Split the Universe

Just now, before you hit the button, two future universes are possible. After pressing the button, though, you will live in only one. A real-web version of the famous Schrödinger's cat experiment, clicking the red button in the featured astronaut image should transform that image into a picture of the same astronaut holding one of two cats -- one living, or one dead. The timing of your click, combined with the wiring of your brain and the millisecond timing of your device, will all conspire together to create a result dominated, potentially, by the randomness of quantum mechanics. Some believe that your personally-initiated quantum decision will split the universe in two, and that both the live-cat and dead-cat universes exist in separate parts of a larger multiverse. Others believe that the result of your click will collapse the two possible universes into one -- in a way that could not have been predicted beforehand. Yet others believe that the universe is classically deterministic, so that by pressing the button you did not really split the universe, but just carried out an action predestined since time began. We at APOD believe that however foolish you may feel clicking the red button, and regardless of the outcome, you should have a happy April Fool's Day. via NASA http://ift.tt/2oGyWqt

NPR News: Artist's Exhibit Borrows Human Tech To Solve Nature's Manmade Problems

Artist's Exhibit Borrows Human Tech To Solve Nature's Manmade Problems
Artist and philosopher Jonathon Keats didn't need to create anything new to show the absurdity of human problem-solving. All he had to do was give human technology to animals.

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NPR News: A Tiny Fish With Fearsome Fangs Uses An Opioid-Like Venom To Escape Enemies

A Tiny Fish With Fearsome Fangs Uses An Opioid-Like Venom To Escape Enemies
New research shows the 2-inch fangblenny bites bigger fish and releases an opioid-based venom. The larger fish becomes disoriented, and the little guy gets away.

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NPR News: Forcing People At Vending Machines To Wait Nudges Them To Buy Healthier Snacks

Forcing People At Vending Machines To Wait Nudges Them To Buy Healthier Snacks
Buy an unhealthy snack and these vending machines take away 25 seconds of your life you'll never get back. Healthy fare drops instantly. Research suggests this "time tax" helps us make better choices.

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NPR News: Forcing People At Vending Machines To Wait Nudges Them To Buy Healthier Snacks

Forcing People At Vending Machines To Wait Nudges Them To Buy Healthier Snacks
Buy an unhealthy snack and these vending machines take away 25 seconds of your life you'll never get back. Healthy fare drops instantly. Research suggests this "time tax" helps us make better choices.

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NPR News: Back From The Dead? Reported Sightings Fuel Hope For Return Of Tasmanian Tigers

Back From The Dead? Reported Sightings Fuel Hope For Return Of Tasmanian Tigers
The last known Tasmanian tiger died more than eight decades ago. It has become the stuff of textbook sketches and yellowing photographs. But now, researchers are launching a new search.

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NPR News: Why The Newly Proposed Sepsis Treatment Needs More Study

Why The Newly Proposed Sepsis Treatment Needs More Study
The body-wide inflammation known as sepsis kills about 300,000 people in U.S. hospitals each year. Promising treatments have come and gone, warn skeptical doctors, who call for rigorous research.

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NPR News: Why The Newly Proposed Sepsis Treatment Needs More Study

Why The Newly Proposed Sepsis Treatment Needs More Study
The body-wide inflammation known as sepsis kills about 300,000 people in U.S. hospitals each year. Promising treatments have come and gone, warn skeptical doctors, who call for rigorous research.

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NPR News: Australian Researchers Plan Investigation Into Tasmanian Tiger Sightings

Australian Researchers Plan Investigation Into Tasmanian Tiger Sightings
NPR's Ari Shapiro interviews James Cook University researcher Sandra Abell, who is leading a search for the Tasmanian Tiger, believed to be extinct until recent sightings surfaced.

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NPR News: A Tiny Spot In Mouse Brains May Explain How Breathing Calms The Mind

A Tiny Spot In Mouse Brains May Explain How Breathing Calms The Mind
A cluster of neurons connects breathing and emotion centers in mouse brains, researchers say. If this turns out to be true in humans, it could explain how controlled breathing calms the mind.

