Rebecca Ramirez

How science is taking tripping mainstream President Trump recently signed an order to speed up the evaluation of psychedelics to treat the brain.

In 1998, Mel Mann was told he had chronic myeloid leukemia and that he had three years to live. He's still healthy ... and training for his next marathon. Mel Mann hide caption

Why Swedish scientists gave salmon cocaine Adult salmon leaping up a waterfall at Shin Falls, Sutherland, Scotland. Catherine Braid/Getty Images hide caption

The average person eats 10-15 grams of fiber per day, according to the USDA. The problem? That’s WAY under the recommended daily amount. Fiber – a type of carb that our bodies are unable to digest – is prevalent in foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and beans. And it’s key for everything from feelings of fullness, to gut health, to good poop. That’s why a lot of people online are “fibermaxxing”: trying to meet or exceed the daily recommendation of fiber, in hopes it’ll improve their health. But how should YOU add fiber to your diet… and are the fibermaxxers overdoing it? Gastroenterologist Berkeley Limketkai is here to help parse the science on how little fiber is too little, how much fiber is too much – and, like Goldilocks, how we can figure out the amount that’s just right.Interested in more food and dietary science? Email us your question at [email protected] to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

Dreams and nightmares may be important for processing emotional, even stressful, memories. OsakaWayne Studios/Getty Images hide caption

For years, farmers in California have been pumping huge amounts of water from their wells to irrigate their crops. The state’s Central Valley is the nation’s single biggest source for many different foods. But all that water use is making aquifers shrink, wells go dry and, in some places, the ground sink. Science reporter Dan Charles has been looking into the issue and is on the show today to talk about what happens when water gets scarce. What is it like for farmers? And for the people enforcing new water restrictions? If you liked this episode, check out some of our other recent water stories – including why the world’s freshwater is getting saltier, what’s happening to our groundwater supply, and what happens when a city runs out of water.Interested in more stories about water, farming and food production? Email us your question at [email protected] to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

Research shows that 'Tornado Alley' is shifting east. But why is that... and does it affect lower-velocity winds as well? Willard Sharp/Getty Images hide caption

The most ferocious predator for us humans is actually quite small: the mosquito. They are hungry for blood, spreading diseases like malaria, yellow fever and dengue – and picking up new ones all the time. But what if we could wipe out the mosquito? Gene-editing technology could do it, potentially saving millions of lives. But it comes with serious potential for risk. Which begs the question: Should we get to decide when humanity rewrites nature? Here to discuss that is Ben Bradford, the host of a new podcast distributed by the NPR Network: Are We Doomed?Interested in more science? Email us your question at [email protected] to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

Scientists have long studied inner experience, including inner speech (aka an "inner monologue"). Richard Drury/Getty Image hide caption

In Beyond Inheritance, Roxanne Khamsi explains gene mutation -- why it happens, what we know about it, and how it could shift our understanding of our own bodies.