NPR News: The United Nations Is Launching A Space Mission

The United Nations Is Launching A Space Mission
The U.N. is planning to send its first spacecraft into orbit, packed with scientific experiments from countries that can't afford their own space programs.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: The United Nations Is Launching A Space Mission

The United Nations Is Launching A Space Mission
The U.N. is planning to send its first spacecraft into orbit, packed with scientific experiments from countries that can't afford their own space programs.

Read more on NPR

NASA Awards Audit Services Contracts

NASA has awarded contracts to six companies to provide agencywide contract auditing support services, previously performed by the Defense Contract Audit Agency.

September 30, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2ddv78K
via IFTTT

NASA Highlights Science on Next Commercial Resupply Mission to International Space Station

NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Oct 5, to discuss select science investigations launching on the next Orbital ATK commercial resupply flight to the International Space Station.

September 30, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2dFDKYQ
via IFTTT

NASA, France to Collaborate on Aircraft Noise Research

During bilateral meetings in Daejeon, South Korea, NASA and France’s Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales (ONERA) signed an agreement Tuesday to collaborate on research that focuses on mitigating the effects of civil air transportation noise.

September 30, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2cGNwYo
via IFTTT

NASA TV to Broadcast Hispanic Heritage Event, Aspira con NASA / Aspire with NASA

NASA will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at the agency’s headquarters in Washington Tuesday, Oct. 4, with stories of aspiration, inspiration and exploration. The event will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website at 10 a.m. EDT.

September 30, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2dB191f
via IFTTT

NPR News: How Can Dinosaurs Help Us Understand Our Own Species?

How Can Dinosaurs Help Us Understand Our Own Species?
Earth's rocks and fossils can help us understand our own species. Paleontologist Kenneth Lacovara explains important moments in Earth's history that help us recognize our place in the world.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Are We Headed Into Another Mass Extinction?

Are We Headed Into Another Mass Extinction?
At various times, life on earth has come close to being erased. Paleontologist Peter Ward explains what we can learn from previous mass extinctions.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: What's The Anthropocene?

What's The Anthropocene?
Have we entered a new age defined by humans? Paleontologist Kenneth Lacovara says there's "no doubt" that humans' impact on Earth will show up in the geological record.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: How Do We Embrace All Kinds Of Nature?

How Do We Embrace All Kinds Of Nature?
Environmental writer Emma Marris wants us to broaden our definition of nature to one that embraces urban and wild spaces in order learn to protect and care for it.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Can We Preserve Seed Diversity For The Future?

Can We Preserve Seed Diversity For The Future?
Biodiversity archivist Cary Fowler explains how the Svalbard Global Seed Vault will prepare humans for the climate change and its effect on our environment and our food supply.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Researchers Study Sugar's Effect On Bees

Researchers Study Sugar's Effect On Bees
A study says that after bees got a jolt of sugar water, they would fly faster toward a flower, have higher levels of dopamine and recover faster after being attacked.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Countries Gather For Wildlife Convention On Animal Trafficking

Countries Gather For Wildlife Convention On Animal Trafficking
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Ginette Hemley of the World Wildlife Fund about the CITES meeting and the challenges in trying to protect endangered species, particularly elephants.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Reykjavik Turns Off Street Lights To Turn Up The Northern Lights

Reykjavik Turns Off Street Lights To Turn Up The Northern Lights
Wednesday night's aurora borealis forecast was particularly strong, so Icelandic officials tried to reduce light pollution so the green glow would be more visible to people in the capital.

Read more on NPR

NASA Awards Contract for Information Technology Support Services

NASA has awarded its Goddard Information Technology Integration Support Services (GITISS) contract to Business Integra, Inc. of Bethesda, Maryland.

September 29, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2dv1UVs
via IFTTT

NPR News: CDC Urges Americans To Get A Flu Shot As Soon As Possible

CDC Urges Americans To Get A Flu Shot As Soon As Possible
There's plenty of vaccine available this year, and the sooner people get vaccinated the better, federal health officials say. A recent drop in vaccination, especially among the elderly, concerns them.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Rats That Reminisce May Lead To Better Tests For Alzheimer's Drugs

Rats That Reminisce May Lead To Better Tests For Alzheimer's Drugs
Most potential Alzheimer's drugs are tested on mice. But rats may be a better choice because they seem to have a type of memory that's more like ours, and also are highly vulnerable to Alzheimer's.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Rats That Reminisce May Lead To Better Tests For Alzheimer's Drugs

Rats That Reminisce May Lead To Better Tests For Alzheimer's Drugs
Most potential Alzheimer's drugs are tested on mice. But rats may be a better choice because they seem to have a type of memory that's more like ours, and also are highly vulnerable to Alzheimer's.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Scientists To Bid A Bittersweet Farewell To Rosetta, The Comet Chaser

Scientists To Bid A Bittersweet Farewell To Rosetta, The Comet Chaser
To cap its 12-year scientific voyage, the Rosetta spacecraft will take a final plunge Friday. Scientists will signal Rosetta to crash into the surface of a comet — and gather data all the way down.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Scientists To Bid A Bittersweet Farewell To Rosetta, The Comet Chaser

Scientists To Bid A Bittersweet Farewell To Rosetta, The Comet Chaser
To cap its 12-year scientific voyage, the Rosetta spacecraft will take a final plunge Friday. Scientists will signal Rosetta to crash into the surface of a comet — and gather data all the way down.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Flawed Research Tool Leads To Faulty Medical Findings

Flawed Research Tool Leads To Faulty Medical Findings
Just as natural antibodies help your body find and fight microbial invaders, tailored research antibodies let scientists target and study cancer cells. But too many are poorly made, scientists say.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Flawed Research Tool Leads To Faulty Medical Findings

Flawed Research Tool Leads To Faulty Medical Findings
Just as natural antibodies help your body find and fight microbial invaders, tailored research antibodies let scientists target and study cancer cells. But too many are poorly made, scientists say.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Tech Giants Team Up To Tackle The Ethics Of Artificial Intelligence

Tech Giants Team Up To Tackle The Ethics Of Artificial Intelligence
Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and IBM form a group to set the first industrywide best practices for the technology already powering many applications, such as voice and image recognition.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: What Meerkat Murder Tells Us About Human Violence

What Meerkat Murder Tells Us About Human Violence
What is the most murderous mammal? A new study says it's the meerkat.

Read more on NPR

NASA, China to Collaborate on Air Traffic Management Research

NASA and the Chinese Aeronautical Establishment (CAE) have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on aeronautics research that will advance air transportation automation for U.S. and Chinese aviation operations in China.

September 28, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2duddRN
via IFTTT

NPR News: Whales, Sea Turtles, Seals: The Unintended Catch Of Abandoned Fishing Gear

Whales, Sea Turtles, Seals: The Unintended Catch Of Abandoned Fishing Gear
An endangered whale was found dead over the weekend, entangled in derelict fishing gear. Such incidents have been on the rise in recent years. A new California law aims to combat the problem.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Pangolins, The 'Artichoke With Legs,' Earn Top Trade Protection

Pangolins, The 'Artichoke With Legs,' Earn Top Trade Protection
World leaders at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species agreed to ban all commercial trade in pangolins, a small and endangered mammal that also resembles an aardvark.

