(AP / AP)

Space station operation extended, won’t crash in 2020

NASA officials are delighted by White House decision to keep the laboratory in space until at least 2024.

A procedure with a big yuck factor — and big success rate

Fecal transplants are a new weapon against antibiotic-resistant infections of the GI tract.

Aging athletes need to push themselves harder than ever

Now age 70, a trainer of triathletes maintains it’s lack of effort, not age, that slows athletes down.

More Health and Science news

Early universe looks like the Wild West, and skewed blue

Early universe looks like the Wild West, and skewed blue

Hubble and other telescopes team up for a deep view into the earliest era of galaxy formation.

‘Just another day’ in Minnesota

‘Just another day’ in Minnesota

The brutal cold fails to faze residents, who are used to actually enjoying the low temperatures.

Out there, ‘super-Earths’ and ‘mini-Neptunes’ abound

Out there, ‘super-Earths’ and ‘mini-Neptunes’ abound

The most common planets found in our galaxy are of a size and nature unseen in our solar system.

Why are so many millennials depressed?

Why are so many millennials depressed?

They’ve been over-parented and don’t know how to cope on their own, says a psychotherapist.

Fake knee surgery seems as effective as the real thing

Fake knee surgery seems as effective as the real thing

Volunteers with common knee pain didn’t know whether they received actual surgery or a sham procedure.

1,058 applicants still in contention to start Mars colony

1,058 applicants still in contention to start Mars colony

Non-profit project hopes its one-way mission to the Red Planet will be ready for blastoff in 2025.

Relapse of HIV patients gives scientists new clues

Relapse of HIV patients gives scientists new clues

Men who received bone marrow transplants had been thought to be free of the AIDS-causing virus.

Chiropractic neck manipulation: Can it cause strokes?

Chiropractic neck manipulation: Can it cause strokes?

Practitioners say the link is unproven and the cases are extremely rare; others express concern.

Multimedia

A polar bear peers up from beneath the melting sea ice on Hudson Bay as the setting midnight sun glows red from the smoke of distant fires during a record-breaking spell of hot weather. The Manitoba population of polar bears, the southernmost in the world, is particularly threatened by a warming climate and reduced sea ice. PERMITTED USE: This image may be downloaded or is otherwise provided at no charge for one-time use for coverage or promotion of 2013 National Geographic Photography Contest and exclusively in conjunction thereof. No copying, distribution or archiving permitted. Sublicensing, sale or resale is prohibited.REQUIRED CREDIT AND CAPTION: All image uses must be properly credited to the relevant photographer and be accompanied by a caption. Any uses in which the image appears without proper photographer credit and a caption referencing the 2013 National Geographic Photography Contest are subject to paid licensing.

National Geographic Photo Contest winners

Photographers from more than 150 countries submitted entries to the contest. Here are the winning images.

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Other news

The best diets, according to U.S. News and World Report

US News & World Report 'Best Diets 2014'

Common sense comes out on top. Also: A champ’s new power boxing DVD.

The best over-the-counter drugs for cold symptoms

HEanybody1224

Consumer Reports also identifies remedies that don’t work as well for congestion, runny nose and coughs.

Pregnant women shouldn’t worry about eating nuts

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 10:
Curried Pumpkin Seeds photographed in Washington, DC.     Photo by Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post)

Kids born to women who ate nuts had markedly lower risk of being allergic to the food.

How much smarter can you get with ‘brain exercises’?

A journalist puts computerized brain training, mindfulness and other exercises to the test.

Vitamin E may slow Alzheimer’s

Vitamin D supplements

Study finds that high doses of the vitamin worked better than a standard Alzheimer’s drug.

COLUMNS

AnyBODY

How to keep your kids warm in the deep freeze

HEanybody0107

The science behind temperature-rated parkas.

How long should a post-cold cough last?

HEanybody1224

Hint: Longer than you might think.

Feeling addled? Don’t rush to get a dementia test.

HEAnybody1217

Diagnosis can be slippery, and a little bit of information can lead to an array of avoidable problems.

How & Why/EcoLOGIC

Is Rainbow Loom harmful to the environment?

This photo provided by courtesy of Choon's Design shows Rainbow Loom bracelets. In a market glutted with craft products marketed specifically to girls, Rainbow Loom is a rare gender-neutral craft kit, helping boys develop fine motor skills and longer attention spans while they create gifts to share with friends and family. (AP Photo/Choon's Design)

Those little synthetic rubber bands, if not discarded properly, can hurt small animals.

Is a ‘Silent Night’ possible?

An aerial view at night of the downtown Chicago skyline is seen Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013. An Arctic air mass is expected to chill much of the Central Plains and the East Coast through Monday with wind-chill temperatures dropping into the single digits overnight in some places. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

Not really. It’s pretty hard to escape sound, even in outer space.

What’s the greenest way to decorate for the holidays?

HEecologic1210

Hint: It’s more efficient than popcorn — and brighter.

Urban Jungle

The cardinal and the tuliptree

The cardinal and the tuliptree

As winter advances, choice foods become scarce and eating grows riskier and less efficient.

Medical Mysteries

Intractable depression — or something else?

HEMedMysteries1224

Drugs and shock treatments failed to treat a woman’s worsening mental illness.

A wasting-away mystery

MedMysteries 1119

Why did a 14-year-old girl develop sudden weakness and apparent anorexia?

Dripping wet

Janet Ruddock Medical Mystery 1015

A woman couldn’t stop sweating, and the problem wasn’t hot flashes. What was going on?

Read more Medical Mysteries

Health, Science & Environment Videos

Obamacare's silver lining?

Obamacare's silver lining?

For all of the issues surrounding the rollout of the President's signature health care law, one part seems to be working pretty well—the expansion of Medicaid. Close to 400,000 Americas have learned they are now eligible to enroll, but some states haven't embraced the expansion.
Can a November surge help Obamacare?

Can a November surge help Obamacare?

The Affordable Care Act saw a surge in the month of November with 173,000 people signing up in their state-run marketplaces. But will young people sign up in the numbers needed to support the program?
Three Obamacare fixes explained

Three Obamacare fixes explained

Wonkblog’s Sarah Kliff breaks down three proposals that would help Obama make good on his promise.
Obamacare’s uniting number

Obamacare’s uniting number

Do Americans think the government can recover from Obamacare's disastrous rollout, or is it too late?
Kliff Notes: How did Obamacare change?

Kliff Notes: How did Obamacare change?

Wonkblog's Sarah Kliff explains how Obamacare is changing after many insurance policies were canceled, and how the president plans to un-cancel some of them.
Kliff Notes: Will Obamacare cancel my plan?

Kliff Notes: Will Obamacare cancel my plan?

Wonkblog's Sarah Kliff explains why a lot of people's health insurance policies might get cancelled.
Kliff Notes: HealthCare.gov's 3 problems

Kliff Notes: HealthCare.gov's 3 problems

Wonkblog's Sarah Kliff walks through the three main problems bogging down the Affordable Care Act's online marketplace.
Kliff Notes: Obama's health care speech

Kliff Notes: Obama's health care speech

Wonkblog's Sarah Kliff shares her "Kliff Notes" for President Obama's remarks defending his signature health care law.
Obamacare Q&A: Are all marketplaces created equal?

Obamacare Q&A: Are all marketplaces created equal?

Wonkblog's Sarah Kliff explains why the Affordable Care Act's health insurance marketplaces are different from state to state.
Obamacare Q&A: Who doesn't have to enroll?

Obamacare Q&A: Who doesn't have to enroll?

Wonkblog's Sarah Kliff explains the exceptions to the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate.