evidence for the habitual use of betel nuts, dating back to the Ice Age. The finding offers some of the oldest archaeological evidence of psychoactive drug use, and potential insights into how use of betel nuts, now popular for their stimulant effects, evolved.

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NPR News: A fossil feather from the age of dinosaurs may explain why only some birds survived

A fossil feather from the age of dinosaurs may explain why only some birds survived
An extremely well preserved fossil feather could reveal why some birds survived the dinosaur-killing asteroid, and others did not.

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NPR News: Scientists map key protein interactions linked with profound autism

Scientists map key protein interactions linked with profound autism
Research published in the journal Science illuminates a "missing piece" in the biological understanding of profound autism and offers new targets for drug development.

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NPR News: Kissing apes, anti-splash urinals: This year's Ig Nobels showcase surprising science

Kissing apes, anti-splash urinals: This year's Ig Nobels showcase surprising science
The Ig Nobel Prizes were awarded this week for humorous yet thought-provoking research. This year, the ceremony came with a twist.

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NPR News: Scientists map the interactions of key proteins linked with profound autism

Scientists map the interactions of key proteins linked with profound autism
After more than a decade, UCSF scientists have mapped around 100 varied genes associated with profound autism to a smaller set of biological pathways, offering a promising path for developing drugs.

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NPR News: Sticky or slippery? Snails can change their slime to meet the moment

Sticky or slippery? Snails can change their slime to meet the moment
Snails are slimy. But there's more to it than meets the eye. It's a fact that may help inspire the creation of new materials. (This story first aired on All Things Considered on August 6, 2026.)

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NPR News: Video: Scientists watch orcas ram a sunfish so hard it explodes

Video: Scientists watch orcas ram a sunfish so hard it explodes
Marine biologists off of Baja California recorded one orca teeing up another to smash a sunfish into pieces. Scientists say there could be a reason for this behavior — or it could be just for entertainment.

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NPR News: Critical fire weather complicates firefighting efforts in massive Utah wildfire

Critical fire weather complicates firefighting efforts in massive Utah wildfire
Firefighters working on the nation's largest current wildfire, burning in southern Utah, are being challenged by historic weather conditions. Extreme wildfire behavior is expected to continue through the weekend.

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NPR News: Socioeconomic factors are becoming 'biologically embedded' in children's brains

Socioeconomic factors are becoming 'biologically embedded' in children's brains
A study of more than 2,300 9- to 10-year-olds found that socioeconomic factors explained most differences in the preteens' brain development.

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NPR News: Bumblebees have tiny brains but they can solve problems like chimps and elephants

Bumblebees have tiny brains but they can solve problems like chimps and elephants
New research suggests the fuzzy insects may be capable of spontaneously solving problems the way animals with much larger brains do.

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NPR News: Scientists are teaching AI-powered robots to run lab experiments

Scientists are teaching AI-powered robots to run lab experiments
Scientists are building autonomous robotic labs powered by artificial intelligence. The goal, they say, is for these robots to take over human researchers' most laborious, time-consuming tasks.

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NPR News: Researchers say the Trump administration is finding new ways to punish science

Researchers say the Trump administration is finding new ways to punish science
Even with federal grants largely restored, scientists say the Trump administration is still preventing those funds from reaching them. The consequences, they say, are already becoming clear.

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NPR News: Researchers unearth Southeast Asia's largest dinosaur

Researchers unearth Southeast Asia's largest dinosaur
They're calling it the "last titan" of Thailand. The sauropod — an herbivore with a long neck and tail — comes from the late Early Cretaceous period, some 100 to 120 million years ago.

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NPR News: Here's why dogs look like their owners, according to science

Here's why dogs look like their owners, according to science
People often say dogs and their owners look and act alike. Now there's science to back that up.

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NPR News: Chimps' rhythmic drumming and complex calls hint at origins of human language

Chimps' rhythmic drumming and complex calls hint at origins of human language
Two studies of wild chimps point to the evolutionary roots of human language. The studies found that chimp communication often relies on rhythmic structures and call combinations.

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NPR News: Trump restricts funding for 'gain-of-function' research — calling it dangerous

Trump restricts funding for 'gain-of-function' research — calling it dangerous
President Trump issued an executive order Monday banning federal funding for any research abroad that involves a field of scientific study known as "gain-of-function" research. Here's what it means.

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NPR News: He let snakes bite him 200 times to create a better snakebite antivenom

He let snakes bite him 200 times to create a better snakebite antivenom
Scientists have created a broadly effective antivenom using the blood of a Wisconsin man who has spent years exposing himself to deadly snakebites from black mambas, taipans, cobras and many others.

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NPR News: Scientists reel as turmoil roils National Science Foundation

Scientists reel as turmoil roils National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation, a major government funder of basic science research, is being shaken up with over 1,000 grants already terminated and the White House looking to halve its budget

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NPR News: What playing Minecraft tells researchers about social learning

What playing Minecraft tells researchers about social learning
Minecraft is a movie and a very popular video game with iconic block graphics that characters can "mine" for building material and gems. It's also what cognitive scientist Charley Wu and his team utilized to study how people learned as they played. Their unique study focused on both individual and social learning — and they found a clear answer to which players were most successful. (Hint: Get you a player who can do both.) Their results were published recently in the journal Nature Communications. Want to hear more about new science research? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

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NPR News: Marathon runners' bodies have a surprising snack — their own brains

Marathon runners' bodies have a surprising snack — their own brains
Running an entire marathon takes a lot of energy. Neuroscientist Carlos Matute knows this: he's run 18 of them. He wondered how runners' bodies get the energy they need to make it to the finish line. His new research in the journal Nature Metabolism may be the first step in answering the question – and suggests their brains might be (temporarily) depleting a fatty substance that coats nerve cells called myelin. Have other questions about the brain? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org! Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

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