In The NOCO

When it’s time to get a good night’s rest, women have it harder than men. Women are more likely than men to have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .   But the treatments that doctors prescribe for sleep disorders, like medication or different bedtime routines, may be based more on data about male sleep patterns than female sleep...

Have any of your New Year’s resolutions included to live a happier life this year? If you said yes, one recent study suggests you’re probably not alone.   Americans feel less happy than in previous years, according to the recent World Happiness Rep, which collects data on happiness from countries around the world every year. The U.S. finished 23rd, behind countries like Kuwait and Slovenia.   So w...

The start of a new year often involves making changes in pursuit of a healthier life.  For many of us, that means fewer processed foods, more veggies, and – maybe – a few more trips to the gym.    Or perhaps your resolution is to work on relationships – to make new friends or reconnect with existing ones. After all, friendships are a key part of our well-being. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy sa...

When someone dies nowadays, their online accounts and social media profiles can become a poignant online memorial. Or sometimes, those accounts can become a hassle for grieving loved ones.    For many people who have recently lost someone, knowing what to do with a loved one’s online accounts is a mystery.  Sometimes an account gets deleted by the organization that manages them. Sometimes the acco...

Colorado teachers say their students are missing something that helps determine their academic success. Call it grit.   If a student who struggles with math studies hard and performs well on their math test, that’s grit. If they complete a homework assignment that was tough to finish, that's also grit.    Erica Breunlin covers education for The Colorado Sun . Since the pandemic, she says teachers...

An electrical grid on the moon.  It’s an idea that could eventually power a small lunar colony and help take space travel to a new level.   And research by two Colorado School of Mines graduate students may help make it a reality.  Chris Tolton and Ken Liang built a prototype of that lunar grid and presented it during a recent competition run by NASA. The prototype worked – and Chris and Ken won a...

These shorter, colder days over the midwinter holiday are the perfect time to break out that bag of roasted Pueblo chile peppers some of us have kept stashed in the freezer since the fall. They're just waiting to be turned into a big batch of spicy green chile.   And for many pepper aficionados, only the Pueblo chile will do.    But the popularity of these Colorado-grown peppers is a relatively re...

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science made an exciting announcement this year: A new species of cave-dwelling pseudoscorpion had been discovered in the foothills outside Boulder. Researchers named it Larca boulderica – a nod to the city of Boulder – and say the only place on the planet where you’ll find it is in just two caves near the Boulder Flatirons.     We reached out to David Steinmann, th...

Scientists have found a promising new way to break down harmful “forever” chemicals.   Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS , are found in many household products including nonstick cookware or waterproof clothing. They’ve also found their way into our drinking water, our food and our bodies.  They’re called forever chemicals because they were designed and manufactured...

It wasn’t that long ago that some doctors would use lobotomies as a treatment for mental illness, or insomnia, or severe headaches. That wouldn’t happen now – but modern medicine has made some weird, often tragic turns to get to where it is now.   Similarly, our modern roadways are designed with what amounts to junk science, according to author Wesley Marshall . He says it’s time for a wake-up cal...

A unique retelling of the holiday classic ‘The Nutcracker’ explores the history and cultural importance of Denver's Five Points neighborhood.    The Five Points Nutcracker replaces the story’s traditional characters with significant figures from Denver’s African American community. Five Points was once known as the “ Harlem of the West. ”   Duke Ellington’s jazz version of the music is the backbon...

Eye doctors today perform surgeries that would have seemed unthinkable a century or two ago. They can remove cataracts, correct someone’s vision with Lasik surgery, or do a cornea transplant to relieve pain or restore someone’s sight.  But one procedure they can’t do at the moment is a full eye transplant for vision restoration. And that prevents doctors from treating some more serious eye conditi...

When it comes time to decorate for the holidays, for many people a beautiful Christmas tree is the most essential piece.    And some people simply don’t want to let their Christmas tree go. So, they bring a live potted tree into their home, and then move it to their yard after the holidays to enjoy for years to come.    If that sounds like your kind of Christmas, our guest today has some tips to m...

