Where to See the American Eclipse

Are you planning to see the American Eclipse on August 21? A few hours after sunrise, a rare total eclipse of the Sun will be visible along a narrow path across the USA. Those only near the path will see a partial eclipse. Although some Americans live right in path of totality, surely many more will be able to get there after a well-planned drive. One problem with eclipses, though, is that clouds sometimes get in the way. To increase your clear-viewing odds, you might consult the featured map and find a convenient destination with a historically low chance (more blue) of thick clouds overhead during totality. Given the large fraction of Americans carrying camera-equipped smartphones, this American Eclipse may turn out to be the most photographed event in the history of the world. via NASA http://ift.tt/2jR3xiW

NPR News: To Catch Prey, Frogs Turn to Sticky Spit

To Catch Prey, Frogs Turn to Sticky Spit
Frogs are unmatched in their speed and ability to catch prey. It's all about their super-soft tongue and specialized saliva, say researchers, who got saliva to test by scraping frogs' tongues.

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NPR News: Space Archaeologist Wants Citizen Scientists To Identify Archaeological Looting

Space Archaeologist Wants Citizen Scientists To Identify Archaeological Looting
Sarah Parcak used $1 million in TED Prize money to launch a program called GlobalXplorer that allows anyone online to analyze satellite images of archaeological sites for evidence.

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NPR News: Space Archaeologist Wants Citizen Scientists To Identify Archaeological Looting

Space Archaeologist Wants Citizen Scientists To Identify Archaeological Looting
Sarah Parcak used $1 million in TED Prize money to launch a program called GlobalXplorer that allows anyone online to analyze satellite images of archaeological sites for evidence.

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NPR News: Government Releases 16 Years Of Data About Solar Weather

Government Releases 16 Years Of Data About Solar Weather
It's the first time the U.S military has made public the data collected by GPS satellites about solar events. It may help people predict Earth disasters caused by space weather.

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NPR News: Scientists Describe Ancient Bag-Like Sea Creatures From China

Scientists Describe Ancient Bag-Like Sea Creatures From China
They were ugly. And, unfortunately, they were not equipped with an anus. But the sand dwellers could be an important part of filling in our own early evolutionary tree.

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NPR News: Scientists Describe Ancient Bag-Like Sea Creatures From China

Scientists Describe Ancient Bag-Like Sea Creatures From China
They were ugly. And, unfortunately, they were not equipped with an anus. But the sand dwellers could be an important part of filling in our own early evolutionary tree.

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NASA Hosts Media Day for Colorado Study of Snow-bound Water Resources

NASA will host a media day at 9:30 a.m. MST on Feb. 13 to highlight a field campaign designed to advance new remote-sensing techniques to measure the amount of water held in snow, a key factor in calculating water supplies in many parts of the world.

January 30, 2017
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NPR News: Save The Monkeys, Save The Trees, Sell The Chocolate

Save The Monkeys, Save The Trees, Sell The Chocolate
An enterprise-minded ecologist from England is helping endangered brown-headed spider monkeys in Ecuador by connecting their preservation to high-end chocolate.

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NPR News: Can New DNA Science Help Keep Our Fish Safe?

Can New DNA Science Help Keep Our Fish Safe?
Scientists are experimenting with species' environmental DNA to find out how far and how fast it travels in streams. The technology is starting to revolutionize how we protect native animals.

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NPR News: This Tiny Submarine Cruises Inside A Stomach To Deliver Drugs

This Tiny Submarine Cruises Inside A Stomach To Deliver Drugs
Scientists have created an experimental device that putters around inside the stomach, neutralizing acid and then delivering antibiotics. The goal is to help the antibiotics work better.

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NPR News: This Tiny Submarine Cruises Inside A Stomach To Deliver Drugs

This Tiny Submarine Cruises Inside A Stomach To Deliver Drugs
Scientists have created an experimental device that putters around inside the stomach, neutralizing acid and then delivering antibiotics. The goal is to help the antibiotics work better.

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NPR News: Doomsday Clock Closest To Midnight Since 1954

Doomsday Clock Closest To Midnight Since 1954
The Doomsday Clock has inched closer to and farther from nuclear Armageddon since the Manhattan Project in 1947. On Thursday, the clock moved closer to Midnight — the closest it has been since 1954.

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NPR News: Obamacare Repeal Could Threaten Provisions That Help Older Adults

Obamacare Repeal Could Threaten Provisions That Help Older Adults
Some lesser known parts of the Affordable Care Act have especially benefited people 50 and older. Will repeal of the ACA bring back sky-high premiums and gaps in Medicare's prescription drug coverage?

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NPR News: It's Not Just The Park Service: 'Rogue' Federal Twitter Accounts Multiply

It's Not Just The Park Service: 'Rogue' Federal Twitter Accounts Multiply
What started as one "unofficial resistance" Twitter account has grown to a list of more than 50 "rogue" accounts advocating for the science community and climate change research.

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NPR News: 'A Nightmare Without An End': Wildfires Burn Out Of Control In Chile

'A Nightmare Without An End': Wildfires Burn Out Of Control In Chile
Hundreds of thousands of acres have been destroyed and at least 10 people have died, including several firefighters. The Chilean government says the blazes are the worst in the country's history.

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NASA Invites Media Behind the Scenes of Volcano, Coral Reef Research

NASA is hosting a media day on Feb. 8 in O’ahu, Hawaii, to spotlight two field campaigns that seek to unlock some of the mysteries behind two of Hawaii’s treasured natural resources: coral reefs and volcanoes.

January 27, 2017
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NPR News: On 50th Anniversary NASA Creates Tribute To Apollo 1 Astronauts

On 50th Anniversary NASA Creates Tribute To Apollo 1 Astronauts
It's been 50 years since a fire on the launch pad killed three astronauts during a test of Apollo 1. Friday will mark the first time the public can view the capsule as a tribute to the lives lost.

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NPR News: Controversial Research On Creation Of Human-Animal Embryos Published

Controversial Research On Creation Of Human-Animal Embryos Published
Results from two sets of experiments provide encouragement to researchers working on "chimera" embryos that may someday be used to grow organs for transplantation into people.

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NPR News: Controversial Research On Creation Of Human-Animal Embryos Published

Controversial Research On Creation Of Human-Animal Embryos Published
Results from two sets of experiments provide encouragement to researchers working on "chimera" embryos that may someday be used to grow organs for transplantation into people.

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NPR News: Former EPA Scientist Weighs In On Fate Of Climate Science Under Trump

Former EPA Scientist Weighs In On Fate Of Climate Science Under Trump
The relationship between the Trump administration and the Environmental Protection Agency is off to a rough start. The new administration has instructed officials to freeze its grants and contracts, external communication has been frozen, and academic papers by agency scientists may be subject to review before publication. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Tracey Woodruff, a former senior scientist and policy advisor at the EPA under the Clinton and Bush administration, about whether previous transitions in administrations have always had been this rocky.

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NPR News: Art Exhibition Celebrates Drawings By The Founder of Modern Neuroscience

Art Exhibition Celebrates Drawings By The Founder of Modern Neuroscience
Santiago Ramón y Cajal's drawings of nerve cells changed scientists' understanding of the brain. Now, 80 of those drawings are going on display at an art museum in Minnesota.

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NPR News: Art Exhibition Celebrates Drawings By The Founder of Modern Neuroscience

Art Exhibition Celebrates Drawings By The Founder of Modern Neuroscience
Santiago Ramón y Cajal's drawings of nerve cells changed scientists' understanding of the brain. Now, 80 of those drawings are going on display at an art museum in Minnesota.

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NPR News: As Trump Team Moves In, Climate Scientists Watch And Worry

As Trump Team Moves In, Climate Scientists Watch And Worry
The country's single biggest source of climate information is the federal government. What happens if a Trump administration tries to censor it?