Read more on NPR

NASA Television to Provide Coverage of European Mission Comet Touchdown

NASA Television and the agency’s website will air the conclusion of ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) Rosetta mission from 6:15 to 8 a.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 30, with NASA commentary, interviews and analysis of the successful mission. The Rosetta mission will end with the controlled decent of the spacecraft onto the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Geras

September 28, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2d9TFjJ
via IFTTT

NPR News: Bias Isn't Just A Police Problem, It's A Preschool Problem

Bias Isn't Just A Police Problem, It's A Preschool Problem
A new study by researchers at Yale found that pre-K teachers, white and black alike, spend more time watching black boys, expecting trouble.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Bias Isn't Just A Police Problem, It's A Preschool Problem

Bias Isn't Just A Police Problem, It's A Preschool Problem
A new study by researchers at Yale found that pre-K teachers, white and black alike, spend more time watching black boys, expecting trouble.

Read more on NPR

Jupiters Europa from Spacecraft Galileo

What mysteries might be solved by peering into this crystal ball? In this case, the ball is actually a moon of Jupiter, the crystals are ice, and the moon is not only dirty but cracked beyond repair. Nevertheless, speculation is rampant that oceans exist under Europa's fractured ice-plains that could support life. This speculation was bolstered again this week by released images from the Hubble Space Telescope indicating that plumes of water vapor sometimes emanate from the ice-crusted moon -- plumes that might bring microscopic sea life to the surface. Europa, roughly the size of Earth's Moon, is pictured here in natural color as photographed in 1996 by the now-defunct Jupiter-orbiting Galileo spacecraft. Future observations by Hubble and planned missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope later this decade and a Europa flyby mission in the 2020s may further humanity's understanding not only of Europa and the early Solar System but also of the possibility that life exists elsewhere in the universe. via NASA http://ift.tt/2cI4cSM

NPR News: New York Fertility Doctor Says He Created Baby With 3 Genetic Parents

New York Fertility Doctor Says He Created Baby With 3 Genetic Parents
The New York-based doctor has sparked praise and criticism by going to Mexico and using DNA of three adults to create a child for a couple from Jordan who lost two children to a genetic disorder.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: New York Fertility Doctor Says He Created Baby With 3 Genetic Parents

New York Fertility Doctor Says He Created Baby With 3 Genetic Parents
The New York-based doctor has sparked praise and criticism by going to Mexico and using DNA of three adults to create a child for a couple from Jordan who lost two children to a genetic disorder.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Chill Out: Stress Can Override Benefits Of Healthy Eating

Chill Out: Stress Can Override Benefits Of Healthy Eating
Stress takes a toll on our bodies. And a new study suggests stress can diminish the benefits of healthier food choices. But, experts say a range of strategies can help people cope with stress

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Chill Out: Stress Can Override Benefits Of Healthy Eating

Chill Out: Stress Can Override Benefits Of Healthy Eating
Stress takes a toll on our bodies. And a new study suggests stress can diminish the benefits of healthier food choices. But, experts say a range of strategies can help people cope with stress

Read more on NPR

NPR News: How An Engineer's Desperate Experiment Created Fracking

How An Engineer's Desperate Experiment Created Fracking
The fracking boom in America kicked off almost by accident. An engineer worried about losing his job kept experimenting until he hit on a technique that changed the world.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: The Myth Of Coincidences And Why We Search For Their Meaning

The Myth Of Coincidences And Why We Search For Their Meaning
NPR's Hidden Brain podcast looks at the math — and the myth — of coincidences. They are not as unlikely as they seem, and the psychological reasons behind why we can't help but search for meaning in them anyway.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: It May Not Cost You More To Drive Home In A Climate-Friendly Car

It May Not Cost You More To Drive Home In A Climate-Friendly Car
It has been a common belief that low-emissions vehicles, like hybrids and electric cars, are more expensive than other choices. But researchers at MIT have found otherwise.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: It May Not Cost You More To Drive Home In A Climate-Friendly Car

It May Not Cost You More To Drive Home In A Climate-Friendly Car
Researchers at MIT found that you don't have to break the bank to get a climate-friendly car, many of which already meet 2030 emissions goals.

Read more on NPR

Thomas Zurbuchen Named Head of NASA Science Mission Directorate

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden has named Thomas Zurbuchen as the new associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, effective Monday, Oct. 3.

September 27, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2ddqrzf
via IFTTT

NPR News: Research Explains The Bias Behind Slow-Motion Video Replay

Research Explains The Bias Behind Slow-Motion Video Replay
When we see someone perform an action in a slow-motion replay, we tend to believe the action had more intentionality behind it. This has implications in sports and in the criminal justice system.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Research Explains The Bias Behind Slow-Motion Video Replay

Research Explains The Bias Behind Slow-Motion Video Replay
When we see someone perform an action in a slow-motion replay, we tend to believe the action had more intentionality behind it. This has implications in sports and in the criminal justice system.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Live Fact Check: Trump And Clinton Debate For The First Time

Live Fact Check: Trump And Clinton Debate For The First Time
NPR reporters and editors are live annotating Monday night's debate. Read the latest fact check, analysis and context here.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: NASA Spots What May Be Plumes Of Water On Jupiter's Moon Europa

NASA Spots What May Be Plumes Of Water On Jupiter's Moon Europa
If jets of water vapor are indeed erupting from Europa, a spacecraft could potentially fly through them and analyze their chemistry. The moon is believed to have a vast subterranean, saltwater ocean.

Read more on NPR

NASA’s Hubble Spots Possible Water Plumes Erupting on Jupiter's Moon Europa

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have imaged what may be water vapor plumes erupting off the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa. This finding bolsters other Hubble observations suggesting the icy moon erupts with high altitude water vapor plumes.

September 26, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2det6dP
via IFTTT

Saturn from Above

This image of Saturn could not have been taken from Earth. No Earth based picture could possibly view the night side of Saturn and the corresponding shadow cast across Saturn's rings. Since Earth is much closer to the Sun than Saturn, only the day side of the ringed planet is visible from the Earth. In fact, this image mosaic was taken earlier this year by the robotic Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn, just before filming a 44-hour video of Saturn rotating. The beautiful rings of Saturn are seen in full expanse, while cloud details are visible including the polar hexagon surrounding the north pole. The Cassini mission is now in its final year as the spacecraft is scheduled to be programmed to dive into Saturn's atmosphere next September. via NASA http://ift.tt/2cu6CBa

NPR News: China Completes Largest Radio Telescope In The World

China Completes Largest Radio Telescope In The World
China says the 500-hundred meter telescope detected a radio signal originating 1,351 light-years from Earth. One of its uses is scanning for signs of intelligent extraterrestrial life.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: What's Your Sign? Look Again, Says NASA

What's Your Sign? Look Again, Says NASA
If you rely on an insight from your daily horoscopes, you may have been looking at the wrong sign this whole time.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: What's Your Sign? Look Again, Says NASA

What's Your Sign? Look Again, Says NASA
If you rely on an insight from your daily horoscopes, you may have been looking at the wrong sign this whole time.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Glassblowing Program Trains Students To Craft Tools For Science

Glassblowing Program Trains Students To Craft Tools For Science
There is only one school in the U.S. where glassblowers can graduate with a degree in making lab equipment. Students learn how to make customized glassware used in cutting-edge scientific experiments.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Legalizing Marijuana: It Changes Policing, But May Leave Racial Disparities

Legalizing Marijuana: It Changes Policing, But May Leave Racial Disparities
California is among five states this year where marijuana legalization is on the ballot. But there's concern about if legalizing it will reduce the number of marijuana arrests among African-Americans.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Fill It With Regular: AAA Finds Millions Of Drivers Waste Money On Premium Gas

Fill It With Regular: AAA Finds Millions Of Drivers Waste Money On Premium Gas
A study by AAA found 16.5 million Americans buy premium gas when their cars don't need it. Director of Automotive Engineering Greg Brannon says drivers waste money when they unnecessarily use premium.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Presidential Candidates Hold Starkly Different Views On Energy

Presidential Candidates Hold Starkly Different Views On Energy
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have starkly different views on energy policies. We hear from the people who are advising the candidates on everything from clean energy to fracking.

