Scientists Find Cells In The Human Brain Responsible For Episodic Memory Many memories are like short movies. People relive experiences such as arriving for the first day of school or falling off a bike. Scientists have shown how the brain organizes these episodes. Jon Hamilton
Scientists Find Massive Coral Reef In Australia's Great Barrier Reef The 1,600-foot-tall coral reef is taller than the Empire State Building, and its base is a mile wide. It's the first time in 120 years since a coral reef this size has been discovered.
Water On The Moon: NASA Confirms Water Molecules On Our Neighbor's Sunny Surface The breakthrough suggests that water, vital to life on Earth, could be distributed across more parts of the lunar surface than the ice that has previously been found in cold and dark places. Bill Chappell
Colleges Turn To Wastewater Testing In An Effort To Flush Out The Coronavirus Wastewater offers an ideal testing opportunity for colleges: People often poop where they live; colleges know who lives in each dorm; and testing wastewater is a cheaper way to monitor virus spread. Elissa Nadworny
A Big Alzheimer's Drug Study Is Proceeding Cautiously, Despite The Pandemic Researchers launched a major study of an experimental Alzheimer's drug this summer. They also learned a lot about how to protect participants who must make frequent visits to a medical center. Jon Hamilton
New Law Creates 988 Hotline For Mental Health Emergencies President Trump has signed a bi-partisan bill creating a 3-digit hotline for mental health emergencies. Mental health advocates say it will bring mental health crisis response into the 21st century. Rhitu Chatterjee
Dallas Taylor: What Can We Learn From Listening To Silence? What can we discover when we allow ourselves to sit in silence and just... listen? Sound designer Dallas Taylor explores how tuning into silence is key for understanding the beauty of the sonic world. NPR/TED Staff
Rebecca Knill: Technology Has Come So Far—When Will Our Mindset Catch-Up? As a deaf person, Rebecca Knill is anti-noise and "neutral" on sound. She explains how technology allows her to hear what she wants to hear, and asks why our mindset about ability hasn't caught up. NPR/TED Staff
Jim Hudspeth: How Do We Hear — And How Do We Lose Our Ability To Hear? Over 30 million people in the U.S. have hearing loss. Neuroscientist Jim Hudspeth explains how the ear's thousands of hair cells function to amplify sound—and how they can be damaged but not repaired. NPR/TED Staff
Water Or A Sports Drink? These Brain Cells May Decide Which One We Crave Scientists have identified specialized brain cells that create two distinct kinds of thirst. Some of the cells respond to a need for water alone, while others produce a craving for water and salt. Jon Hamilton