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NPR News: Nearly Half Of California Emerges From Drought In Latest Report

Nearly Half Of California Emerges From Drought In Latest Report
For the first time since January of 2014, no part of California is in the "exceptional drought" category, according to a U.S. Drought Monitor report.

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NPR News: Young Girls Are Less Apt To Think Women Are Really, Really Smart

Young Girls Are Less Apt To Think Women Are Really, Really Smart
Girls are less likely to identify their own gender as brilliant than boys are, even at age 5. One question is whether it's the girls who need to change their thinking about innate intelligence.

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NPR News: Young Girls Are Less Apt To Think Women Are Really, Really Smart

Young Girls Are Less Apt To Think Women Are Really, Really Smart
Girls are less likely to identify their own gender as brilliant than boys are, even at age 5. One question is whether it's the girls who need to change their thinking about innate intelligence.

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NPR News: 'It's A Big One': Iowa Pipeline Leaks Nearly 140,000 Gallons Of Diesel

'It's A Big One': Iowa Pipeline Leaks Nearly 140,000 Gallons Of Diesel
The leak from an underground pipeline in north-central Iowa was first discovered in a field on Wednesday morning. Crews for the company, Magellan Midstream Partners, are working to clean it up.

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NPR News: The Doomsday Clock Is Now 30 Seconds Closer To Midnight

The Doomsday Clock Is Now 30 Seconds Closer To Midnight
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said they're seeing an increase in dangers to humanity, from the proliferation of nuclear weapons to climate change.

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NPR News: Rogue National Park Accounts Emerge On Twitter Amid Social Media Gag Orders

Rogue National Park Accounts Emerge On Twitter Amid Social Media Gag Orders
Countering the Trump administration's restrictions on public communications, unofficial Twitter accounts for the National Park Service have been tweeting facts about climate change.

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NASA Remembers Its Fallen Heroes, 50th Anniversary of Apollo 1 Accident

NASA will honor members of the NASA family, including the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery during the agency's annual Day of Remembrance on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

January 25, 2017
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NPR News: EPA Scientists' Work May Be Subject To Review By Trump Team

EPA Scientists' Work May Be Subject To Review By Trump Team
The Trump transition at the Environmental Protection Agency is off to a bumpy start. External communications have been frozen, and this morning NPR reported that even academic papers by agency scientists will be subject to review during the transition.

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NPR News: Red Panda Escapes From Virginia Zoo In Norfolk

Red Panda Escapes From Virginia Zoo In Norfolk
A red panda named Sunny has escaped from the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk. Turns out, they have a reputation for escaping their enclosures.

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NPR News: If These Trees Don't Get Time To Chill, Farmers Will Be Out On A Limb

If These Trees Don't Get Time To Chill, Farmers Will Be Out On A Limb
Tree crops like pistachios, peaches and almonds need a certain amount of cold weather every year. But scientists say that California's climate may become too warm for them to grow there.

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NPR News: EPA Scientists' Work May Face 'Case By Case' Review By Trump Team, Official Says

EPA Scientists' Work May Face 'Case By Case' Review By Trump Team, Official Says
A Trump official says he expects peer-reviewed research will be subject to vetting during the transition period. If such a rule became permanent, it would be a radical departure from existing policy.

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NPR News: Trump Takes Executive Action Designed To Speed Approval Of Oil Pipelines

Trump Takes Executive Action Designed To Speed Approval Of Oil Pipelines
President Donald Trump took executive action designed to speed approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline and the Dakota Access Pipeline. Opponents say they will challenge the projects at every step.

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Experience NASA at Super Bowl LIVE Fan Festival in Houston

Space exploration will feature prominently at Super Bowl LIVE, a nine-day fan festival running Jan. 28 through Feb. 5 in Houston, site of Super Bowl LI.

January 24, 2017
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NPR News: Trump's Move On Keystone XL, Dakota Access Outrages Activists

Trump's Move On Keystone XL, Dakota Access Outrages Activists
President Trump indicated that potential deals between the pipeline companies and the federal government would be renegotiated, with the goal of allowing construction to move forward.

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Oklahoma Students to Speak to NASA Astronaut on Space Station

Students from Jenks Middle School in Jenks, Oklahoma, will have the opportunity to speak with a NASA astronaut currently living and working aboard the International Space Station at 10:35 a.m. EST on Thursday, Jan. 26. The 20-minute, Earth-to-space call will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

January 24, 2017
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NPR News: Trump To Give Green Light To Keystone, Dakota Access Pipelines

Trump To Give Green Light To Keystone, Dakota Access Pipelines
The pipelines had been blocked by the Obama administration, and President Trump's actions are expected to reignite the energy vs. environment debate.

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NPR News: Research Examines The Effects Of Gender On Stated Ambition

Research Examines The Effects Of Gender On Stated Ambition
A study finds single women are much less likely to express career ambitions compared to married women or men. Researchers believe they don't want to undermine their appeal in the dating market.

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NPR News: Obamacare Repeal Threatens A Health Benefit Popular In Coal Country

Obamacare Repeal Threatens A Health Benefit Popular In Coal Country
The Affordable Care Act made it faster and easier for a coal miner with black lung to get compensation benefits. Many in coal country want that provision retained, even if the larger law is repealed.

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NPR News: Research Examines The Effects Of Gender On Stated Ambition

Research Examines The Effects Of Gender On Stated Ambition
A study finds single women are much less likely to express career ambitions compared to married women or men. Researchers believe they don't want to undermine their appeal in the dating market.

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NPR News: How To Make Broadcast Towers More Bird-Friendly: Turn Off Some Lights

How To Make Broadcast Towers More Bird-Friendly: Turn Off Some Lights
Millions of migratory birds die every year after slamming into broadcast and cell towers. Scientists found that turning off steady-beam lights on towers reduced bird fatalities by 70 percent.

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NPR News: Strangers in Their Own Land: The 'Deep Story' of Trump Supporters

Strangers in Their Own Land: The 'Deep Story' of Trump Supporters
Millions of Americans seem to ignore their own interests when it comes to how they vote. Sociologist Arlie Hochschild thinks we might be turning to politics to meet emotional needs, not economic ones.

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NPR News: Strangers in Their Own Land: The 'Deep Story' of Trump Supporters

Strangers in Their Own Land: The 'Deep Story' of Trump Supporters
Millions of Americans seem to ignore their own interests when it comes to how they vote. Sociologist Arlie Hochschild thinks we might be turning to politics to meet emotional needs, not economic ones.

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NPR News: 'Like High-Definition From The Heavens'; NOAA Releases New Images Of Earth

'Like High-Definition From The Heavens'; NOAA Releases New Images Of Earth
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released the first public images from its new weather satellite. The agency says the satellite's data will lead to more accurate weather forecasts.

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NPR News: Scientists Discover Prehistoric Giant Otter Species In China

Scientists Discover Prehistoric Giant Otter Species In China
Six million years ago, giant otters weighing more than 100 pounds lived among birds and water lilies in the wooded wetlands of China's Yunnan province. The discovery sheds light on how otters evolved.

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NPR News: Scientists Discover Prehistoric Giant Otter Species In China

Scientists Discover Prehistoric Giant Otter Species In China
Six million years ago, giant otters weighing more than 100 pounds lived among birds and water lilies in the wooded wetlands of China's Yunnan province. The discovery sheds light on how otters evolved.

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NPR News: Politics Aside, Counting Crowds Is Tricky

Politics Aside, Counting Crowds Is Tricky
Claims about the size of crowds for both President Trump's inauguration and the protests that followed the day after, are being debated. Scientists struggle with how to do that kind of head count.