Read more on NPR

NASA Awards Contract for Security Services at its Stennis Space Center

NASA has awarded a contract to RiverTech, LLC, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, for a range of security services at the agency’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

September 23, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2daQEBz
via IFTTT

NASA Awards Launch Range Operations Services Contract

NASA has awarded a sole-source bridge contract to LJT and Associates Inc. of Columbia, Maryland, to continue critical launch range operations support at the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia.

September 23, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2cXRgXF
via IFTTT

NPR News: This Doctor Is Trying To Stop Heart Attacks In Their Tracks

This Doctor Is Trying To Stop Heart Attacks In Their Tracks
Harry Selker has spent his life trying to come up with better ways to keep people from dying of heart attacks. Now he's intent on figuring out if a simple, cheap medication could be a game changer.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: This Doctor Is Trying To Stop Heart Attacks In Their Tracks

This Doctor Is Trying To Stop Heart Attacks In Their Tracks
Harry Selker has spent his life trying to come up with better ways to keep people from dying of heart attacks. Now he's intent on figuring out if a simple, cheap medication could be a game changer.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Are We Reaching The End Of The Trend For Longer, Healthier Lives?

Are We Reaching The End Of The Trend For Longer, Healthier Lives?
In the past 50 years, better medical care and healthier habits have greatly reduced the risk of dying young from heart disease. But the obesity epidemic threatens to reverse that happy trend.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Are We Reaching The End Of The Trend For Longer, Healthier Lives?

Are We Reaching The End Of The Trend For Longer, Healthier Lives?
In the past 50 years, better medical care and healthier habits have greatly reduced the risk of dying young from heart disease. But the obesity epidemic threatens to reverse that happy trend.

Read more on NPR

Sunset at Edmontonhenge

On September 18, the setting Sun illuminated both sides of the steep brick and steel canyon otherwise known as Jasper Avenue in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, planet Earth. The Stonehenge-like alignment is captured from the middle of the road in this daring snapshot. In Edmonton streets are laid out on a grid almost oriented along the cardinal directions, so aligned Edmonton sunsets (and sunrises) occur along the nearly east-west streets twice a year, close to the Equinox. In fact, at today's Equinox, the Sun crosses the celestial equator at 1421 UT and on this day the Sun will rise due east and set due west, bringing approximately equal hours of day and night to denizens of planet Earth. The September Equinox marks the astronomical beginning of Fall in the north and Spring in the southern hemisphere. via NASA http://ift.tt/2cTwMRD

NPR News: Computer Scientists Solve Mystery Of The Ein Gedi Scroll By 'Virtual Unwrapping'

Computer Scientists Solve Mystery Of The Ein Gedi Scroll By 'Virtual Unwrapping'
Researchers used a new kind of analysis to make a virtual image of a crumbling ancient scroll from Israel. Biblical scholars were able to read the re-created text, which is from Leviticus.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Computer Scientists Solve Mystery Of The Ein Gedi Scroll By 'Virtual Unwrapping'

Computer Scientists Solve Mystery Of The Ein Gedi Scroll By 'Virtual Unwrapping'
Researchers used a new kind of analysis to make a virtual image of a crumbling ancient scroll from Israel. Biblical scholars were able to read the re-created text, which is from Leviticus.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Computer Scientists Solve Mystery Of The En-Gedi Scroll By 'Virtual Unwrapping'

Computer Scientists Solve Mystery Of The En-Gedi Scroll By 'Virtual Unwrapping'
Researchers used a new kind of analysis to make a virtual image of a crumbling ancient scroll from Israel. Biblical scholars were able to read the recreated text, which is from Leviticus.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Computer Scientists Solve Mystery Of The En-Gedi Scroll By 'Virtual Unwrapping'

Computer Scientists Solve Mystery Of The En-Gedi Scroll By 'Virtual Unwrapping'
Researchers used a new kind of analysis to make a virtual image of a crumbling ancient scroll from Israel. Biblical scholars were able to read the recreated text, which is from Leviticus.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: As a GMO Pillar Wobbles, Biotech Companies Promise New Insect-Killing Genes

As a GMO Pillar Wobbles, Biotech Companies Promise New Insect-Killing Genes
Scientists have discovered a soil microbe with a gene that kills the corn rootworm, an insect that farmers spend $1 billion each year trying to control.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: As a GMO Pillar Wobbles, Biotech Companies Promise New Insect-Killing Genes

As a GMO Pillar Wobbles, Biotech Companies Promise New Insect-Killing Genes
Scientists have discovered a soil microbe with a gene that kills the corn rootworm, an insect that farmers spend $1 billion each year trying to control.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: If You Think Eating Is A Political Act, Say Thanks To Frances Moore Lappe

If You Think Eating Is A Political Act, Say Thanks To Frances Moore Lappe
When Frances Moore Lappe wrote the best-selling Diet For A Small Planet back in 1971, she helped start a conversation about the social and environmental impacts of the foods we choose.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Stanford Biologist Invents Ultra Low Cost Scientific Tools

Stanford Biologist Invents Ultra Low Cost Scientific Tools
NPR's Robert Siegel interviews Manu Prakash, a physical biologist and inventor at Stanford University, about being awarded a MacArthur fellowship this year. He talks about his work using bioengineering, not just for basic research, but to invent ultra low cost scientific tools, such as microscopes kids can use anywhere in the world.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Swedish Scientist Starts DNA Experiments On Healthy Human Embryos

Swedish Scientist Starts DNA Experiments On Healthy Human Embryos
A scientist in Sweden has started experiments on healthy human embryos in which DNA is altered. The aim is to determine the causes of infertility. It's the first known use of so-called "gene-editing" tools on healthy human embryos, and critics say it could potentially lead society down a very dangerous path.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: '70's Food Movement Promoted Benefits Of Plant-Based Diet

'70's Food Movement Promoted Benefits Of Plant-Based Diet
Frances Moore Lappe wrote the book, Diet for a Small Planet, which advocates a vegetarian diet. The book started a conversation about the political, economic and health implications of food choices.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: 'Genius Grant' Winner Is A Genius At Inspiring Students

'Genius Grant' Winner Is A Genius At Inspiring Students
Engineering professor Rebecca Richards-Kortum wins a MacArthur Fellowship for inspiring her students to invent medical devices for the developing world.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Can An Airline Affect The Direction Of Science?

Can An Airline Affect The Direction Of Science?
Research collaborations often involve scientists from all over the world. A new study looks at plane ticket prices, and how they relate to the direction of science.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Can An Airline Affect The Direction Of Science?