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NPR News: A Tiny Spot In Mouse Brains May Explain How Breathing Calms The Mind

A Tiny Spot In Mouse Brains May Explain How Breathing Calms The Mind
A cluster of neurons connects breathing and emotion centers in mouse brains, researchers say. If this turns out to be true in humans, it could explain how controlled breathing calms the mind.

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@CleanStreamsDE: 2,850 pledges! @NCCDE

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NPR News: A Forgotten Shipwreck Imperils Washington's Oysters

A Forgotten Shipwreck Imperils Washington's Oysters
The sunken Hero, an Antarctic research vessel from the 1960s, is leaking oil into Willapa Bay, where more than half of the state's oysters are grown. And no one knows how to remove it.

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NPR News: Lonely People Report More Severe Cold Symptoms, Study Finds

Lonely People Report More Severe Cold Symptoms, Study Finds
The study builds on previous evidence linking loneliness to more serious health problems, but the findings do not link the sheer size of a person's social network to cold symptom severity.

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NPR News: A Surprising Explanation For Why Some Immigrants Excel In Science

A Surprising Explanation For Why Some Immigrants Excel In Science
It has to do with language learning, according to a new study from Duke University.

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NPR News: A Surprising Explanation For Why Some Immigrants Excel In Science

A Surprising Explanation For Why Some Immigrants Excel In Science
It has to do with language learning, according to a new study from Duke University.

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NPR News: EPA Says It Will Allow Continued Sale Of Controversial Pesticide

EPA Says It Will Allow Continued Sale Of Controversial Pesticide
The EPA is not going ahead with a proposed ban on a pesticide called chlorpyrifos, saying there's still scientific uncertainty over its safety. Environmental groups say it can harm young children.

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NPR News: Fewer Zika-Linked Birth Defects Than Expected

Fewer Zika-Linked Birth Defects Than Expected
Scientists expected a surge of severe birth defects in Brazil because of the Zika outbreak. But that didn't happen last year. Researchers are re-examining the link between Zika and birth defects.

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Young Stars and Dusty Nebulae in Taurus

This complex of dusty nebulae lingers along the edge of the Taurus molecular cloud, a mere 450 light-years distant. Stars are forming on the cosmic scene. Composed from almost 40 hours of image data, the 2 degree wide telescopic field of view includes some youthful T-Tauri class stars embedded in the remnants of their natal clouds at the right. Millions of years old and still going through stellar adolescence, the stars are variable in brightness and in the late phases of their gravitational collapse. Their core temperatures will rise to sustain nuclear fusion as they grow into stable, low mass, main sequence stars, a stage of stellar evolution achieved by our middle-aged Sun about 4.5 billion years ago. Another youthful variable star, V1023 Tauri, can be spotted on the left. Within its yellowish dust cloud, it lies next to the striking blue reflection nebula Cederblad 30, also known as LBN 782. Just above the bright bluish reflection nebula is dusty dark nebula Barnard 7. via NASA http://ift.tt/2o9e3rJ

NPR News: Where Levees Fail In California, Nature Can Step In To Nurture Rivers

Where Levees Fail In California, Nature Can Step In To Nurture Rivers
After devastating floods, California is looking to spend billions on dams and levees. Some are calling for a new approach to flood control, one that mimics nature instead of trying to contain it.

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California Students to Speak to NASA Astronauts on International Space Station

Students from Betsy Ross Elementary School in Anaheim, California, will speak with NASA astronauts living and working aboard the International Space Station at 11:40 a.m. EDT Monday, April 3.

March 29, 2017
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NPR News: Launch, Land, Launch — SpaceX Tries Reusing Its Rocket

Launch, Land, Launch — SpaceX Tries Reusing Its Rocket
Later today, the private company SpaceX plans on launching a satellite using a rocket that it has launched once before. Reusing equipment could make it cheaper to do business in deep space.

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NPR News: Fishermen Catch 50 Pound Carp In The Middle Of Los Angeles

Fishermen Catch 50 Pound Carp In The Middle Of Los Angeles
MacArthur Park in the middle of Los Angles is not the most picturesque location, but it is where members of the California Ghetto Carping Club love to fish. And this week, it's where Eddie Salmeron caught the club's record fish, a 50 pound carp.

