Scientists say two separate brain circuits control how much salt we consume.

This itchy microbe really touches a nerve. A common skin bacterium can directly interact with a nerve cell to trigger an itch, new study shows, suggesting possible new therapies for itchy conditions.

A Texas undergrad is investigating how to grow vegetables on Mars — and has cultivated test samples of English peas in simulated Martian soil, with fertilizer from fly larvae.

Two brain circuits help regulate salt intake: One adjusts salt cravings, the other determines whether we find salty food delicious or disgusting. (Story aired on ATC on Nov. 20, 2023.)

As army ants travel over uneven terrain, they link their bodies together to create bridges — a system that might give engineers insight into controlling robotic swarms.

A new study finds that 5.5 million adults worldwide died in 2019 from cardiovascular disease attributable to lead exposure, more than six times higher than a previous estimate.

On Earth, clouds and rain are made of water. But the James Webb Space Telescope has found that on a planet called WASP-107b, the rain and clouds are made of sand.

Attenborough's long-beaked echidna, a mammal with a unique evolutionary history, was caught on camera for the first time. Researchers hope their find advances conservation efforts in remote Indonesia.

For years, programs like D.A.R.E. told students to "just say no" to drugs. But research shows that approach alone didn't work. Now experts are backing a new approach that could help save lives.

Leishmaniasis, a disease spread by a parasite carried by sand flies, is generally considered a tropical disease. Now, thanks to climate change, new research finds it's endemic to the United States.

Inspired by a childhood in sun-baked Ethiopia, Heman Bekele wanted to tackle skin cancer. He came up with a topical cancer-fighting soap, and it won him the 3M Young Scientist's Challenge.

A study released this month from the Pew Research Center has delved into what friendship in the U.S. looks like, and just how much they mean to us.

Scientists studying the causes of long COVID symptoms are proposing a surprising pathway. Their research weaves together several prominent lines of evidence on what might be driving the condition.

A new atlas of the human brain could help explain abilities like language – and vulnerabilities, like Alzheimer's disease.

When it comes to the health benefits of cold water dips, the hype is ahead of the science. NPR talked to researchers about what's true, what's not, and the latest on how to get the most out of it.