Can An Airline Affect The Direction Of Science?
Research collaborations often involve scientists from all over the world. A new study looks at plane ticket prices, and how they relate to the direction of science.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Bioengineering Professor Who Encourages Creativity Wins MacArthur Grant

Bioengineering Professor Who Encourages Creativity Wins MacArthur Grant
The annual MacArthur Fellowships, also known as the MacArthur genius grants have been unveiled. One of the 23 winners is a ground breaking global health engineer.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Breaking Taboo, Swedish Scientist Seeks To Edit DNA Of Healthy Human Embryos

Breaking Taboo, Swedish Scientist Seeks To Edit DNA Of Healthy Human Embryos
A Swedish biologist wants to change the genes of healthy human embryos to find ways to treat infertility and perhaps other diseases. The experiments intensify ethical questions genetic engineering.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Breaking Taboo, Swedish Scientist Seeks To Edit DNA Of Healthy Human Embryos

Breaking Taboo, Swedish Scientist Seeks To Edit DNA Of Healthy Human Embryos
A Swedish biologist wants to change the genes of healthy human embryos to find ways to treat infertility and perhaps other diseases. The experiments intensify ethical questions genetic engineering.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: We Really Do Get A Little More Santa-Like, Physically, During The Holidays

We Really Do Get A Little More Santa-Like, Physically, During The Holidays
All that holiday grubbing does indeed pack on the pounds. How much? Researchers tracked the weights of 3,000 people in Germany, Japan and the U.S. and found a weight spike after every major holiday.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: We Really Do Get A Little More Santa-Like, Physically, During The Holidays

We Really Do Get A Little More Santa-Like, Physically, During The Holidays
All that holiday grubbing does indeed pack on the pounds. How much? Researchers tracked the weights of 3,000 people in Germany, Japan and the U.S. and found a weight spike after every major holiday.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: How A 'Sixth Sense' Helps Simone Biles Fly, And The Rest Of Us Walk

How A 'Sixth Sense' Helps Simone Biles Fly, And The Rest Of Us Walk
Scientists are finally beginning to understand proprioception, a sense that tells us where our body is in space. Much of what they've learned comes from two girls with a rare genetic disorder.

Read more on NPR

NASA iTech Fosters Technology Needed for Journey to Mars

NASA is seeking innovative technology for the agency’s future exploration missions in the solar system and beyond, including the Journey to Mars, from other U.S. government agencies, academia, the aerospace industry and the public through the new iTech initiative.

September 21, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2cDfPYt
via IFTTT

NPR News: 3,000-Year-Old Cooking Fail Found At A Danish Dig Site

3,000-Year-Old Cooking Fail Found At A Danish Dig Site
Archaeologists have found the glassy remains of burnt cheese in an ancient pot. It seems trial and error is a timeless method to the madness of creating good food.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: 3,000-Year-Old Cooking Fail Found At A Danish Dig Site

3,000-Year-Old Cooking Fail Found At A Danish Dig Site
Archaeologists have found the glassy remains of burnt cheese in an ancient pot. It seems trial and error is a timeless method to the madness of creating good food.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Astronomers Find Clues In The Case Of The Glowing Space 'Blobs'

Astronomers Find Clues In The Case Of The Glowing Space 'Blobs'
Blobs in space emitting eerie, unexplained light have been puzzling astronomers for more than 15 years. Now, they think they are on to the cause of the mysterious glow.

Read more on NPR

NASA to Hold Media Call on Evidence of Surprising Activity on Europa

NASA will host a teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT Monday, Sept. 26, to present new findings from images captured by the agency’s Hubble Space Telescope of Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa.

September 20, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2cHjiKU
via IFTTT

NPR News: Farmers Enlist Chickens And Bugs To Battle Against Pests

Farmers Enlist Chickens And Bugs To Battle Against Pests
In an effort to turn away from chemical pesticides, which have the potential to damage the environment, some farmers are looking in a new direction in the age-old struggle against pests.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Reporter's Notebook: Pregnant And Caught In Zika Test Limbo

Reporter's Notebook: Pregnant And Caught In Zika Test Limbo
Pregnant women in South Florida can get free Zika tests through the state's health department. But delays in getting back the results are heightening worries and may affect medical options.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: When Blind People Do Algebra, The Brain's Visual Areas Light Up

When Blind People Do Algebra, The Brain's Visual Areas Light Up
A study of 17 people who have been blind since birth found that areas of the brain usually devoted to visual information become active when a blind person is solving math problems.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: When Blind People Do Algebra, The Brain's Visual Areas Light Up

When Blind People Do Algebra, The Brain's Visual Areas Light Up
A study of 17 people who have been blind since birth found that areas of the brain usually devoted to visual information become active when a blind person is solving math problems.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: U.N. To Take On Antibiotic Resistance At General Assembly

U.N. To Take On Antibiotic Resistance At General Assembly
The U.N. General Assembly will devote an entire day to the issue of superbugs and antibiotic resistance. Dr. Keiji Fukuda leads the WHO's work on the issue.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Newly Found HMS Terror Could Provide Clues To Fateful 1848 Shipwreck

Newly Found HMS Terror Could Provide Clues To Fateful 1848 Shipwreck
With the likely discovery of the HMS Terror in polar waters, NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with novelist Dan Simmons, author of The Terror a fictionalized account of the wreck of HMS Terror and Erebus.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Reinventing The Football Helmet: Is Improving The Technology The Answer?

Reinventing The Football Helmet: Is Improving The Technology The Answer?
The NFL announced last week it will invest $100 million to advance concussion research. Rachel Martin asks David Camarillo, who leads a Stanford University lab dedicated to inventing such equipment

Read more on NPR

M33: Triangulum Galaxy

The small, northern constellation Triangulum harbors this magnificent face-on spiral galaxy, M33. Its popular names include the Pinwheel Galaxy or just the Triangulum Galaxy. M33 is over 50,000 light-years in diameter, third largest in the Local Group of galaxies after the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), and our own Milky Way. About 3 million light-years from the Milky Way, M33 is itself thought to be a satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy and astronomers in these two galaxies would likely have spectacular views of each other's grand spiral star systems. As for the view from planet Earth, this sharp composite image nicely shows off M33's blue star clusters and pinkish star forming regions along the galaxy's loosely wound spiral arms. In fact, the cavernous NGC 604 is the brightest star forming region, seen here at about the 1 o'clock position from the galaxy center. Like M31, M33's population of well-measured variable stars have helped make this nearby spiral a cosmic yardstick for establishing the distance scale of the Universe. via NASA http://ift.tt/2d8hsSb

NPR News: EPA Weighs In On Glyphosate, Says It Doesn't Cause Cancer

EPA Weighs In On Glyphosate, Says It Doesn't Cause Cancer
The Environmental Protection Agency says that the country's most widely used weedkiller, glyphosate, does not cause cancer. The chemical has been under intense international scrutiny.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Industry Influence In Nutrition Research

Industry Influence In Nutrition Research
NPR's Scott Simon talks to Dr. Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest about the state of industry-sponsored research and how it might influence medical and policy advice.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Cancer Immunotherapy At A Crossroads

Cancer Immunotherapy At A Crossroads
Doctors can now marshal patients' immune systems to fight some cancers. Yet many people don't respond to immunotherapy, and the costs of treatment can be astronomical.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Cancer Immunotherapy At A Crossroads

Cancer Immunotherapy At A Crossroads
Doctors can now marshal patients' immune systems to fight some cancers. Yet many people don't respond to immunotherapy, and the costs of treatment can be astronomical.