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NASA Awards Facilities Engineering Design, Inspection Services Contract

NASA has awarded an architect and engineering services contract to Accura Rosser 8(a) JV of Atlanta to perform engineering design and inspection services at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

March 29, 2017
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NPR News: Will The EPA Reject A Pesticide, Or Its Own Scientific Evidence?

Will The EPA Reject A Pesticide, Or Its Own Scientific Evidence?
The agency must decide this week whether to ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide widely used on produce. The EPA thinks it could pose risks to consumers. But its new head made his name fighting such rules.

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NASA to Preview ‘Grand Finale’ of Cassini Saturn Mission

NASA will hold a news conference at 3 p.m. EDT Tuesday, April 4, at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, to preview the beginning of Cassini's final mission segment, known as the Grand Finale, which begins in late April. The briefing will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

March 29, 2017
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NPR News: HPV Vaccine Could Protect More People With Fewer Doses, Doctors Insist

HPV Vaccine Could Protect More People With Fewer Doses, Doctors Insist
In the U.S., there are about 39,000 cancers associated with the human papillomavirus each year. Doctors say the new HPV vaccine may help reduce the number of cases.

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NPR News: HPV Vaccine Could Protect More People With Fewer Doses, Doctors Insist

HPV Vaccine Could Protect More People With Fewer Doses, Doctors Insist
In the U.S., there are about 39,000 cancers associated with the human papillomavirus each year. Doctors say the new HPV vaccine may help reduce the number of cases.

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NPR News: Measuring The Impact Of Rolling Back Environmental Regulations

Measuring The Impact Of Rolling Back Environmental Regulations
President Trump's environmental order proposes rolling back regulations. David Greene speaks with John Larsen of the Rhodium Group about the impact those rollbacks could have on emissions levels.

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NPR News: Passengers Take Flight To View Southern Lights

Passengers Take Flight To View Southern Lights
The Aurora Australis is a display of neon green lights that dance across the southern skies. A plane took off from New Zealand to get a special view.

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NPR News: Scientists Who Want To Study Climate Engineering Shun Trump

Scientists Who Want To Study Climate Engineering Shun Trump
The controversial study of climate engineering — aka deliberately messing with Earth's temperature — was finally starting to regain a measure of respectability. And then came President Trump.

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NPR News: Scientists Who Want To Study Climate Engineering Shun Trump

Scientists Who Want To Study Climate Engineering Shun Trump
The controversial study of climate engineering — aka deliberately messing with Earth's temperature — was finally starting to regain a measure of respectability. And then came President Trump.

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NPR News: A New Kind Of March Madness Hits Schools

A New Kind Of March Madness Hits Schools
It's March Mammal Madness, a bracket with real animals facing off in fictional battles. Hundreds of science classes are playing in schools around the country.

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Nebula with Laser Beams

Four laser beams cut across this startling image of the Orion Nebula, as seen from ESO's Paranal Observatory in the Atacama desert on planet Earth. Not part of an interstellar conflict, the lasers are being used for an observation of Orion by UT4, one of the observatory's very large telescopes, in a technical test of an image-sharpening adaptive optics system. This view of the nebula with laser beams was captured by a small telescope from outside the UT4 enclosure. The beams are visible from that perspective because in the first few kilometers above the observatory the Earth's dense lower atmosphere scatters the laser light. The four small segments appearing beyond the beams are emission from an atmospheric layer of sodium atoms excited by the laser light at higher altitudes of 80-90 kilometers. Seen from the perspective of the UT4, those segments form bright spots or artificial guide stars. Their fluctuations are used in real-time to correct for atmospheric blurring along the line-of-sight by controlling a deformable mirror in the telescope's optical path. via NASA http://ift.tt/2nw3RIa

