Rae Ellen Bichell
Rae Ellen Bichell is a reporter for NPR's Science Desk. She first came to NPR in 2013 as a Kroc fellow and has since reported Web and radio stories on biomedical research, global health, and basic science. She won a 2016 Michael E. DeBakey Journalism Award from the Foundation for Biomedical Research. After graduating from Yale University, she spent two years in Helsinki, Finland, as a freelance reporter and Fulbright grantee.
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Getting pregnant again within a year of giving birth boosts the chance that the second baby will be born prematurely, a study finds. The risk was especially high for black women. -
Most people diagnosed with heart failure die within five years, yet doctors often don't ask them about how they want to prepare for death, a study finds. They cited lack of confidence as one reason. -
At least seven former Olympians have been elected to Congress. The games offer ambitious athletes something essential to a career in politics: name recognition. -
Diamonds are supposed to be a girl's best friend. Now, they might also be her mother, father or grandmother. Turning your loved one's ashes into a diamond is one way to keep them close forever. -
Each winter, a team of scientists sets out on a search for those rare shooting stars that make it to the ground instead of burning up in the sky. There aren't many better places to look for these space rocks than Antarctica, often in areas where no human has set foot before.
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Families seeking mental health care for a suicidal relative often face a labyrinth. First, they must obtain a legal commitment order, then they must find space on a hospital ward. State budget cuts have made it harder to get care during a mental health crisis. -
When Typhoon Haiyan roiled a swath of the Philippines, it cut out power and telecommunications. Aid workers and service providers are gradually restoring the system. In the meantime, a patchwork of devices fill in the gaps. -
You can print out almost anything with a 3-D printer, from weapons and prosthetic hands to Yoda figurines. Sure, you can buy a 3-D printer. But what if you wanted to make one yourself? It's easier than you might think.
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The hobby has grown rapidly over the last few years, as technology has gotten cheaper and the open source software has been smoothed out by many users. -
Fruits and vegetables are undeniably important to a healthful diet. But there's another side to some of these plants that, thankfully, most people never see: the tiny amounts of toxin within them. Lucky for us, healthy human bodies are remarkably good at filtering out toxins from everyday foods.