The ingredients you select when you cook dinner can make a huge difference in your household’s carbon emissions.   Mark Easter explores that idea in his book The Blue Plate: A Food Lover’s Guide to Climate Chaos , He’s a retired ecologist in Fort Collins who studies the carbon footprint of the food we eat.  His book walks readers through the typical ingredients of a home cooked dinner. Then, Mark...

Tim McKay is a Denver artist who fills colorful, sprawling canvases with geometric figures . His paintings can span 12 feet or larger. But a year ago, a diagnosis threatened to disrupt his career. Doctors told him he had Parkinson’ s disease – a condition that would slowly take away his ability to use his muscles.   McKay responded by making art that reflects how the disease is changing his abilit...

Picture this: It's a summer day. You’re on a ship on the Arctic Ocean. You scan the horizon... and you don’t see any sea ice on the surface of the water.   For much of our history, this would be a surreal scenario. The Earth’s northernmost region is typically covered in sea ice and snow year-round.  But a University of Colorado researcher says that vision is going to become a reality. And the firs...

Forty years ago, a Denver radio talk show host named Alan Berg was assassinated. He was shot in his driveway by members of a militant, white supremacist group known as The Order. The group was active in the early 1980s, and one of their goals was to spark revolution against the American government.  A new movie tells that story, and explores the FBI investigation into the group. The movie, called...

Columbus B. Hill was a pivotal figure in Colorado’s culinary history. He was a Black man originally from Missouri – and he was possibly the most popular barbecue chef in Denver in the late 1800s. His food was so good that it was served to thousands of people at official functions at the state Capitol.   But even among hardcore barbecue fans, very few people know his name. And his legacy wasn’t alw...

Your social media use may affect your career prospects more than you think.  If you’ve been job hunting recently, you know what to do on LinkedIn:. You keep things professional and probably not too controversial.   But a University of Colorado researcher says what you do on other platforms – like Facebook or X or BlueSky – might matter more than you think. Jason Thatcher has been studying how hiri...

Every December, Santa Claus literally does the impossible: He delivers presents all over the world with a team of flying reindeer. So when someone becomes a stand-in for Santa at your local mall, or work party, those are big boots to fill.   But as it turns out, being Santa is a teachable skill.  Susen Mesco founded Professional Santa Claus School in Denver in 1983. She says more than 5,000 Santas...

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. And many of us are dreading the moment when someone brings up politics at the dinner table.    Family members might want to debate how Harris performed as a candidate or the merits of who Trump picked for his cabinet. Or a hundred other post-election topics that might make you feel a little bit less than thankful to be with your family on Thursday.   Natali...

One of the most unusual stories in recent memory about Colorado’s oil and gas industry popped up in the town of Erie. It was actually about what happens underneath Erie.     A company wanted to access some underground oil and gas located beneath the town. But Erie has more than 30,000 residents. So putting a fracking operation in the middle of neighborhoods and schools wasn’t going to be very popu...

In 2024, chatbots are part of ordinary life. They pop up on your screen while you’re checking your bank account or making an online purchase.   But a few years from now it may be just as easy to have a conversation with a chatbot who recreates a dead loved one.  That’s the idea behind a kind of technology called a generative ghost.  Jed Brubaker is associate professor at the University of Colorado...

It may not feel like it right now, but winter is coming. And before it arrives...  it’s time to think about extra care and nurturing for your trees.  Because on Colorado’s Front Range, the coldest season can be especially tough on the trees in our yards. Damage can take many forms: Sun scald, dry roots, or cracks in the bark from extreme temperature swings.   Fortunately, there’s hope. The tree sp...

Millions of kids in the US will suffer a concussion during childhood, according to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Concussions are brain injuries that cause headaches and dizziness and nausea. And it can take weeks to fully recover.     In recent years doctors have changed the way they treat them. Instead of avoiding activity, doctors now recommend light physical...