Emily Kwong

The mind of the octopus is so different than human intelligence, some people are studying it to see what alien intelligence might look like.

The Turnaway Study followed nearly 1,000 women who sought abortions, interviewing them regularly for years to understand the impact on their mental and financial wellbeing.

A Japanese chemist identified umami in the early 1900s, but it took a century for his work to be translated into English. NPR's Short Wave podcast looked into why it took so long to be recognized.

Nearly 1 billion people speak Mandarin Chinese. NPR Short Wave host Emily Kwong is not among them. As a third-generation Chinese-American, her "heritage language" was lost through the generations.

Assimilation has a cost. As a third generation Chinese American, NPR Short Wave's Emily Kwong is rediscovering the language her father once knew, and what that means for where she comes from.

Evidence points to wildlife as the starting point. But it could take years to pinpoint the source.

Public health has come a long way since the deadly flu, but we find ourselves in an oddly similar moment, using many of the same measures employed in 1918, a medical historian says.

The Trump administration is investigating the theory that the virus leaked from a lab. Scientists who work with viruses say that's virtually impossible and point to transmission from an animal.

Imagine a board game inspired by the natural lives of birds. That's the premise of Wingspan, an award-winning game designed by Elizabeth Hargrave. It's been lauded for its scientific accuracy.

They have seen patients who presented with these symptoms — then tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Now they're gathering data to see if they can prove that there is indeed a connection.

Globally, half of the estimated 100 million people who are in need of insulin do not have reliable access. The World Health Organization hopes a "prequalification" program will help.

Beloved suspense writer Mary Higgins Clark died Friday at age 92. Under her longtime publisher Simon & Schuster, Higgins Clark authored more than 50 bestselling novels.

The Los Angeles Lakers gave an emotional tribute to Kobe Bryant Friday. It was ahead of the first Lakers game since the death of the basketball legend, who played for the Lakers for 20 seasons.

Australia's volatile fire season saw "one of the worst days on record" this weekend, as record-breaking temperatures and low humidity exacerbated conditions.

The announcement came in response to the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Tehran says it will continue to cooperate with international atomic monitors.

A delicious experiment is set to take place in space. Astronauts will bake cookies on the International Space Station as part of a long line of food innovations fueling space travel.

The science is nascent and a little squishy, but researchers are trying to better understand ASMR — a feeling triggered in the brains of some people by certain soft sounds and gentle gestures.

Its environment and population are enduring major shifts as the country goes big on mining and as effects of climate change set in. See Mongolia's changes close up in this immersive photo essay.

Mongolia is undergoing a dramatic transformation from a pastoral society to one whose economy is based on mining, especially copper and coal. With the change has come opportunity — and loss.

Winter nights in Ulaanbaatar can drop to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Many residents without electricity burn coal to heat their homes, leading to toxic air and health problems.