Read more on NPR

Full Moon over Brno

After sunset this gorgeous full moon rose over Brno city in the Czech Republic on July 20, 2016. The panoramic image was made during a celebration of the 47th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. A series of exposures captures the yellow hued lunar disk against the fading colors of twilight, with the 14th century Spilberk castle illuminated in the foreground. Of course, tonight's full moon is called the Harvest Moon. The closest full moon to the northern hemisphere's autumnal equinox, its traditional name has long been celebrated in story and song. Tonight's full lunar phase also coincides with a subtle, penumbral lunar eclipse, the Moon passing only through the Earth's diffuse, outer shadow. via NASA http://ift.tt/2cw3LdH

NPR News: HHS Issues New Rules To Open Up Data From Clinical Trials

HHS Issues New Rules To Open Up Data From Clinical Trials
The aim is to make clinical trial data available to volunteers and scientists, even if a drug or therapy being tested turns out to be a failure. That could help identify serious side effects.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: HHS Issues New Rules To Open Up Data From Clinical Trials

HHS Issues New Rules To Open Up Data From Clinical Trials
The aim is to make clinical trial data available to volunteers and scientists, even if a drug or therapy being tested turns out to be a failure. That could help identify serious side effects.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Yes, People Really Are Driving While Playing Pokemon Go

Yes, People Really Are Driving While Playing Pokemon Go
People are playing Pokemon Go while behind the wheel — and then tweeting about it. And causing crashes. Immersive games like this can be even more dangerous than texting, researchers say.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Yes, People Really Are Driving While Playing Pokemon Go

Yes, People Really Are Driving While Playing Pokemon Go
People are playing Pokemon Go while behind the wheel — and then tweeting about it. And causing crashes. Immersive games like this can be even more dangerous than texting, researchers say.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: How Risk Affects The Way People Think About Their Health

How Risk Affects The Way People Think About Their Health
Researchers found by telling people the risk of HIV is lower than they thought, they get people to act in safer ways. But when people think the risk is very high, they sometimes act less responsibly.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: How Risk Affects The Way People Think About Their Health

How Risk Affects The Way People Think About Their Health
Researchers found by telling people the risk of HIV is lower than they thought, they get people to act in safer ways. But when people think the risk is very high, they sometimes act less responsibly.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Studies Link Cancer Patients' Survival Time To Insurance Status

Studies Link Cancer Patients' Survival Time To Insurance Status
Research on patients with testicular cancer and on others fighting a brain malignancy finds that people who are privately insured are more likely to be diagnosed earlier and survive longer.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Studies Link Cancer Patients' Survival Time To Insurance Status

Studies Link Cancer Patients' Survival Time To Insurance Status
Research on patients with testicular cancer and on others fighting a brain malignancy finds that people who are privately insured are more likely to be diagnosed earlier and survive longer.

Read more on NPR

Retrograde Mars and Saturn

Wandering Mars and Saturn have spent much of this year remarkably close in planet Earth's night sky. In a sequence of exposures spanning mid-December 2015 through the beginning of this week, this composited skyview follows their time together, including both near opposition, just north of bright star Antares near the Milky Way's central bulge. In the corresponding video, Saturn's apparent movement is seen to be back and forth along the flattened, compact loop, while Mars traces the wider, reversing S-shaped track from upper right to lower left through the frame. To connect the dots and dates just slide your cursor over the picture (or follow this link). It looks that way, but Mars and Saturn don't actually reverse direction along their orbits. Instead, their apparent backwards or retrograde motion with respect to the background stars is a reflection of the orbital motion of the Earth itself. Retrograde motion can be seen each time Earth overtakes and laps planets orbiting farther from the Sun, the Earth moving more rapidly through its own relatively close-in orbit. via NASA http://ift.tt/2cpDnjE

Childhood Cancer Patients to Speak with NASA Astronaut on Space Station

Patients from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston will have the opportunity to speak with a NASA astronaut currently living and working on the International Space Station at 3:55 p.m. EDT on Friday, Sept. 16.

September 15, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2d1HjZ7
via IFTTT

NPR News: Military Bases Serve As Safe Haven For Endangered Species

Military Bases Serve As Safe Haven For Endangered Species
Military bases turn out to be a haven for endangered species. A decision long ago by the military that working with conservationists was a better strategy than fighting them is one of the reasons why.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Don't Kiss That Kitty: Cat-Scratch Fever Is Making People Sicker

Don't Kiss That Kitty: Cat-Scratch Fever Is Making People Sicker
Doctors have long thought that cat-scratch fever is no big deal, but an analysis finds that more people are getting sicker from it. Small children are especially at risk, as are people in the South.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Don't Kiss That Kitty: Cat-Scratch Fever Is Making People Sicker

Don't Kiss That Kitty: Cat-Scratch Fever Is Making People Sicker
Doctors have long thought that cat-scratch fever is no big deal, but an analysis finds that more people are getting sicker from it. Small children are especially at risk, as are people in the South.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Skipping Meals, Joining Gangs: How Teens Cope With Food Insecurity

Skipping Meals, Joining Gangs: How Teens Cope With Food Insecurity
Many kids rely on school for food their families can't afford. Two reports suggest one group is falling through the cracks: teens. Dogged by hunger, teens may try a wide range of strategies to get by.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Yes, It Is Possible To Get Your Flu Shot Too Soon

Yes, It Is Possible To Get Your Flu Shot Too Soon
The vaccine is already showing up in drugstores, but maybe wait until Halloween to get the shot, doctors say, especially if you're over 65 and want to be protected against flu this winter.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Outdated FEMA Flood Maps Don't Account For Climate Change

Outdated FEMA Flood Maps Don't Account For Climate Change
Flood managers suspect August's big rainstorms and floods in Louisiana are becoming more common there and elsewhere because of climate change. One clue: Much of the damage was beyond the flood plain.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Outdated FEMA Flood Maps Don't Account For Climate Change

Outdated FEMA Flood Maps Don't Account For Climate Change
Flood managers suspect August's big rainstorms and floods in Louisiana are becoming more common there and elsewhere because of climate change. One clue: Much of the damage was beyond the flood plain.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Epic Climate Cartoon Goes Viral But It Has One Key Problem

Epic Climate Cartoon Goes Viral But It Has One Key Problem
People talk a lot about the warming of the Earth by a few degrees. Now a cartoon shows you what it looks like.

Read more on NPR

NASA Television to Air Launch of Next International Space Station Crew

Three crew members headed to the International Space Station are scheduled to launch on Friday, Sept. 23. Live launch coverage will begin at 1:15 p.m. EDT on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

September 14, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2cxwtvs
via IFTTT

NPR News: Sugar Shocked? The Rest Of Food Industry Pays For Lots Of Research, Too

Sugar Shocked? The Rest Of Food Industry Pays For Lots Of Research, Too
A recent study revealed the sugar industry's efforts to shape medical opinion on how sugar affects health 50 years ago. But today, scores of companies continue to fund food and nutrition studies.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Trump Shares Medical Information With 'Dr. Oz'

Trump Shares Medical Information With 'Dr. Oz'
The controversial TV host Dr. Mehmet Oz declared the GOP presidential nominee to be "very healthy" though Donald Trump said he needs to lose weight and didn't apologize for an affinity for fast food.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Want A BRCA Test? Some Insurers Require Genetic Counseling First

Want A BRCA Test? Some Insurers Require Genetic Counseling First
Doctors worry that requiring patients to see a separate genetic counselor will keep them from getting tested for mutations that significantly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Read more on NPR

NGC 1672: Barred Spiral Galaxy from Hubble

Many spiral galaxies have bars across their centers. Even our own Milky Way Galaxy is thought to have a modest central bar. Prominently barred spiral galaxy NGC 1672, featured here, was captured in spectacular detail in an image taken by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope. Visible are dark filamentary dust lanes, young clusters of bright blue stars, red emission nebulas of glowing hydrogen gas, a long bright bar of stars across the center, and a bright active nucleus that likely houses a supermassive black hole. Light takes about 60 million years to reach us from NGC 1672, which spans about 75,000 light years across. NGC 1672, which appears toward the constellation of the Dolphinfish (Dorado), is being studied to find out how a spiral bar contributes to star formation in a galaxy's central regions. via NASA http://ift.tt/2ct3Pf5