King of Wings Hoodoo under the Milky Way

This rock structure is not only surreal -- it's real. The reason it's not more famous is that it is, perhaps, smaller than one might guess: the capstone rock overhangs only a few meters. Even so, the King of Wings outcrop, located in New Mexico, USA, is a fascinating example of an unusual type of rock structure called a hoodoo. Hoodoos may form when a layer of hard rock overlays a layer of eroding softer rock. Figuring out the details of incorporating this hoodoo into a night-sky photoshoot took over a year. Besides waiting for a suitably picturesque night behind a sky with few clouds, the foreground had to be artificially lit just right relative to the natural glow of the background. After much planning and waiting, the final shot, featured here, was taken in May 2016. Mimicking the horizontal bar, the background sky features the band of our Milky Way Galaxy stretching overhead. via NASA http://ift.tt/2mI4Fel

NPR News: Paralyzed Man Uses Thoughts to Control His Own Arm And Hand

Paralyzed Man Uses Thoughts to Control His Own Arm And Hand
A spinal injury severed the connection between Bill Kochevar's brain and everything below his shoulders. But technology has given him a new way to control one arm and hand.

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NPR News: Paralyzed Man Uses Thoughts to Control his Own Arm and Hand

Paralyzed Man Uses Thoughts to Control his Own Arm and Hand
A spinal injury severed the connection between Bill Kochevar's brain and everything below his shoulders. But technology has given him a new way to control one arm and hand.

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NASA Announces Upcoming International Space Station Crew Assignments

Five NASA astronauts have been assigned to upcoming spaceflights. Joe Acaba, Ricky Arnold, Nick Hague, Serena Auñón-Chancellor and Shannon Walker all have begun training for missions launching later this year and throughout 2018.

March 28, 2017
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NPR News: Mayor Of Wyoming Coal Town Reacts To Trump's Climate Order

Mayor Of Wyoming Coal Town Reacts To Trump's Climate Order
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Louise Carter-King, mayor of Gillette, Wyo., about the impact that President Trump's executive order loosening regulations on coal will have on the the town.

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NPR News: Trump Signs Executive Order Rolling Back Regulation On Carbon Emissions

Trump Signs Executive Order Rolling Back Regulation On Carbon Emissions
President Trump signed a sweeping set of executive orders on Tuesday that aim to dismantle the Obama administration's efforts to combat climate change.

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@CleanStreamsDE: 1,850 pledges and counting! Have you pledged yet? https://t.co/9ZUJtW4aZy @NCCDE https://t.co/r76AAuncAa

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NASA Launches App for Amazon Fire TV

NASA has released its popular app for a new platform, Amazon Fire TV. This version joins previous releases of the app for iOS, Android and Apple TV devices

March 28, 2017
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NPR News: Device Mimicking Female Reproductive Cycle Could Aid Research

Device Mimicking Female Reproductive Cycle Could Aid Research
Scientists have assembled a lab system from living tissue that can replicate a woman's 28-day hormonal cycle. The goal is to use the system to find new ways to treat a host of women's health problems.

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NPR News: Device Mimicking Female Reproductive Cycle Could Aid Research

Device Mimicking Female Reproductive Cycle Could Aid Research
Scientists have assembled a lab system from living tissue that can replicate a woman's 28-day hormonal cycle. The goal is to use the system to find new ways to treat a host of women's health problems.

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NASA Unveils New Searchable Video, Audio and Imagery Library for the Public

NASA officially has launched a new resource to help the public search and download out-of-this-world images, videos and audio files by keyword and metadata searches from NASA.gov.

March 28, 2017
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Black Hole Accreting with Jet

What happens when a black hole devours a star? Many details remain unknown, but recent observations are providing new clues. In 2014, a powerful explosion was recorded by the ground-based robotic telescopes of the All Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN) project, and followed up by instruments including NASA's Earth-orbiting Swift satellite. Computer modeling of these emissions fit a star being ripped apart by a distant supermassive black hole. The results of such a collision are portrayed in the featured artistic illustration. The black hole itself is a depicted as a tiny black dot in the center. As matter falls toward the hole, it collides with other matter and heats up. Surrounding the black hole is an accretion disk of hot matter that used to be the star, with a jet emanating from the black hole's spin axis. via NASA http://ift.tt/2opv6BN

NPR News: The Truth Is, Lying Might Not Be So Bad

The Truth Is, Lying Might Not Be So Bad
With repeated lies, the brain becomes less and less sensitive to dishonesty, supporting ever larger acts of dishonesty. But why do we lie and is it such a terrible thing if we do?

