Science The latest health and science news. Updates on medicine, healthy living, nutrition, drugs, diet, and advances in science and technology. Subscribe to the Health & Science podcast.

Monday

After a dose of ketamine, special video games that offered a depressed player positive feedback, in the form of smiling faces or encouraging words, seemed to boost the length of time the drug quelled depression. akinbostanci/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
akinbostanci/Getty Images

Smiling faces might help the drug ketamine keep depression at bay

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1132371480/1132766751" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Platen Heilmethode 1894. Grafissimo/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Grafissimo/Getty Images

Sunday

William Simpson with a 2-year-old Appaloosa colt near the Soda Mountain Wilderness area, straddling the Oregon and California border, in July 2022. Michelle Gough hide caption

toggle caption
Michelle Gough

Preventing wildfire with the Wild Horse Fire Brigade

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1131042723/1132808127" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Saturday

A recent study found that adding strangers to the mix of people we speak with might increase our happiness. Gpointstudio/Getty Images/Image Source hide caption

toggle caption
Gpointstudio/Getty Images/Image Source

Talking to strangers might make you happier, a study on 'relational diversity' finds

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1132078900/1132081327" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Friday

There have been a few long term studies of the box turtle that looked at box turtle populations over several decades. The studies showed big population declines—75 percent or more. Nell Greenfieldboyce/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Nell Greenfieldboyce/NPR

Thursday

A Scarlet Tanager perches on a branch. In the Neversink Mounatin Preserve in Lower Alsace Township Tuesday afternoon June 22, 2021. Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images

Wednesday

Abortion is on the ballot in Montana. Voters will decide fate of the 'Born Alive' law

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1131427646/1131711293" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

The International Space Station is pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour on Nov. 8, 2021. On Monday, the ISS had to fire its thrusters to avoid space junk. NASA Johnson Space Center via Flickr Creative Commons hide caption

toggle caption
NASA Johnson Space Center via Flickr Creative Commons

The civil war in Ethiopia is destroying the medical system in the northern region of Tigray. Iman Raza Khan/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Iman Raza Khan/Getty Images

Tuesday

An electron microscope image shows a SARS-CoV-2 particle isolated in the early days of the pandemic. It's been nearly a year since omicron was first detected, and scientists say this branch of the coronavirus family tree is still thriving. NIAID/NIH via AP hide caption

toggle caption
NIAID/NIH via AP

Omicron keeps finding new evolutionary tricks to outsmart our immunity

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1129196088/1131279359" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Baker Lake is surrounded by Fall colors on October 8, 2022 near East Bolton, Quebec, Canada. SEBASTIEN ST-JEAN / AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
SEBASTIEN ST-JEAN / AFP via Getty Images

When Autumn Leaves Start To Fall

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1131104452/1200393466" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Monday

Unwanted used plastic sits outside Garten Services, a recycling facility in Oregon. Laura Sullivan/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Laura Sullivan/NPR

Recycling plastic is practically impossible — and the problem is getting worse

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1131131088/1131190816" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Saturday