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NPR News: Rural Colorado's Opioid Connections Might Hold Clues To Better Treatment

Rural Colorado's Opioid Connections Might Hold Clues To Better Treatment
Opioid abuse is rising fast among those who live in rural areas. Research suggests the drugs' illicit use there spreads rapidly via social networks, which could be part of the solution, too.

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NPR News: 'Why Time Flies' Investigates How Humans Experience Time

'Why Time Flies' Investigates How Humans Experience Time
NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with Alan Burdick about his book, Why Time Flies. It's an investigation of the sometimes contradictory ways we experience time.

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NASA TV to Broadcast Cargo Ship Departure from Space Station

Six weeks after delivering more than 4.5 tons of supplies and experiments to the International Space Station, an unpiloted Japanese cargo spacecraft is scheduled to depart the station Friday, Jan. 27. Live coverage of the departure will begin at 10 a.m. EST on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

January 23, 2017
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NASA Television to Air Service Celebrating Life, Legacy of Eugene Cernan

NASA Television will provide the pool coverage of the funeral service for NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy Capt. Eugene A. Cernan at 3:30 p.m. EST (2:30 p.m. CST) on Tuesday, Jan. 24, live from St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston.

January 23, 2017
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NPR News: Destructive Storms Soak, Batter and Bury Communities Around The Country

Destructive Storms Soak, Batter and Bury Communities Around The Country
Apparent tornadoes killed at least 19 people in the South, nearly four inches of rain caused mudslides in California and a storm is dumping snow and rain from the Mid-Atlantic through the Northeast.

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NPR News: China Will Launch Moon-Sampling Mission In November

China Will Launch Moon-Sampling Mission In November
Ahead of a separate plan to visit the moon's far side, China hopes to return lunar samples to the Earth in late 2017.

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NPR News: Yes, 'World's Largest Nerf Gun' Is An Actual World Record. This Engineer Made It

Yes, 'World's Largest Nerf Gun' Is An Actual World Record. This Engineer Made It
Mark Rober designed a huge Nerf gun to win an office Nerf war. He talks to NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro about how he designed it, and what happens when you get hit with a pool noodle at 40 mph.

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NPR News: How To Use Math To Pick A Favorite Football Team

How To Use Math To Pick A Favorite Football Team
If your team leaves town, don't cry. Just pick a new team to root for. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks to FiveThirtyEight's Blythe Terrell about the math analysis that led her to find her new team.

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NPR News: Haight Ashbury's Free Health Clinic: Middle-Aged And Still Groovy

Haight Ashbury's Free Health Clinic: Middle-Aged And Still Groovy
A series of mergers with other nonprofit clinics has transformed the 50-year-old San Francisco clinic into a $110 million health care system that provides networked care up and down California.

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Layer Cake Sunset

On January 18 a tantalizing sunset was captured in this snapshot. Seemingly sliced into many horizontal layers the Sun shimmered moments before it touched the horizon, setting over the Pacific Ocean as seen from the mountaintop Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. Pink hues of filtered sunlight were created by the long sight-line through the hazy atmosphere. But the remarkable layers correspond to low atmospheric layers of sharply different temperature and density also along the line of sight. Over a long path through each layer the rays of sunlight are refracted strongly and create different images or mirages of sections of the setting Sun. via NASA http://ift.tt/2j1W42F

NPR News: Are There More Than Five Basic Tastes?

Are There More Than Five Basic Tastes?
Scientists have long believed we have just five tastes - salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami (or savory). Geneticist Nicole Garneau argues we might be able to taste a sixth — fat.

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NPR News: Why Is It Important To Be Touched?

Why Is It Important To Be Touched?
Neuroscientist David Linden thinks that of the five senses, touch is the most overlooked, and perhaps the most important for promoting psychological health.

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NPR News: How Do Pheromones Really Work?

How Do Pheromones Really Work?
Pheromones are mysterious compounds that can make a mammal smell more sexy--but that's not true for humans. Zoologist Tristram Wyatt says human pheremones are hard to find.

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NPR News: Are There More Than Five Basic Tastes?

Are There More Than Five Basic Tastes?
Scientists have long believed we have just five tastes - salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami (or savory). Geneticist Nicole Garneau argues we might be able to taste a sixth — fat.

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NASA Opens Media Accreditation for Next SpaceX Space Station Cargo Launch

Media accreditation now is open for launch of the next SpaceX commercial cargo resupply services mission to the International Space Station, currently targeted for no earlier than February.

January 19, 2017
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NPR News: 5th 'Mars Mission' Simulation Ready For Launch In Hawaii

5th 'Mars Mission' Simulation Ready For Launch In Hawaii
Starting Thursday, six people will spend eight months in a dome on Mauna Loa volcano to study what living on Mars might be like. The mission is co-sponsored by the University of Hawaii and NASA.

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NPR News: Athlete-Turned-Trucker Works To Improve Truckers' Health

Athlete-Turned-Trucker Works To Improve Truckers' Health
Once an elite swimmer and a Yale grad, Siphiwe Baleka now coaches 3,000 fellow truckers on the best ways to work out, eat right and stay connected on the road. Drivers say his wellness plan works.

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Space Station Vista: Planet and Galaxy

If you could circle the Earth aboard the International Space Station, what might you see? Some amazing vistas, one of which was captured in this breathtaking picture in mid-2015. First, visible at the top, are parts of the space station itself including solar panels. Just below the station is the band of our Milky Way Galaxy, glowing with the combined light of billions of stars, but dimmed in patches by filaments of dark dust. The band of red light just below the Milky Way is airglow -- Earth's atmosphere excited by the Sun and glowing in specific colors of light. Green airglow is visible below the red. Of course that's our Earth below its air, with the terminator between day and night visible near the horizon. As clouds speckle the planet, illumination from a bright lightning bolt is seen toward the lower right. Between work assignments, astronauts from all over the Earth have been enjoying vistas like this from the space station since the year 2000. via NASA http://ift.tt/2jKeh2S

NPR News: Scientists Needn't Get A Patient's Consent To Study Blood Or DNA

Scientists Needn't Get A Patient's Consent To Study Blood Or DNA
In its update of ethics rules aimed at protecting patients, the Obama administration decided against a provision that scientists said would hinder research. Consumer advocates aren't happy.

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NPR News: Scientists Needn't Get A Patient's Consent To Study Blood Or DNA

Scientists Needn't Get A Patient's Consent To Study Blood Or DNA
In its update of ethics rules aimed at protecting patients, the Obama administration decided against a provision that scientists said would hinder research. Consumer advocates aren't happy.

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NPR News: U.S. Report Confirms 2016 Was The Hottest Year On Record

U.S. Report Confirms 2016 Was The Hottest Year On Record
2016 was the warmest year on record, according to a new report by the U.S. government. This is the third year in a row that global temperatures have soared above the 20th century average. The report comes ahead of the inauguration of Donald Trump, who has at times, referred to global warming as a "hoax."

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NPR News: States Could Take Lead On Environmental Regulation Under Trump

States Could Take Lead On Environmental Regulation Under Trump
NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Dallas Burtraw, senior fellow with the nonpartisan think tank Resources for the Future, about what role states have traditionally played in environmental regulation, and what a decentralized approach under the Trump administration would look like.

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NPR News: EPA Nominee Scott Pruitt Acknowledges Existence Of Climate Change

EPA Nominee Scott Pruitt Acknowledges Existence Of Climate Change
Trump's pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency has acknowledged that human activity plays "some" role in the changing climate. In his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Scott Pruitt said he wants to work with states to protect the environment while also encouraging economic growth.

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NASA Hosts News Conference, Interviews with Next Space Station Crew

NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, Paolo Nespoli of ESA (European Space Agency), and Sergey Ryazanskiy of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, who are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station in late spring, will participate in a news conference at 2 p.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

January 18, 2017
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NPR News: What Does It Mean When Cancer Findings Can't Be Reproduced?

