NPR's Scott Detrow talks with theoretical astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan of Yale University about a strange blip recorded by a dark matter detector in South Dakota and what the fluke could mean.

Heat kills thousands of people across the U.S. every year. The risk is especially high for the millions of Americans who live in manufactured housing like mobile homes and trailers.

New research at the American Chemical Society meeting showcased a potentially edible cookie made out of — plastic!

The American chestnut once dominated the Eastern woodlands. NPR's Scott Simon talks to Andrew Newhouse, an environmental biologist, about efforts to bring these trees back from the brink of extinction.

NPR's Regina Barber and Nate Rott talk about a new way to spot archaeological fakes, how hurricanes may have influenced lizard evolution and the health effects of extreme heat.

Research published in the journal Science illuminates a "missing piece" in the biological understanding of profound autism and offers new targets for drug development.

The elephantnose fish is native to Africa and a darling of neuroscientists, for its specialized cerebellum-like brain. Scientists have mapped the neurons in a part of the brain that senses electrical signals in detail, and found that how it filters out electrical noise is more complex than they thought.

The Ig Nobel Prizes were awarded this week for humorous yet thought-provoking research. This year, the ceremony came with a twist.

When Arizona counts heat-related deaths, Adam Willson isn't included. His story shows how thousands of heat deaths can go uncounted every year in the United States.

Democrats and Republicans in Troy, N.Y., took on a national Catholic health system and kept the county's last birthing center open.