NPR News: Supporters Speak Out In Favor Of Dakota Access Oil Pipeline

Supporters Speak Out In Favor Of Dakota Access Oil Pipeline
As protests over the Dakota Access oil pipeline keep growing, those in favor of the project are beginning to speak out — even as the company stops work on the pipeline.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: No Garlic Needed: How To Stop Vampire Bats From Spreading Rabies

No Garlic Needed: How To Stop Vampire Bats From Spreading Rabies
Poisoning these thirsty critters doesn't work. But researchers think they're finally getting close to figuring out a plan.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: No Garlic Needed: How To Stop Vampire Bats From Spreading Rabies

No Garlic Needed: How To Stop Vampire Bats From Spreading Rabies
Poisoning these thirsty critters doesn't work. But researchers think they're finally getting close to figuring out a plan.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: When It Comes To Our Politics, Family Matters

When It Comes To Our Politics, Family Matters
This week on Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam explores how unconscious ideas about the family shape the way we think about politics.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Who Says You Can't Train A Cat? A Book Of Tips For Feline-Human Harmony

Who Says You Can't Train A Cat? A Book Of Tips For Feline-Human Harmony
Feline behavior specialist Sarah Ellis explains how humans can get their cats to come on command, take medicine and stop waking them up at night. Her new book is The Trainable Cat.

Read more on NPR

White House, NASA to Discuss Asteroid Redirect Mission’s Importance for Journey to Mars, Planetary Defense

NASA will provide three virtual updates on two planned Asteroid Redirect Missions (ARM) Wednesday, Sept. 14 at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. NASA Television will provide coverage at 11 a.m. EDT of the first briefing to discuss ARM’s contributions to the Journey to Mars and protection of our planet.

September 12, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2ciO1Zi
via IFTTT

All the Water on Planet Earth

How much of planet Earth is made of water? Very little, actually. Although oceans of water cover about 70 percent of Earth's surface, these oceans are shallow compared to the Earth's radius. The featured illustration shows what would happen if all of the water on or near the surface of the Earth were bunched up into a ball. The radius of this ball would be only about 700 kilometers, less than half the radius of the Earth's Moon, but slightly larger than Saturn's moon Rhea which, like many moons in our outer Solar System, is mostly water ice. How even this much water came to be on the Earth and whether any significant amount is trapped far beneath Earth's surface remain topics of research. via NASA http://ift.tt/2chyvOO

NPR News: If An Elephant Can Wear Teva Sandals, What Shoes Suit Other Animals?

If An Elephant Can Wear Teva Sandals, What Shoes Suit Other Animals?
Shanthi the 41-year-old Asian elephant has a problem: arthritis. Teva designed her some special boots, which made us wonder what footwear other would animals wear. Our Facebook friends had some ideas.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Marijuana Pays For Schools In Colorado — Kind Of — But How Will It Help Maine?

Marijuana Pays For Schools In Colorado — Kind Of — But How Will It Help Maine?
Colorado legalized recreational pot in 2012. Maine and four other states will vote on if to legalize it in November. We look at who's making money on pot in Colorado and who could benefit in Maine.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: In The Battle To Save Frogs, Scientists Fight Fungus With Fungus

In The Battle To Save Frogs, Scientists Fight Fungus With Fungus
A deadly fungus is devastating frog populations around the world. In California, scientists are racing to find a way to immunize one species, mountain yellow-legged frogs, against the fungus.

Read more on NPR

The Wide and Deep Lagoon

Ridges of glowing interstellar gas and dark dust clouds inhabit the turbulent, cosmic depths of the Lagoon Nebula. Also known as M8, the bright star forming region is about 5,000 light-years distant. But it still makes for a popular stop on telescopic tours of the constellation Sagittarius, toward the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. Dominated by the telltale red emission of ionized hydrogen atoms recombining with stripped electrons, this stunning, deep view of the Lagoon is nearly 100 light-years across. Right of center, the bright, compact, hourglass shape is gas ionized and sculpted by energetic radiation and extreme stellar winds from a massive young star. In fact, the many bright stars of open cluster NGC 6530 drift within the nebula, just formed in the Lagoon several million years ago. via NASA http://ift.tt/2cJXEnU

NPR News: What Data Will Be Discovered By The World's Most Powerful Telescope?

What Data Will Be Discovered By The World's Most Powerful Telescope?
Big Data is everywhere — even the skies. Astronomer Andrew Connolly shows how large amounts of data are being collected about our universe, and how it will help lead to new discoveries.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: NASA's Other Asteroid Mission: Grab A Chunk And Put It In Orbit Around The Moon

NASA's Other Asteroid Mission: Grab A Chunk And Put It In Orbit Around The Moon
Flying people to an asteroid is really hard, so NASA wants to bring part of it to them. But some former astronauts say the $2 billion plan was born of politics and budget cuts, and makes little sense.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: NASA's Other Asteroid Mission: Grab A Chunk And Put It In Orbit Around The Moon

NASA's Other Asteroid Mission: Grab A Chunk And Put It In Orbit Around The Moon
Flying people to an asteroid is really hard, so NASA wants to bring part of it to them. But some former astronauts say the $2 billion plan was born of politics and budget cuts, and makes little sense.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: A Map To Help Cancer Doctors Find Their Way

A Map To Help Cancer Doctors Find Their Way
A computer program can map cancer progression in much the same way historical explorers drew maps of the Earth without satellite imaging. Small bits of data can be pieced together to form a picture.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: A Map To Help Cancer Doctors Find Their Way

A Map To Help Cancer Doctors Find Their Way
A computer program can map cancer progression in much the same way historical explorers drew maps of the Earth without satellite imaging. Small bits of data can be pieced together to form a picture.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Can New Technology Decode The Biggest Data Set Of All?

Can New Technology Decode The Biggest Data Set Of All?
Scientist Riccardo Sabatini says we have the technology to read the human genome and predict things like height, eye color, age — all from a vial of blood.

Read more on NPR

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Speeds Toward Asteroid Rendezvous

NASA's first asteroid sampling mission launched into space at 7:05 p.m. EDT Thursday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, beginning a journey that could revolutionize our understanding of the early solar system.

September 08, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2ctlJwS
via IFTTT

NPR News: California Gov. Jerry Brown Signs New Climate Change Laws

California Gov. Jerry Brown Signs New Climate Change Laws
Brown signed two laws designed to be the most ambitious initiative on climate change in the country. The business community says the laws don't consider the economic impact on the state.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: How Coffee Is Perking Up Engineering Education

How Coffee Is Perking Up Engineering Education
Coffee can teach us many things, including engineering. At the University of California, Davis, it's now the topic of the most popular elective class on campus, and an ambitious new research center.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: WATCH: Bacteria Invade Antibiotics And Transform Into Superbugs

WATCH: Bacteria Invade Antibiotics And Transform Into Superbugs
We know that bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics, but we've never seen it happen. An MIT scientist figured out how to show bacteria surviving antibiotics and invading a giant petri dish.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: WATCH: Bacteria Invade Antibiotics And Transform Into Superbugs

WATCH: Bacteria Invade Antibiotics And Transform Into Superbugs
We know that bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics, but we've never seen it happen. An MIT scientist figured out how to show bacteria surviving antibiotics and invading a giant petri dish.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: How A Dog In An MRI Scanner Is Like Your Grandma At A Disco

How A Dog In An MRI Scanner Is Like Your Grandma At A Disco
To study dogs' brain activity, scientists had to train canines to hold absolutely still for eight minutes without restraint. But how do you get a dog to freeze that long inside a clanging MRI scanner?