What Does It Mean When Cancer Findings Can't Be Reproduced?
Results from some key cancer studies were different when the experiments were redone in different labs. Scientists don't yet know why, but say the answer could have health implications for patients.

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NPR News: What Does It Mean When Cancer Findings Can't Be Reproduced?

What Does It Mean When Cancer Findings Can't Be Reproduced?
Results from some key cancer studies were different when the experiments were redone in different labs. Scientists don't yet know why, but say the answer could have health implications for patients.

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NASA, NOAA Data Show 2016 Warmest Year on Record Globally

Earth’s 2016 surface temperatures were the warmest since modern recordkeeping began in 1880, according to independent analyses by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

January 18, 2017
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NPR News: 2016 Was The Hottest Year Yet, Scientists Declare

2016 Was The Hottest Year Yet, Scientists Declare
Global temperatures soared above the 20th century average last year, as the climate continues to change. It hasn't been this hot since scientists started tracking global temperatures in 1880.

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Fly Me to the Moon

No, this is not a good way to get to the Moon. What is pictured is a chance superposition of an airplane and the Moon. The contrail would normally appear white, but the large volume of air toward the setting Sun preferentially knocks away blue light, giving the reflected trail a bright red hue. Far in the distance, to the right of the plane, is the young Moon. This vast world shows only a sliver of itself because the Sun is nearly lined up behind it. Captured two weeks ago, the featured image was framed by an eerie maroon sky, too far from day to be blue, too far from night to be black. Within minutes the impromptu sky show ended. The plane crossed the Moon. The contrail dispersed. The Sun set. The Moon set. The sky faded to black, only to reveal thousands of stars that had been too faint to see through the rustic red din. via NASA http://ift.tt/2jshSWb

Family Statement Regarding Service Arrangements for Capt. Eugene A. Cernan

A funeral service for Capt. Eugene A. Cernan, who passed away Monday at the age of 82, will be conducted at 2:30 p.m. CST on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road in Houston.

January 18, 2017
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NASA Hosts Facebook Live to Mark Success, Future of New Horizons Mission

Members of NASA’s New Horizons team will discuss the achievements of the first encounter with Pluto and look ahead to the mission’s next exploration of the Kuiper Belt during a Facebook Live event at 4 p.m. EST on Thursday, Jan. 19 -- the 11th anniversary of the spacecraft’s launch.

January 17, 2017
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Iowa Students to Speak to NASA Astronaut on the International Space Station

Students from Oskaloosa and Mt. Ayr Community Schools in Iowa will have the opportunity to speak with a NASA astronaut living and working aboard the International Space Station at 10:25 a.m. EST on Thursday, Jan. 19. The 20-minute, Earth-to-space call will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

January 17, 2017
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NPR News: Coronations, Coups, And Keeping Up With The Kardashians

Coronations, Coups, And Keeping Up With The Kardashians
It's in our nature to idolize the rich and famous. But this week on Hidden Brain, we explore the other side of our nature: the part of us that wants to see the rich and powerful fall from grace.

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NPR News: How Chickens Shifted From Sacred To Diet Staple

How Chickens Shifted From Sacred To Diet Staple
For the last three years, researchers in the United Kingdom have been studying the lowly chicken, and they say there's much more to the ubiquitous bird than many people realize.

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NPR News: Archaeologists Unearth Pendant That May Be Linked To Anne Frank

Archaeologists Unearth Pendant That May Be Linked To Anne Frank
Archaeologists say that they know of only one other pendant similar to the unique charm buried at the site of a Nazi death camp in Poland — and it belonged to Anne Frank.

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NASA Administrator Reflects on Legacy of Last Man to Walk on Moon

The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on the passing of Gemini and Apollo astronaut Gene Cernan:

January 16, 2017
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Family Statement Regarding the Passing of Apollo Astronaut Eugene Cernan, Last Man to Walk on the Moon

The following is a statement released on the behalf of Gene Cernan’s family:

January 16, 2017
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NPR News: Gene Cernan, Last Man To Walk On The Moon, Dies At 82

Gene Cernan, Last Man To Walk On The Moon, Dies At 82
Cernan flew in space three times, took the second American spacewalk, and was just as thrilled to walk on the moon as if he had been the first to do it.

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NPR News: Researchers Unravel Strange And Contradictory Feelings About Power

Researchers Unravel Strange And Contradictory Feelings About Power
It's inauguration season in Washington, D.C. Many of us revel in the pomp and circumstance — yet we have another side to our psychology that enjoys seeing the powerful fall from grace.

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NPR News: Researchers Unravel Strange And Contradictory Feelings About Power

Researchers Unravel Strange And Contradictory Feelings About Power
It's inauguration season in Washington, D.C. Many of us revel in the pomp and circumstance — yet we have another side to our psychology that enjoys seeing the powerful fall from grace.

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NPR News: When The Brain Scrambles Names, It's Because You Love Them

When The Brain Scrambles Names, It's Because You Love Them
If your mom had to run though the name of everyone in the family, including the dog, before hitting yours, it's probably because you're all in a mental folder labeled "loved ones."

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NPR News: When The Brain Scrambles Names, It's Because You Love Them

When The Brain Scrambles Names, It's Because You Love Them
If your mom had to run though the name of everyone in the family, including the dog, before hitting yours, it's probably because you're all in a mental folder labeled "loved ones."

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NPR News: An Ice Shelf Is Cracking In Antarctica, But Not For The Reason You Think

An Ice Shelf Is Cracking In Antarctica, But Not For The Reason You Think
Antarctica's Larsen C ice shelf is about to lose an iceberg the size of Delaware. Scientists gathering in the U.K. are scratching their heads about why it's cracking off.

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NPR News: Bountiful Beach Buffet: Fresh Seaweed Is Making Waves Among Foragers

Bountiful Beach Buffet: Fresh Seaweed Is Making Waves Among Foragers
Ocean algae is plentiful and grows rapidly, and most of it is safe to eat. People have been harvesting seaweed for thousands of years, but now it's become so popular, you can even take a class.

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NPR News: Watch Live: SpaceX Attempts A High-Stakes Launch, Months After Explosion

Watch Live: SpaceX Attempts A High-Stakes Launch, Months After Explosion
The private space company's Falcon 9 rocket will be bearing 10 satellites into orbit. SpaceX's launch comes months after a blast wrecked its most recent test.

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NPR News: Spider Silk Is Stronger Than Steel — And Now It Can Be Made In A Lab

Spider Silk Is Stronger Than Steel — And Now It Can Be Made In A Lab
Swedish scientist Dr. Anna Rising was among a team of researchers to discover how to synthesize artificial spider silk. She says they hope to use the strong silk in medical applications and textiles.

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NPR News: Spider Silk Is Stronger Than Steel — And Now It Can Be Made In A Lab

Spider Silk Is Stronger Than Steel — And Now It Can Be Made In A Lab
Swedish scientist Dr. Anna Rising was among a team of researchers to discover how to synthesize artificial spider silk. She says they hope to use the strong silk in medical applications and textiles.

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NASA Awards Engineering Contract for Earth, Space Science Missions

NASA has awarded a contract to KBRwyle Technology Solutions, LLC of Columbia, Maryland, for engineering services to support more than 20 NASA exploration missions.

January 13, 2017
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NPR News: Miniaturized Nuclear Power Plant? U.S. Reviewing Proposed Design

Miniaturized Nuclear Power Plant? U.S. Reviewing Proposed Design
A company has submitted a design for what it describes as a "modular" nuclear power plant — a radical departure from other nuclear plants. Each module would be small enough to fit on a flat-bed truck.

