Hot flashes — sudden rushes of overwhelming warmth that heat up the body like a roaring furnace – plague millions of women, and some men. Now scientists find a single type of brain cell is responsible for setting off these heat bombs in mice. The discovery may lead to better treatments for keeping the body’s thermostat at a pleasant temperature.

Currently, the go-to remedy for hot flashes is estrogen replacement therapy to compensate for a drop in estrogen levels after menopause. But as a