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NPR News: Expected Executive Actions On Climate Change Policies Aim To Ensure Focus On Energy Independence

Expected Executive Actions On Climate Change Policies Aim To Ensure Focus On Energy Independence
President Trump will sign executive actions Tuesday that aim to roll back a sweeping set of climate policies put in place by the Obama administration. A moratorium on new coal leases on public lands, a rule designed to address methane emissions from oil and gas operations and the Clean Power Plan, will all get a review.

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NPR News: The Truth Is, Lying Might Not Be So Bad

The Truth Is, Lying Might Not Be So Bad
With repeated lies, the brain becomes less and less sensitive to dishonesty, supporting ever larger acts of dishonesty. But why do we lie and is it such a terrible thing if we do?

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NPR News: What Gave Some Primates Bigger Brains? A Fruit-Filled Diet

What Gave Some Primates Bigger Brains? A Fruit-Filled Diet
A new study suggests that diet had a big influence in driving the evolution of brain size in primates. Monkeys who thrive on fruit have bigger brains than their plant eating neighbors.

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NPR News: Proposed Budget Cuts Slash Funding For Great Lakes Clean-Up

Proposed Budget Cuts Slash Funding For Great Lakes Clean-Up
Proposed White House budget cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies will end federal spending on Great Lakes clean-up. That includes axing work on invasive species like Asian carp and a public health program that protects drinking water from toxic algae for 11 million residents around Lake Erie.

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NPR News: Trump's Plan To Ditch Clean Power Plan Threatens Paris Agreement

Trump's Plan To Ditch Clean Power Plan Threatens Paris Agreement
President Trump is expected to ditch the Clean Power Plan this week. The CPP regulations would reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that warm the planet. Without it, the U.S. won't live up to its pledge, made in Paris in 2015, to make deep cuts in emissions. That could jeopardize the Paris deal, in which nearly 200 nations made similar pledges.

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NASA Astronaut Jack Fischer Available for Interviews Before Space Station Mission

NASA astronaut Jack Fischer, who is making final preparations for an April 20 launch to the International Space Station, will be available for live satellite interviews from 8 to 9 a.m. EDT Tuesday, April 4.

March 27, 2017
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Wang Appointed to Head NASA’s Office of Communications

Jen Rae Wang has been selected by Acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot as NASA's Associate Administrator for the Office of Communications. Wang joins NASA with more than a decade of experience at the highest levels of state and federal government in public, legislative, and media affairs both domestically and internationally, strategic communicati

March 27, 2017
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@CleanStreamsDE: The 2017 Great Schools Clean Streams Pledge drive is open! Visit https://t.co/K23WXULtOy to take the pledge! @NCCDE

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NPR News: Breast-Fed Kids May Be Less Hyper, But Not Necessarily Smarter, Study Finds

Breast-Fed Kids May Be Less Hyper, But Not Necessarily Smarter, Study Finds
Prior research points to an association between breast-feeding and higher intelligence, but a new study finds no causal link. The study does find that breast-fed kids are less hyperactive at age 3.

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NPR News: Breast-Fed Kids May Be Less Hyper, But Not Necessarily Smarter, Study Finds

Breast-Fed Kids May Be Less Hyper, But Not Necessarily Smarter, Study Finds
Prior research points to an association between breast-feeding and higher intelligence, but a new study finds no causal link. The study does find that breast-fed kids are less hyperactive at age 3.