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NASA Invites Media to Pre-Super Bowl Event at Johnson Space Center

Media are invited to visit NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston ahead of Super Bowl LI to get an insider’s look at the central hub of human space exploration and interview experts from across the agency and industry. The event will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

January 13, 2017
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NASA, NOAA to Announce 2016 Global Temperatures, Climate Conditions

Climate experts from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will provide the annually-scheduled release of data on global temperatures and discuss the most important climate trends of 2016 during a media teleconference at 11 a.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 18.

January 13, 2017
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NPR News: Is There A Limit To How Many Friends We Can Have?

Is There A Limit To How Many Friends We Can Have?
Anthropologist Robin Dunbar believes the evolutionary structure of social networks limits us to 150 meaningful relationships at a time — even with the rise of social media.

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NPR News: What Happens When Hackers Hijack Our Smart Devices?

What Happens When Hackers Hijack Our Smart Devices?
Computer scientist Avi Rubin says all our smart devices — cars, phones, even fitness trackers — can be hacked. He warns that our network of connected technology puts us at risk for cyberattacks.

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NPR News: Can We Improve Our Transportation Network Using...Biology?

Can We Improve Our Transportation Network Using...Biology?
Wanis Kabbaj wants traffic to flow smoothly and efficiently, like the blood in our veins. He says driverless cars may be the solution to today's highway gridlock.

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NPR News: How Do Trees Collaborate?

How Do Trees Collaborate?
Ecologist Suzanne Simard shares how she discovered that trees use underground fungi networks to communicate and share resources, uprooting the idea that nature constantly competes for survival.

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NPR News: Marijuana's Health Effects? Top Scientists Weigh In

Marijuana's Health Effects? Top Scientists Weigh In
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine sorted through 10,000 studies to determine the good and bad health effects of marijuana. Tight drug restrictions impede research, they say.

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NPR News: Marijuana's Health Effects? Top Scientists Weigh In

Marijuana's Health Effects? Top Scientists Weigh In
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine sorted through 10,000 studies to determine the good and bad health effects of marijuana. Tight drug restrictions impede research, they say.

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NASA Plans Another Busy Year for Earth Science Fieldwork

NASA scientists are crisscrossing the globe in 2017 – from a Hawaiian volcano to Colorado mountain tops and west Pacific islands – to investigate critical scientific questions about how our planet is changing and what impacts humans are having on it.

January 12, 2017
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NPR News: As Rains Soak California, Farmers Test How To Store Water Underground

As Rains Soak California, Farmers Test How To Store Water Underground
After years of drought, California is getting drenched with rains. Some scientists and farmers are testing a way to capture that water by filling the state's depleted groundwater aquifers.

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NPR News: Flipping A Switch In The Brain Turns Lab Rodents Into Killer Mice

Flipping A Switch In The Brain Turns Lab Rodents Into Killer Mice
When scientists activate hunting circuits in the brains of genetically modified mice, the animals attack insects and even bottle caps as prey. It gives clues to the evolution of hunting in humans.

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NPR News: Scientists Have Twisted Molecules Into The Tightest Knot Ever

Scientists Have Twisted Molecules Into The Tightest Knot Ever
This new knot has eight crossings, far more than previous molecular knots. The "rope" is very short — just 192 atoms long, or 500 times smaller than a red blood cell.

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NPR News: Scientists Have Twisted Molecules Into The Tightest Knot Ever

Scientists Have Twisted Molecules Into The Tightest Knot Ever
This new knot has eight crossings, far more than previous molecular knots. The "rope" is very short — just 192 atoms long, or 500 times smaller than a red blood cell.

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NPR News: New Gene-Editing Techniques Hold the Promise Of Altering The Fundamentals Of Life

New Gene-Editing Techniques Hold the Promise Of Altering The Fundamentals Of Life
New Yorker writer Michael Specter discusses emerging biotechnologies that will make it possible to remove disease and change the characteristics of life by rewriting the genetic code in cells.

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NPR News: New Gene-Editing Techniques Hold the Promise Of Altering The Fundamentals Of Life

New Gene-Editing Techniques Hold the Promise Of Altering The Fundamentals Of Life
New Yorker writer Michael Specter discusses emerging biotechnologies that will make it possible to remove disease and change the characteristics of life by rewriting the genetic code in cells.

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NPR News: Menopause Mystery: Why Do Female Killer Whales Experience The Change Of Life?

Menopause Mystery: Why Do Female Killer Whales Experience The Change Of Life?
Killer whales are one of only three species known to have menopause. Researchers are looking at the conflict and cooperation between older and younger female whales to understand why.

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NPR News: Menopause Mystery: Why Do Female Killer Whales Experience The Change Of Life?

Menopause Mystery: Why Do Female Killer Whales Experience The Change Of Life?
Killer whales are one of only three species known to have menopause. Researchers are looking at the conflict and cooperation between older and younger female whales to understand why.

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NPR News: The Curious Case Of The Hyolith, An Ancient 'Ice Cream Cone' That's Found A Home

The Curious Case Of The Hyolith, An Ancient 'Ice Cream Cone' That's Found A Home
The creature, which roamed ocean floors over 500 million years ago, went years without a definitive scientific classification. Now, researchers think the oddball finally has a group to call its own.

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NPR News: The Curious Case Of The Hyolith, An Ancient 'Ice Cream Cone' That's Found A Home

The Curious Case Of The Hyolith, An Ancient 'Ice Cream Cone' That's Found A Home
The creature, which roamed ocean floors over 500 million years ago, went years without a definitive scientific classification. Now, researchers think the oddball finally has a group to call its own.

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NPR News: Obesity-Linked Diagnoses On The Rise Among Kids And Teens

Obesity-Linked Diagnoses On The Rise Among Kids And Teens
A new analysis of U.S. health insurance claims is worrisome, pediatricians say: More and more young people are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea.

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NPR News: Obesity-Linked Diagnoses On The Rise Among Kids And Teens

Obesity-Linked Diagnoses On The Rise Among Kids And Teens
A new analysis of U.S. health insurance claims is worrisome, pediatricians say: More and more young people are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea.

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NPR News: Gas Taxes May Go Up Around The Country As States Seek To Plug Budget Holes

Gas Taxes May Go Up Around The Country As States Seek To Plug Budget Holes
This year could see a wave of state tax hikes on gasoline and diesel. Oklahoma is one of about a dozen states seriously considering increases.

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NPR News: California Nail Salons Start To Invest In Worker Safety

California Nail Salons Start To Invest In Worker Safety
A statewide collaborative of nail salons now has 120 members; all have made ventilation upgrades and switched from toxic products to safer ones. Will clients be willing to pay extra to help workers?

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NPR News: We Asked People What They Know About Obamacare. See If You Know The Answers.

We Asked People What They Know About Obamacare. See If You Know The Answers.
A new NPR/Ipsos poll shows many Americans don't know details about the Affordable Care Act. And only 1-in-7 favor repealing the law altogether without a replacement.

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NPR News: New 'Skywalker' Ape Species Will Need All Its Jedi Powers To Survive

New 'Skywalker' Ape Species Will Need All Its Jedi Powers To Survive
Scientists named a new species of gibbon ape after Star Wars rebel character Luke Skywalker. Like similar species that live in China and Myanmar, the so-called skywalker hoolock gibbon is endangered.

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NPR News: Powerful Storms Make Dent In California's Historic Drought

Powerful Storms Make Dent In California's Historic Drought
A week of powerful storms on the West Coast is helping to put a dent in California's historic drought, yet state officials are warning they are by no means a drought buster.

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NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel Releases 2016 Annual Report

The Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), an advisory committee that reports to NASA and Congress, has issued its 2016 annual report examining NASA's safety performance over the past year and highlighting accomplishments, issues and concerns to agency and government officials.

