'Open Heart,' a Journey Through the Medical System November 29, 2003 • Jay Neugeboren discovered suddenly at age 60 that he needed emergency quintuple heart bypass surgery. In his new medical memoir, Open Heart, Neugeboren chronicles an eye-opening journey through the American medical system. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with the author.
'Little Hunter' Teaches Babies About Hunting November 28, 2003 • Expectant and new parents are often on the lookout for ways to enhance their children's skills and expedite their intellectual development. There's Baby Mozart and Baby Einstein, and now there's Little Hunter which introduces infants to the world of hunting. Tracy Samilton of Michigan Public Radio reports.
Eskimos Seek Answers to Land Contamination November 28, 2003 • During the Cold War, the U.S. military created early-warning radar sites along Alaska's western coast. Now the local Yup'ik Eskimos, who have lived off the land for thousands of years, suspect that abnormalities in the fish and wildlife, and their own health problems, are related to contaminants left behind by the military. As NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports, they're determined to find out for themselves. See photos of Alaska's Hooper Bay area.
Scientists Track Genesis of Antibiotic-Resistant Staph November 27, 2003 • Scientists say a deadly staph bacteria, resistant to the "last ditch" antibiotic vancomycin, may have used genes from another bacteria infecting a patient to gain immunity to the drug. NPR's Joe Palca reports.
Study: European Language Began in Turkey November 26, 2003 • Farmers in what is now Turkey may have uttered the first Indo-European words around 8,000 years ago, according to a study in this week's Nature. The roots of Indo-European languages are hotly debated. In the new study, researchers borrowed tools from evolutionary biology to analyze 87 languages. NPR's Richard Harris reports.
Marijuana-Like Compounds Linked to Embryo Growth November 25, 2003 • Researchers discover that marijuana-like compounds produced by the body can help regulate the growth of mouse embryos. Scientists believe the findings could have implications for fertility research in humans. NPR's Joe Palca reports.
U.N. Updates Status of World AIDS Crisis November 25, 2003 • The United Nations issues a report Tuesday on AIDS around the world. The organization says that the number of people infected is 40 million, slightly less than in recent years. That's due to more accurate calculations. The epidemic has stabilized in a few places, but remains out of control in Africa and parts of Asia. NPR's Brenda Wilson reports.
Tetrahydrogestrinone, AKA THG November 22, 2003 • NPR's Scott Simon talks with Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist Ron Rapoport about the performance-enhancing steroid THG. Until a test for the steroid was developed this past summer, athletes could use the drug without being caught by regular drug testing. It now appears that elite athletes in many sports have used THG.
Ohio Utility Blamed for August Blackout November 20, 2003 • A report concludes that the massive power outage that left people in eight states and parts of Canada without power last August could have been prevented. Investigators say that a utility company and a grid-monitoring organization in Ohio failed to follow recommended operating procedures. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.
Medicare Plan Would Ban Canadian Drugs November 20, 2003 • The Republican-brokered Medicare prescription drug plan currently before Congress is angering many senior citizens. The plan will not allow Americans to import drugs from Canada, unless the Food and Drug Administration approves such sales. Such approval is unlikely: The FDA has been campaigning against "re-importation" from Canada for months now. NPR's Joanne Silberner reports.
New Drugs Target Immune-System Ills November 19, 2003 • A new generation of drugs for arthritis, skin diseases and other immune-system disorders is on the way to consumers. Trial versions of the drugs, known as "biologic modifiers," are helping many people who've had no luck with standard drugs in treating chronic and sometimes debilitating diseases. Hear NPR's Richard Knox.
Love of Insects Propels Author's Studies November 18, 2003 • Biologist Thomas Eisner has spent a lifetime studying insects; he is a pioneer in chemical ecology and has taught at Cornell University for more than 40 years. Eisner studies the chemical interactions of organisms, and he has a new book, For Love of Insects, that gathers images and ideas from his research. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Eisner.
Hepatitis A Outbreak Traced to Pennsylvania Chi-Chi's November 18, 2003 • More than 500 patrons of a Chi-Chi's Mexican restaurant in southwestern Pennsylvania have contracted hepatitis A. Three have died. Authorities now believe the restaurant's food supply was the main source of the outbreak, the largest ever to be attributed to one restaurant. Mark Nootbaar of member station WDUQ reports.
AARP Endorses GOP's Medicare Bill November 17, 2003 • In an unexpected move, the American Association of Retired Persons endorses Republican lawmakers' Medicare prescription drug plan. The politically influential group had been publicly neutral until Monday. The AARP now plans to launch a massive ad campaign and mobilize millions of members to support the Republican bill. NPR's Julie Rovner reports.
Dark Beer Can Be Heart-Healthy, Researchers Say November 15, 2003 • New studies suggest that moderate consumption of dark beer is good for the heart. The benefit seems to come from flavonoids -- plant substances that are allowed to linger longer in the brewing process for dark beer. NPR's Scott Simon talks to Dr. John Folts, a professor of medicine and nutritional science at the University of Wisconsin.