Read more on NPR

NPR News: NASA Mission To Retrieve Ancient Asteroid Dust Is Ready For Launch

NASA Mission To Retrieve Ancient Asteroid Dust Is Ready For Launch
The mission aims to circle a hill-sized asteroid for two years, then skim its surface and bring a hearty sample of 4.5 billion-year-old dirt back to Earth.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: How A Dog In An MRI Scanner Is Like Your Grandma At A Disco

How A Dog In An MRI Scanner Is Like Your Grandma At A Disco
To study dogs' brain activity, scientists had to train canines to hold absolutely still for eight minutes without restraint. But how do you get a dog to freeze that long inside a clanging MRI scanner?

Read more on NPR

NPR News: For Arthritic Elephant, National Zoo Turns To Pachyderm Pedicures And Giant Tevas

For Arthritic Elephant, National Zoo Turns To Pachyderm Pedicures And Giant Tevas
Veterinarians at Smithsonian's National Zoo have turned to an unconventional therapy for an arthritic 41-year-old Asian elephant – shoes. The talented animal also knows how to play the harmonica.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Most Humpback Whales Taken Off Endangered Species List

Most Humpback Whales Taken Off Endangered Species List
The National Marine Fisheries Service says nine of the 14 distinct populations of humpback whales have recovered enough that they no longer need to be considered endangered.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Facebook And Mortality: Why Your Incessant Joy Gives Me The Blues

Facebook And Mortality: Why Your Incessant Joy Gives Me The Blues
Has the social media site been good for our mental health or not? The evidence isn't straightforward, researchers say, despite lots of study. How Facebook makes you feel may depend on how you use it.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Facebook And Mortality: Why Your Incessant Joy Gives Me The Blues

Facebook And Mortality: Why Your Incessant Joy Gives Me The Blues
Has the social media site been good for our mental health or not? The evidence isn't straightforward, researchers say, despite lots of study. How Facebook makes you feel may depend on how you use it.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Social Science Researchers Explore 'Unethical Amnesia'

Social Science Researchers Explore 'Unethical Amnesia'
Researchers find that one reason some people cheat over and over again is because we all tend to suffer from "unethical amnesia" — our minds are prone to forgetting the bad stuff we've done.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Social Science Researchers Explore 'Unethical Amnesia'

Social Science Researchers Explore 'Unethical Amnesia'
Researchers find that one reason some people cheat over and over again is because we all tend to suffer from "unethical amnesia" — our minds are prone to forgetting the bad stuff we've done.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Most Humpback Whales Off Endangered List In 'Ecological Success Story'

Most Humpback Whales Off Endangered List In 'Ecological Success Story'
Some whales of the Western U.S. will retain protections, and the moratorium on whaling remains in effect, but the National Marine Fisheries Service says most humpback whale populations have recovered.

Read more on NPR

NASA’s Record-breaking Astronaut, Crewmates Safely Return to Earth

NASA astronaut and Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams returned to Earth Tuesday after his U.S. record-breaking mission aboard the International Space Station.

September 07, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2bWNvSZ
via IFTTT

NASA Awards Grants to Inspire Mars Generation of Explorers, Scientists

NASA is awarding approximately $3 million in grants to three informal education organizations to help inspire the next generation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies and careers as the agency progresses on its Journey to Mars.

September 06, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2cyMyzf
via IFTTT

NPR News: Why The Discovery Of An Earth-Like Planet Is Such A Big Deal

Why The Discovery Of An Earth-Like Planet Is Such A Big Deal
Last month, astronomers announced they found a planet that is four light years away. This is huge news, and we need to pay attention.

Read more on NPR

NASA Awards Safety, Mission Assurance Support Services Contract

NASA has awarded a contract to Alphaport, Inc., of Cleveland, for safety and mission assurance support services at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Headquarters in Washington and other sites supported by Kennedy programs and projects.

September 06, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2cb0ml3
via IFTTT

NPR News: Asteroid Named For Freddie Mercury Is Announced On His Birthday

Asteroid Named For Freddie Mercury Is Announced On His Birthday
The celestial body was discovered in the same year Mercury died at age 45. It was dedicated to the singer in honor of what would have been his 70th birthday, his bandmate Brian May announced.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: When People Ate People, A Strange Disease Emerged

When People Ate People, A Strange Disease Emerged
For decades a rare disease crawled across Papua New Guinea. When scientists realized what was behind kuru, it caught everyone by surprise. But similar diseases can still be transmitted through food.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Before Apple And Facebook, There Was Something More Revolutionary

Before Apple And Facebook, There Was Something More Revolutionary
More than any of today's icons — Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and the rest — Guglielmo Marconi was uniquely at the center of the communication revolution of his time, says Marc Raboy.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: The Perils of Power

The Perils of Power
We've all heard the adage that "power corrupts," but psychologist Dacher Keltner at UC Berkeley has found evidence to prove it. His book is The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Scientists Explore Purple Microbial Mats In The Depths Of Lake Huron

Scientists Explore Purple Microbial Mats In The Depths Of Lake Huron
Researchers from around the world are visiting Lake Huron to look at purple mats deep below the water's surface. They believe these mats could explain how the Earth's oxygen rich air developed 2.4 billion years ago.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: For Lizards, Climate Change Is A Deadly — And Complex — Threat

For Lizards, Climate Change Is A Deadly — And Complex — Threat
Scientists knew that lizards, which bask in the sun for warmth, are vulnerable to climate change. A new study suggests the hazards are more complicated, and possibly worse, than previously believed.

Read more on NPR

Io over Jupiter from Voyager 1

Back in 1979, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft flew past Jupiter and its moons. The images in this mosaic, featuring the moon Io against a background of gas giant Jupiter's diffuse swirling cloud bands, were recorded by Voyager's camera from a distance of about 8.3 million kilometers. The Io image from this mosaic may be the first to show curious round features on Io's surface with dark centers and bright rims more than 60 kilometers across. Now known to be volcanic in origin, these features were then thought likely to be impact craters, commonly seen on rocky bodies throughout the Solar System. But as Voyager continued to approach Io, close-up pictures revealed a bizarre world devoid of impact craters, frequently resurfaced by volcanic activity. Earlier this year a new robotic spacecraft, NASA's Juno, began to orbit Jupiter and last week made a pass within 5,000 kilometers of Jupiter's clouds. During the next two years, it is hoped that Juno will discover new things about Jupiter, for example what's in Jupiter's core. via NASA http://ift.tt/2c44vq7

NPR News: World's Largest Ape Is Added To Critically Endangered List

World's Largest Ape Is Added To Critically Endangered List
Populations of Grauer's gorilla (formerly known as the eastern lowland gorilla) total only around 3,800 individuals — a 77 percent reduction — according to a recent survey.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Oklahoma Shuts Down Energy Companies' Disposal Wells In Area Of Strong Quake

Oklahoma Shuts Down Energy Companies' Disposal Wells In Area Of Strong Quake
Saturday's large quake immediately raised suspicions that it was linked to injection wells that oil and gas companies use as part of fracking and other operations.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: A Teen Might Pick The Landing Site For NASA's Next Mars Rover

A Teen Might Pick The Landing Site For NASA's Next Mars Rover
Alex Longo hopes to be the first person to walk on Mars. In the meantime, the Raleigh, N.C., sophomore has suggested a landing site for the next rover mission. His pick is one of four finalists.