January 11, 2017
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NPR News: Fitness Trackers Aim To Improve The Health And Happiness of Zoo Elephants

Fitness Trackers Aim To Improve The Health And Happiness of Zoo Elephants
OK, so they're not using Fitbits. But zoos across America are using software to minutely track the activity, behavior and physiology of captive elephants, and using that data to improve zoo life.

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NPR News: Walking In America Remains Dangerous — Especially In Florida

Walking In America Remains Dangerous — Especially In Florida
Those who can least afford to get hurt often live in the most dangerous places to walk. A study sees a link between median household income and whether people have health insurance.

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NPR News: 52 Million-Year-Old Tomatillo Fossil Rewrites Veggie History

52 Million-Year-Old Tomatillo Fossil Rewrites Veggie History
Potatoes, tomatoes and bell peppers belong to the nightshade family. A newly discovered fossil in Patagonia suggests that family started much earlier than believed, perhaps when dinosaurs roamed.

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NPR News: 52 Million-Year-Old Tomatillo Fossil Rewrites Veggie History

52 Million-Year-Old Tomatillo Fossil Rewrites Veggie History
Potatoes, tomatoes and bell peppers belong to the nightshade family. A newly discovered fossil in Patagonia suggests that family started much earlier than believed, perhaps when dinosaurs roamed.

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NPR News: Warmer Oceans Could Boost The Toxins In Your Shellfish Dinner

Warmer Oceans Could Boost The Toxins In Your Shellfish Dinner
A new study finds a link between warming waters and a dangerous neurotoxin that builds up in species like Dungeness crab, clams and mussels — and harms us if we eat them.

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NPR News: Warmer Oceans Could Boost The Toxins In Your Shellfish Dinner

Warmer Oceans Could Boost The Toxins In Your Shellfish Dinner
A new study finds a link between warming waters and a dangerous neurotoxin that builds up in species like Dungeness crab, clams and mussels — and harms us if we eat them.

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NPR News: Travel To The Moon With David Bowie (360° Video)

Travel To The Moon With David Bowie (360° Video)
See panoramic views of a trip to the moon in Skunk Bear's latest video. It's a journey that spans David Bowie's long career - and his greatest hits serve as the soundtrack.

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NPR News: Humans Worry About Self-Driving Cars. Maybe It Should Be The Reverse

Humans Worry About Self-Driving Cars. Maybe It Should Be The Reverse
Self-driving cars will perform rationally. For example: stop when someone is in their way. Research suggests humans will take advantage, and step into an intersection when they know they shouldn't.

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NPR News: Humans Worry About Self-Driving Cars. Maybe It Should Be The Reverse

Humans Worry About Self-Driving Cars. Maybe It Should Be The Reverse
Self-driving cars will perform rationally. For example: stop when someone is in their way. Research suggests humans will take advantage, and step into an intersection when they know they shouldn't.

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NPR News: Scientists Predict Star Collision Visible To The Naked Eye In 2022

Scientists Predict Star Collision Visible To The Naked Eye In 2022
If it happens, it would be the first time such an event was predicted by scientists. They say two stars in the constellation Cygnus will eventually merge and explode.

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NPR News: Scientists Predict Star Collision Visible To The Naked Eye In 2022

Scientists Predict Star Collision Visible To The Naked Eye In 2022
If it happens, it would be the first time such an event was predicted by scientists. They say two stars in the constellation Cygnus will eventually merge and explode.

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Atlanta Students to Speak to NASA Astronaut on Space Station

Students at The Lovett School in Atlanta will have the opportunity to speak with a NASA astronaut living and working aboard the International Space Station at 9 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 10. The 20-minute, Earth-to-space call will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

January 09, 2017
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NPR News: Bears That Inspired 'Adorable' Korean Paralympic Mascot Live In Caged Captivity

Bears That Inspired 'Adorable' Korean Paralympic Mascot Live In Caged Captivity
The 2018 Paralympic mascot is the Asiatic black bear, a symbol of Korean folklore. But behind the caricature, South Korea has a troubled relationship with the bears, farming them for their bile.

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NPR News: Bears That Inspired 'Adorable' Korean Paralympic Mascot Live In Caged Captivity

Bears That Inspired 'Adorable' Korean Paralympic Mascot Live In Caged Captivity
The 2018 Paralympic mascot is the Asiatic black bear, a symbol of Korean folklore. But behind the caricature, South Korea has a troubled relationship with the bears, farming them for their bile.

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NPR News: SeaWorld's Orca Tilikum, Subject Of 'Blackfish' Documentary, Dies

SeaWorld's Orca Tilikum, Subject Of 'Blackfish' Documentary, Dies
The death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau has been the catalyst for major changes in how the theme park handles its killer whales. The whale responsible for Brancheau's death, has died in Orlando.

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NPR News: How English Came To Be The Dominant Language In Science Publications

How English Came To Be The Dominant Language In Science Publications
New research suggests that scientific publications may be overlooked in non-English speaking countries. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks about the issue with Princeton Professor Michael Gordin.

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NPR News: Dead Pitches: The Curse Of The Christmas Tree Bugs

Dead Pitches: The Curse Of The Christmas Tree Bugs
Some stories don't make it past Weekend Edition's editorial meeting, but others are worth a second look. Before hitting air, producer Ollie Dearden brought his holiday horror story to an entomologist.

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NPR News: 'What Doesn't Kill Us' ... Invites Practical Medical Benefits

'What Doesn't Kill Us' ... Invites Practical Medical Benefits
Author Scott Carney talks about his new book, "What Doesn't Kill Us." Looking at case studies, Carney investigates how the body uses its environment to build resistance to normally extreme conditions.

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NPR News: I'm Fasting For Science: Will It Help Tame My Multiple Sclerosis?

I'm Fasting For Science: Will It Help Tame My Multiple Sclerosis?
I like to eat, often and a lot. But when I heard about a medical study looking at whether fasting might tame the painful symptoms of MS, I was all in. Then I ate that 7 a.m. bagel.

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NPR News: I'm Fasting For Science: Will It Help Tame My Multiple Sclerosis?

I'm Fasting For Science: Will It Help Tame My Multiple Sclerosis?
I like to eat, often and a lot. But when I heard about a medical study looking at whether fasting might tame the painful symptoms of MS, I was all in. Then I ate that 7 a.m. bagel.

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Sharpless 249 and the Jellyfish Nebula

Normally faint and elusive, the Jellyfish Nebula is caught in this alluring telescopic mosaic. The scene is anchored below by bright star Eta Geminorum, at the foot of the celestial twin, while the Jellyfish Nebula is the brighter arcing ridge of emission with tentacles dangling below and left of center. In fact, the cosmic jellyfish is part of bubble-shaped supernova remnant IC 443, the expanding debris cloud from a massive star that exploded. Light from the explosion first reached planet Earth over 30,000 years ago. Like its cousin in astrophysical waters the Crab Nebula supernova remnant, the Jellyfish Nebula is known to harbor a neutron star, the remnant of the collapsed stellar core. An emission nebula cataloged as Sharpless 249 fills the field at the upper right. The Jellyfish Nebula is about 5,000 light-years away. At that distance, this narrowband composite image presented in the Hubble Palette would be about 300 light-years across. via NASA http://ift.tt/2iSR29l

NPR News: Researchers Begin To Look At Gun Violence As Public Health Issue

Researchers Begin To Look At Gun Violence As Public Health Issue
Researchers Andrew Papachristos and Gary Slutkin have started to look at gun violence as a public health epidemic, and how to take a holistic approach and reinterpret the problem.

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NPR News: Students Zap Their Brains For a Boost, For Better Or Worse

Students Zap Their Brains For a Boost, For Better Or Worse
Stimulating the brain with electrical currents is exploratory technology. But people are making and buying devices that do that for use at home — and interest rises around exam time.