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NPR News: EPA Chief: Trump Plans To Kill Obama-era Clean Power Plan

EPA Chief: Trump Plans To Kill Obama-era Clean Power Plan
The Trump administration is expected this week to unveil its executive order undoing President Obama's Clean Power Plan, which aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

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Tardigrade in Moss

Is this an alien? Probably not, but of all the animals on Earth, the tardigrade might be the best candidate. That's because tardigrades are known to be able to go for decades without food or water, to survive temperatures from near absolute zero to well above the boiling point of water, to survive pressures from near zero to well above that on ocean floors, and to survive direct exposure to dangerous radiations. The far-ranging survivability of these extremophiles was tested in 2011 outside an orbiting space shuttle. Tardigrades are so durable partly because they can repair their own DNA and reduce their body water content to a few percent. Some of these miniature water-bears almost became extraterrestrials recently when they were launched toward to the Martian moon Phobos on board the Russian mission Fobos-Grunt, but stayed terrestrial when a rocket failed and the capsule remained in Earth orbit. Tardigrades are more common than humans across most of the Earth. Pictured here in a color-enhanced electron micrograph, a millimeter-long tardigrade crawls on moss. via NASA http://ift.tt/2nTtyDD

NPR News: In Conflict With Trump Agenda, California Sets Stricter Auto Emissions Standards

In Conflict With Trump Agenda, California Sets Stricter Auto Emissions Standards
California put itself on a collision course with the Trump Administration as the state's clean air agency moved forward with stricter emissions requirements for trucks and cars.

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NPR News: To Put You At Ease With Creepy-Crawlies, Entomologists Face Your Fears

To Put You At Ease With Creepy-Crawlies, Entomologists Face Your Fears
Nancy Miorelli posts photos of insects on her face on social media in hopes that the images will help normalize insects.

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NPR News: Telehealth Doctor Visits May Be Handy, But Aren't Cheaper Overall

Telehealth Doctor Visits May Be Handy, But Aren't Cheaper Overall
Many patients like the convenience of being able to quickly consult a doctor by text or phone or webcam instead of heading to an urgent care clinic. But the cost of consultations can add up.

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Ganymede s Shadow

Approaching opposition early next month, Jupiter is offering some of its best telescopic views from planet Earth. On March 17, this impressively sharp image of the solar system's ruling gas giant was taken from a remote observatory in Chile. Bounded by planet girdling winds, familiar dark belts and light zones span the giant planet spotted with rotating oval storms. The solar system's largest moon Ganymede is above and left in the frame, its shadow seen in transit across the northern Jovian cloud tops. Ganymede itself is seen in remarkable detail along with bright surface features on fellow Galilean moon Io, right of Jupiter's looming disk. via NASA http://ift.tt/2mBTiEu

NPR News: Lawyer's Brain Tumor Defense For Jewish Center Bomb Threat Suspect Recalls 1991 Murder Trial

Lawyer's Brain Tumor Defense For Jewish Center Bomb Threat Suspect Recalls 1991 Murder Trial
Ken Davis's book, "The Brain Defense," looks at the murder trial of Herbert Weinstein, in which lawyers argued that Weinstein was not guilty of killing his wife, because he had a brain tumor.

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The Comet, the Owl, and the Galaxy

Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak poses for a Messier moment in this telescopic snapshot from March 21. In fact it shares the 1 degree wide field-of-view with two well-known entries in the 18th century comet-hunting astronomer's famous catalog. Sweeping through northern springtime skies just below the Big Dipper, the faint greenish comet was about 75 light-seconds from our fair planet. Dusty, edge-on spiral galaxy Messier 108 (bottom center) is more like 45 million light-years away. At upper right, the planetary nebula with an aging but intensely hot central star, the owlish Messier 97 is only about 12 thousand light-years distant though, still well within our own Milky Way galaxy. Named for its discoverer and re-discoverers, this faint periodic comet was first sighted in 1858 and not again until 1907 and 1951. Matching orbit calculations indicated that the same comet had been observed at widely separated times. Nearing its best apparition and closest approach to Earth in over 100 years on April 1, comet 41P orbits the Sun with a period of about 5.4 years. via NASA http://ift.tt/2nK0Zsd

NASA Selects Mission to Study Churning Chaos in our Milky Way and Beyond

NASA has selected a science mission that will measure emissions from the interstellar medium, which is the cosmic material found between stars.

March 24, 2017
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NASA Selects Mission to Study Churning Chaos of Nearby Cosmos and Beyond

NASA has selected a science mission that will measure emissions from the interstellar medium, which is the cosmic material found between stars.

