Red brain overlaid on skeleton

Beyond opioids: How we’re rethinking pain

Scientists are making progress against chronic pain. This week, we discuss painkillers for dogs and whether we can think ourselves out of chronic pain.

microorganisms under the microscope

Fountain of youth for heart health may lie in the gut

March 19, 2019

Age-related changes in our gut bacteria play a key role in making arteries stiff, degrading blood vessels and boosting risk of heart attack and stroke as we get older, according to a new, first-of-its kind study.

Brain overlaid on computer data

Artificial intelligence: Teaching computers to be good people

March 12, 2019

Google’s Abigail Posner chimes in on the future of artificial intelligence. What are some of the limits? When do the ethics cross the line?

Baby sleeping

The value of sleep

March 5, 2019

This week we’re talking about sleep. So what does a good night's sleep look like? What does it feel like?

Cyclist

Cheating in sports

Feb. 28, 2019

What counts as cheating? Could a prosthetic be a form of cheating? Does the question of cheating even matter if everyone is cheating in the same way?

Alarm clock

‘Catching up’ on sleep on the weekend doesn’t work

Feb. 28, 2019

Think sleeping in on the weekend can repair the damage from a week of sleepless nights? New research says it might actually make things worse.

Tom Heinbockel demonstrating using a Power Breathe device

Novel 5-minute workout improves blood pressure, may boost your brain

Feb. 25, 2019

Could working out five minutes a day, without lifting a single weight or jogging a single step, reduce your heart attack risk, help you think more clearly and boost your sports performance? Preliminary evidence suggests yes.

Heart drawn in crayon

What is love?

Feb. 21, 2019

We talk to scientists about the chemistry behind monogamy, why it feels good to hold hands and why placebos could be effective in getting over heartbreak.

Globe image

The tragedy of the ‘Tragedy of the Commons’

Feb. 19, 2019

On the 50th anniversary of Garrett Hardin’s influential essay about the “freedom to breed,” the director of the Population Center contends he missed the mark.

Shalaya Kipp conducts a treadmill study in the Locomotion Lab at

Slower runners benefit most from high-tech shoes, other elite methods

Feb. 11, 2019

How much do high-tech shoes, special diets and exercises, drafting behind other runners and other strategies actually improve your finish time? A new study spells it out. The takeaway: The faster you are, the harder it is to get faster.

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