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NPR News: Would You Eat This Fish? A Shark Called Dogfish Makes A Tasty Taco

Would You Eat This Fish? A Shark Called Dogfish Makes A Tasty Taco
About 90 percent of the fish Americans eat is imported, yet fish caught off our shores is often exported. New efforts are promoting locally caught fish, especially ones we've never appreciated before.

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NPR News: Scientists Work To Bring Back Once-Thriving American Chestnut Tree

Scientists Work To Bring Back Once-Thriving American Chestnut Tree
The American chestnut tree used to make up a quarter of the forests in the eastern U.S., but disease decimated these trees in the last century. Now there's an effort to restore the American chestnut.

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NPR News: NASA Faces The Unknown In Preparing For Trump Administration

NASA Faces The Unknown In Preparing For Trump Administration
President-elect Donald Trump has not provided many specifics about what he plans to do with NASA. But private companies are expected to take a bigger role in space travel in the coming years.

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NPR News: Why You Should Call Your Grandmother

Why You Should Call Your Grandmother
Research about senior citizens by the University of California, San Francisco finds people who are lonely have a higher mortality rate. Companionship may be more important than income or health.

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NPR News: They Never Told Her That Girls Could Become Scientists

They Never Told Her That Girls Could Become Scientists
Now she knows they can. Mireille Kamariza, who grew up in Burundi, is a graduate student at Stanford, working on a promising new test to detect the TB bacteria.

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New York Harbor Moonset

Moonset on January 1 is captured in this sea and night sky snapshot from the port city of New York. Its warm moonlight shining through haze and thin clouds, this New Year's Moon was about 3 days old, in a waxing crescent phase. The visible lunar disk is about 10 percent illuminated. Also easy to spot in hazy urban skies, Venus blazes forth over the western horizon, begining the year as Earth's evening star. Like the Moon, Venus goes through a range of phases as seen from planet Earth. As the year began, telescopic views of the brilliant inner planet's disk would show it about 50 percent illuminated, growing into a larger but thinner crescent by early March. New York Harbor's welcoming beacon, the Statue of Liberty, anchors a terrestrial corner of the night's triangle at the far left. via NASA http://ift.tt/2iPtdiH

NPR News: A Really Big Crack In An Antarctic Ice Shelf Just Got Bigger

A Really Big Crack In An Antarctic Ice Shelf Just Got Bigger
If the rift gets long enough, Antarctica will lose a chunk of ice the size of Delaware.

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NPR News: North Korea 'Very Far Along' In Developing New Ballistic Missile

North Korea 'Very Far Along' In Developing New Ballistic Missile
Many independent arms control experts suspect that North Korea will test a missile capable of reaching the continental U.S. later this year. There may not be much that the U.S. can do about it.

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Peculiar Galaxies of Arp 273

The spiky stars in the foreground of this sharp cosmic portrait are well within our own Milky Way Galaxy. The two eye-catching galaxies lie far beyond the Milky Way, at a distance of over 300 million light-years. Their distorted appearance is due to gravitational tides as the pair engage in close encounters. Cataloged as Arp 273 (also as UGC 1810), the galaxies do look peculiar, but interacting galaxies are now understood to be common in the universe. In fact, the nearby large spiral Andromeda Galaxy is known to be some 2 million light-years away and approaching the Milky Way. Arp 273 may offer an analog of their far future encounter. Repeated galaxy encounters on a cosmic timescale can ultimately result in a merger into a single galaxy of stars. From our perspective, the bright cores of the Arp 273 galaxies are separated by only a little over 100,000 light-years. via NASA http://ift.tt/2iLBdkw

NPR News: Climate Scientist Pens Open Letter To President-Elect Trump

Climate Scientist Pens Open Letter To President-Elect Trump
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Ben Santer, a climate scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, about his open letter to Donald Trump on climate change.

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NPR News: New Guidelines Recommend When To Introduce Peanuts To Babies

New Guidelines Recommend When To Introduce Peanuts To Babies
New guidelines recommend introducing babies to peanut containing foods in the first year of their lives. The recommendations are based on studies that show early introduction of peanuts to infants reduces their risk of developing a peanut allergy later in life.

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NPR News: Fishing Rule Aims To Do For All Marine Mammals What It Did For The Dolphin

Fishing Rule Aims To Do For All Marine Mammals What It Did For The Dolphin
Foreign fisheries exporting seafood to the U.S. will now have to meet the same standards for protecting whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals as American fisheries do.

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NPR News: Mystery Radio Waves Are Coming From A (Dwarf) Galaxy Far, Far Away, Scientists Say

Mystery Radio Waves Are Coming From A (Dwarf) Galaxy Far, Far Away, Scientists Say
The discovery provides our first "glimmer of understanding" about the unexplained, strong waves. Scientists don't think they're from aliens, but they're puzzled by what could be causing them.

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NPR News: Mystery Radio Waves Are Coming From A (Dwarf) Galaxy Far, Far Away, Scientists Say

Mystery Radio Waves Are Coming From A (Dwarf) Galaxy Far, Far Away, Scientists Say
The discovery provides our first "glimmer of understanding" about the unexplained, strong waves. Scientists don't think they're from aliens, but they're puzzled by what could be causing them.

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NPR News: Brain Area That Recognizes Faces Gets Bigger And Better In Young Adults

Brain Area That Recognizes Faces Gets Bigger And Better In Young Adults
From birth through age 30, our ability to recognize faces keeps improving, research shows. At first, kids discern adult faces better than other kids' mugs. Not so after adolescence.

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NPR News: Brain Area That Recognizes Faces Gets Bigger And Better In Young Adults

Brain Area That Recognizes Faces Gets Bigger And Better In Young Adults
From birth through age 30, our ability to recognize faces keeps improving, research shows. At first, kids discern adult faces better than other kids' mugs. Not so after adolescence.

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NPR News: New Guidelines Tell Parents When To Introduce Babies To Peanut Products

New Guidelines Tell Parents When To Introduce Babies To Peanut Products
The recommendations by a panel sponsored by the National Institutes of Health suggest introducing foods containing peanuts into the diets of children as young as 4 to 6 months.

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Clouds of Andromeda

The beautiful Andromeda Galaxy is often imaged by planet Earth-based astronomers. Also known as M31, the nearest large spiral galaxy is a familiar sight with dark dust lanes, bright yellowish core, and spiral arms traced by blue starlight. A mosaic of well-exposed broad and narrow-band image data, this colorful, premier portrait of our neighboring island universe offers strikingly unfamiliar features though, faint reddish clouds of glowing ionized hydrogen gas in the same wide field of view. Still, the ionized hydrogen clouds likely lie in the foreground of the scene, well within our Milky Way Galaxy. They could be associated with the pervasive, dusty interstellar cirrus clouds scattered hundreds of light-years above our own galactic plane. If they were located at the 2.5 million light-year distance of the Andromeda Galaxy they would be enormous, since the Andromeda Galaxy itself is 200,000 or so light-years across. via NASA http://ift.tt/2ia5kyQ

NPR News: Northern Elephant Seals Gather Along California Coast

Northern Elephant Seals Gather Along California Coast
It's the time of year when northern elephant seals, some as big as a car and weighing 5,000 pounds, gather in colonies along the California coast. They fight each other in noisy battles for the right to mate.

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NPR News: Research Finds Evidence Of Coastal Buffer Preventing U.S. Hurricanes

Research Finds Evidence Of Coastal Buffer Preventing U.S. Hurricanes
There has been a hurricane "drought" along the U.S. coast in the past decade, with few powerful storms making landfall. New research suggests that a bipolar relationship between conditions in the Atlantic and those along the coastline may have a protective effect.