Read more on NPR

Reunion Island Eclipse

The New Moon's dark shadow crossed planet Earth on September 1. In silhouette the Moon didn't quite cover the Sun though, creating an an annular solar eclipse. The shadow's narrow central path was about 100 kilometers wide at maximum eclipse. Beginning in the South Atlantic, it tracked toward the east across Africa, ending in the Indian Ocean. Waiting on the Indian Ocean's Reunion Island, eclipse watchers enjoyed a view just north of the eclipse centerline, the annular phase lasting a few minutes or less. Clouds threaten the nearly eclipsed Sun but create a dramatic sky in this wide-angle and telephoto composite at a partial phase from the northern side of the 50 kilometer wide island. via NASA http://ift.tt/2chS8FA

NPR News: How Fossil Fuel Production Relates To Earthquakes

How Fossil Fuel Production Relates To Earthquakes
An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 hit Oklahoma on Saturday morning. StateImpact Oklahoma reporter Joe Wertz talks about earthquakes and their connections to oil and gas production.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Titans Linebacker Derrick Morgan To NFL: Consider The Benefits Of Marijuana

Titans Linebacker Derrick Morgan To NFL: Consider The Benefits Of Marijuana
The NFL is physically brutal. Some say marijuana can alleviate pain, but it's still illegal in most places. Some players want their league to take a closer look at the benefits of the drug.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: How A Baseball Batter's Brain Reacts To A Fast Pitch

How A Baseball Batter's Brain Reacts To A Fast Pitch
NPR's Scott Simon talks with neurophysiologist Jason Sherwin about his research into how a baseball batter processes an incoming fastball.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: How A Baseball Batter's Brain Reacts To A Fast Pitch

How A Baseball Batter's Brain Reacts To A Fast Pitch
NPR's Scott Simon talks with neurophysiologist Jason Sherwin about his research into how a baseball batter processes an incoming fastball.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: We Got Your Letters: Listeners Puzzled By Tom Wolfe's Words On Evolution

We Got Your Letters: Listeners Puzzled By Tom Wolfe's Words On Evolution
NPR's Scott Simon's interview last week with author Tom Wolfe prompted an unusual number of responses from listeners regarding the author's questioning of some aspects of the theory of evolution.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Why Do Small Dogs Live Longer Than Big Dogs?

Why Do Small Dogs Live Longer Than Big Dogs?
Researchers at the University of Washington are hoping to answer that question. NPR's Scott Simon talks to biology and pathology professor Daniel Promislow about the Dog Aging Project.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: G-20 Summit: A First For Host China, A Last For President Obama

G-20 Summit: A First For Host China, A Last For President Obama
The meeting kicks off tomorrow in Hangzhou, China, after this year's host country formally agreed with the U.S. to cut its greenhouse gas emissions according to the Paris agreement reached last year.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Who's A Good Girl? Your Dog, Who Understands More Than You Might Think

Who's A Good Girl? Your Dog, Who Understands More Than You Might Think
A team of Hungarian scientists has determined dogs can understand words, not just tone. NPR's Scott Simon says it may mean we should rethink our entire relationship with our furry friends.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: S.C. County Sprays For Mosquitos But Accidentally Takes Out Millions Of Bees

S.C. County Sprays For Mosquitos But Accidentally Takes Out Millions Of Bees
Dorchester County, in South Carolina, was worried about the risk posed by Zika. So officials recently ordered that a pesticide be sprayed from planes — and local beehives have been devastated.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: NASA Probe Takes First-Ever Images Of Jupiter's North Pole

NASA Probe Takes First-Ever Images Of Jupiter's North Pole
"It's bluer in color up there than other parts of the planet, and there are a lot of storms," a Juno mission leader says of the gas giant's northern reaches.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Massive 'Donut' Reef Discovered Behind Australia's Great Barrier Reef

Massive 'Donut' Reef Discovered Behind Australia's Great Barrier Reef
The reef structure covers more than 2,000 square miles north of the Great Barrier Reef. What might live there and even what it looks like up close, is still largely a mystery.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: 'Alien' Signal Source Reportedly Located (It Wasn't The Vulcans)

'Alien' Signal Source Reportedly Located (It Wasn't The Vulcans)
If it were a phone call, we might call it a butt-dial: A strong radio signal that set off speculation about possible alien origins is now believed to have come from a terrestrial source.

Read more on NPR

NASA Selects Proposals for Advancing Adaptive Space Robotics, 3-D Printing and Other Key Exploration Technologies

NASA has selected 21 research and technology proposals from American small businesses and research institutions that will enable NASA's future missions into the solar system and beyond while benefiting America's technology-driven economy here on Earth.

September 01, 2016
from NASA http://ift.tt/2bMDncT
via IFTTT

NPR News: Conservationists Review Efforts To Restore California's Bighorn Sheep

Conservationists Review Efforts To Restore California's Bighorn Sheep
This time of year, the endangered bighorn sheep of Southern California gather at desert watering holes. Conservationists use these huddles to see how efforts to restore the population are going.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Fast-Growing Idaho Wildfire Could Keep Burning Until October

Fast-Growing Idaho Wildfire Could Keep Burning Until October
The Pioneer Fire in the Idaho backcountry has been burning since July, but it exploded in size this week during hot, dry weather. Smoke from the blaze has created a monstrous cloud visible from space.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: How GMOs Cut The Use Of Pesticides — And Perhaps Boosted Them Again

How GMOs Cut The Use Of Pesticides — And Perhaps Boosted Them Again
There's new and detailed data on the impact of genetically modified crops on pesticide use. Those crops replaced insecticides, and, at first, some herbicides. But herbicide use has rebounded.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: How GMOs Cut The Use Of Pesticides — And Perhaps Boosted Them Again

How GMOs Cut The Use Of Pesticides — And Perhaps Boosted Them Again
There's new and detailed data on the impact of genetically modified crops on pesticide use. Those crops replaced insecticides, and, at first, some herbicides. But herbicide use has rebounded.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: SpaceX Launch Pad In Florida Is Scene Of Large Explosion, Days Before Launch

SpaceX Launch Pad In Florida Is Scene Of Large Explosion, Days Before Launch
Early Thursday, a "significant explosion" hit the launch area, the 45th Space Wing at Cape Canaveral Air Station tells member station WMFE's Brendan Byrne.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: One Result Of China's Buildup In South China Sea: Environmental Havoc

One Result Of China's Buildup In South China Sea: Environmental Havoc
China has been creating artificial islands out of reefs in the South China Sea. Environmentalists say the process is killing off coral and giant clams.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Want To Make Better Predictions? Researchers Explore How

Want To Make Better Predictions? Researchers Explore How
Analyzing an event by breaking it down into details might seem like a good way to predict the outcome, but social science research suggests that when most of us do it, we make worse predictions.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Want To Make Better Predictions? Researchers Explore How

Want To Make Better Predictions? Researchers Explore How
Analyzing an event by breaking it down into details might seem like a good way to predict the outcome, but social science research suggests that when most of us do it, we make worse predictions.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: POLL: Most Americans Want Congress To Make Zika Funding A High Priority

POLL: Most Americans Want Congress To Make Zika Funding A High Priority
That's what 76 percent said in a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey. Half the respondents also said they'd be uncomfortable traveling to places in Florida where mosquitoes are spreading Zika.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: POLL: Most Americans Want Congress To Make Zika Funding A High Priority

POLL: Most Americans Want Congress To Make Zika Funding A High Priority
That's what 76 percent said in a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey. Half the respondents also said they'd be uncomfortable traveling to places in Florida where mosquitoes are spreading Zika.

Read more on NPR