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NASA Selects Two Missions to Explore the Early Solar System

NASA has selected two missions that have the potential to open new windows on one of the earliest eras in the history of our solar system – a time less than 10 million years after the birth of our sun. The missions, known as Lucy and Psyche, were chosen from five finalists and will proceed to mission formulation.

January 04, 2017
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NPR News: Some Bizarre Black Holes Put On Light Shows

Some Bizarre Black Holes Put On Light Shows
Black holes aren't all doom and gloom. Some of these incredibly dense matter-suckers fling powerful jets of light and charged particles — the space version of a fireworks show.

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NASA Assigns Upcoming Space Station Crew Members

NASA is assigning veteran astronaut Andrew Feustel and first-flight astronaut Jeanette Epps to missions aboard the International Space Station in 2018.

January 04, 2017
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NPR News: Dust To Dust: Scientists Find DNA Of Human Ancestors In Cave Floor Dirt

Dust To Dust: Scientists Find DNA Of Human Ancestors In Cave Floor Dirt
Anthropologists in Germany say they may not need old bones to recover ancient DNA. They just analyze dust from the floor of caves where Neanderthals and other now-extinct human relatives once resided.

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NPR News: Dust To Dust: Scientists Find DNA Of Human Ancestors In Cave Floor Dirt

Dust To Dust: Scientists Find DNA Of Human Ancestors In Cave Floor Dirt
Anthropologists in Germany say they may not need old bones to recover ancient DNA. They just analyze dust from the floor of caves where Neanderthals and other now-extinct human relatives once resided.

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NPR News: Some Bizarre Black Holes Put On Light Shows

Some Bizarre Black Holes Put On Light Shows
Black holes aren't all doom and gloom. Some of these incredibly dense matter-suckers fling powerful jets of light and charged particles — the space version of a fireworks show.

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NPR News: Do Anti-Snoring Gadgets Really Work?

Do Anti-Snoring Gadgets Really Work?
Your noisy roommate probably won't like paying cold cash to get electric shocks. And that may not stop the snoring, sleep doctors say. Fortunately, there are other ways to turn down the volume.

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NPR News: Louisiana History Washes Away As Sea Levels Rise, Land Sinks

Louisiana History Washes Away As Sea Levels Rise, Land Sinks
Louisiana's coastline is disappearing into the Gulf of Mexico. And with it many historic sites are being washed away, leaving archaeologists scrambling to document what they can before it's gone.

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NASA Selects Mission to Study Black Holes, Cosmic X-ray Mysteries

NASA has selected a science mission that will allow astronomers to explore, for the first time, the hidden details of some of the most extreme and exotic astronomical objects, such as stellar and supermassive black holes, neutron stars and pulsars.

January 03, 2017
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NPR News: 'National Geographic' Tackles Changing Gender Norms Worldwide

'National Geographic' Tackles Changing Gender Norms Worldwide
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with reporter Robin Marantz Henig on her new feature in National Geographic about changing gender norms worldwide.

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NPR News: Learning German In The Name Of Science And Cross-Cultural Collaboration

Learning German In The Name Of Science And Cross-Cultural Collaboration
Ninety young Syrian refugees are teaming up with neuroscientists in Leipzig to figure out the quickest and best way to teach German as a second language. Vocabulary first, or grammar, early on, too?

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NPR News: Learning German In The Name Of Science And Cross-Cultural Collaboration

Learning German In The Name Of Science And Cross-Cultural Collaboration
Ninety young Syrian refugees are teaming up with neuroscientists in Leipzig to figure out the quickest and best way to teach German as a second language. Vocabulary first, or grammar, early on, too?

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NASA to Hold Media Call for Discovery Program Announcement

NASA will discuss the results of its latest Discovery mission selection during a media teleconference at 4 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 4.

January 03, 2017
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NPR News: Child Care Scarcity Has Very Real Consequences For Working Families

Child Care Scarcity Has Very Real Consequences For Working Families
In much of the U.S., demand for licensed infant care outstrips supply. Parents face lengthy waitlists, hefty waitlist fees, and few good options when returning to work after the birth of a baby.

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NPR News: Methane's On The Rise, But Regulations To Stop Gas Leaks Still Debated

Methane's On The Rise, But Regulations To Stop Gas Leaks Still Debated
Scientists concede that oil and gas production is only partly to blame for the 3 percent surge in the greenhouse gas in the last decade. Obama tightened rules on the industry. Will Trump repeal them?

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NPR News: Methane's On The Rise, But Regulations To Stop Gas Leaks Still Debated

Methane's On The Rise, But Regulations To Stop Gas Leaks Still Debated
Scientists concede that oil and gas production is only partly to blame for the 3 percent surge in the greenhouse gas in the last decade. Obama tightened rules on the industry. Will Trump repeal them?

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NPR News: Dinosaur "Baby Teeth" Reveal That Dino Eggs Hatched Slowly

Dinosaur "Baby Teeth" Reveal That Dino Eggs Hatched Slowly
Early stages of dinosaur development remain a mystery. However, researchers have uncovered a new way to study the early stages using the teeth of fossilized dinosaur embryos.

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NPR News: Design Thinking Could Help Those Who Want To Get Unstuck

Design Thinking Could Help Those Who Want To Get Unstuck
Psychologists and self help gurus have advice for people who feel stuck. If you're looking for new ways to reboot your life as you enter the new year, you could also turn to the tech world.

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NPR News: Design Thinking Could Help Those Who Want To Get Unstuck

Design Thinking Could Help Those Who Want To Get Unstuck
Psychologists and self help gurus have advice for people who feel stuck. If you're looking for new ways to reboot your life as you enter the new year, you could also turn to the tech world.

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NPR News: China Says It Will Shut Down Its Ivory Trade in 2017

China Says It Will Shut Down Its Ivory Trade in 2017
After years of negotiation with wildlife conservation groups, China's government has now set a timetable to end its legal ivory trade--March 2017.

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NPR News: Is The Warning That Creatine's Not For Teens Getting Through?

Is The Warning That Creatine's Not For Teens Getting Through?
Researchers who surveyed 244 shops across the U.S. found that, despite label warnings, two thirds would recommend the dietary supplement to a 15-year-old football player trying to gain muscle.

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NPR News: Easing Old People's Loneliness Can Help Keep Them Healthy

Easing Old People's Loneliness Can Help Keep Them Healthy
Little Brothers, which operates in San Francisco and several other cities, sends volunteers to brighten up the lives of isolated elderly people, helping them reduce the risk of serious illness.

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NPR News: Easing Old People's Loneliness Can Help Keep Them Healthy

Easing Old People's Loneliness Can Help Keep Them Healthy
Little Brothers, which operates in San Francisco and several other cities, sends volunteers to brighten up the lives of isolated elderly people, helping them reduce the risk of serious illness.

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NPR News: Coal Country Picked Trump. Now, They Want Him To Keep His Promises

Coal Country Picked Trump. Now, They Want Him To Keep His Promises
Voters in coal country overwhelmingly chose Donald Trump. They liked his promises to create jobs, even if they didn't like his other rhetoric. Now, they're waiting to see if coal can make a comeback.

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NPR News: Unexpected Risks Found In Editing Genes To Prevent Inherited Disorders

Unexpected Risks Found In Editing Genes To Prevent Inherited Disorders
In 2016, scientists combined the genes of three people in an effort to make a baby free of an inherited disease. But the process doesn't wipe out all faulty mitochondria, and could pose new risks.

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NPR News: Unexpected Risks Found In Editing Genes To Prevent Inherited Disorders

Unexpected Risks Found In Editing Genes To Prevent Inherited Disorders
In 2016, scientists combined the genes of three people in an effort to make a baby free of an inherited disease. But the process doesn't wipe out all faulty mitochondria, and could pose new risks.

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