March 24, 2017
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NASA Selects Mission to Study the Churning Chaos in Our Milky Way and Beyond

NASA has selected a science mission that will measure emissions from the interstellar medium, which is the cosmic material found between stars.

March 24, 2017
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NPR News: March Madness Vasectomies Encourage Guys To Take One For The Team

March Madness Vasectomies Encourage Guys To Take One For The Team
Some urologists use March Madness as an opportunity to market vasectomy services, offering men the excuse to sit on the sofa for three days to watch college basketball while they recover.

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NPR News: The U.S. Can't Really Know If Farmers Are Cutting Back On Antibiotics, GAO Says

The U.S. Can't Really Know If Farmers Are Cutting Back On Antibiotics, GAO Says
New FDA rules limit how farmers can give antibiotics to animals raised for meat. But a Government Accountability Office report says the FDA doesn't collect the data to know if that policy is working.

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NASA Awards Facilities, Construction, Engineering, Technical Services Contract

NASA has awarded the Facilities, Construction, Engineering and Technical Services III Contract (FaCETS III) contract to PTSI Managed Services, Inc., of Pasadena, California, for infrastructure maintenance at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

March 23, 2017
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NASA Updates Schedule for International Space Station Spacewalks

Expedition 50 astronauts will conduct up to three spacewalks outside the International Space Station (ISS) in late March and early April to prepare for the future arrival of U.S. commercial crew spacecraft and upgrade station hardware.

March 23, 2017
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NPR News: Cancer Is Partly Caused By Bad Luck, Study Finds

Cancer Is Partly Caused By Bad Luck, Study Finds
Researchers have long known behavior, environment and genetics play a role in cancer. A study in Science finds luck is also a major factor. Nearly two-thirds of cancer mutations arise randomly.

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NPR News: Cancer Is Partly Caused By Bad Luck, Study Finds

Cancer Is Partly Caused By Bad Luck, Study Finds
Researchers have long known behavior, environment and genetics play a role in cancer. A study in Science finds luck is also a major factor. Nearly two-thirds of cancer mutations arise randomly.

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NPR News: Kids Who Suffer Hunger In First Years Lag Behind Their Peers In School

Kids Who Suffer Hunger In First Years Lag Behind Their Peers In School
When infants and young kids grow up in homes without enough to eat, they're more likely to perform poorly in kindergarten, a study shows. The younger they experienced hunger, the stronger the effect.

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NPR News: Kids Who Suffer Hunger In First Years Lag Behind Their Peers In School

Kids Who Suffer Hunger In First Years Lag Behind Their Peers In School
When infants and young kids grow up in homes without enough to eat, they're more likely to perform poorly in kindergarten, a study shows. The younger they experienced hunger, the stronger the effect.

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NPR News: Science-Loving Teens From Ghana And D.C. Geek Out Together

Science-Loving Teens From Ghana And D.C. Geek Out Together
They competed in the first World Smarts STEM Challenge. We got to know the team that worked on a water purifier using neem leaves and ... cilantro.

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NASA to Host 2017 Human Exploration Rover Challenge

Media are invited to watch as nearly 100 high school and college teams from across the globe compete Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1 during NASA’s Human Exploration Rover Challenge at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

March 23, 2017
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NPR News: How The 'Scarcity Mindset' Can Make Problems Worse

How The 'Scarcity Mindset' Can Make Problems Worse
Researchers had a hypothesis that when you really want something, you start to focus on it obsessively. It produces a kind of tunnel vision and creates problems for thinking in the long-term.

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NPR News: How The 'Scarcity Mindset' Can Make Problems Worse

How The 'Scarcity Mindset' Can Make Problems Worse
Researchers had a hypothesis that when you really want something, you start to focus on it obsessively. It produces a kind of tunnel vision and creates problems for thinking in the long-term.

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NPR News: The Forces Driving Middle-Aged White People's 'Deaths Of Despair'

The Forces Driving Middle-Aged White People's 'Deaths Of Despair'
Middle-aged white people without college degrees are increasingly likely to die of suicide, or drug and alcohol abuse. The lack of a pathway to solid jobs is one reason why, two economists say.

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NPR News: The Forces Driving Middle-Aged White People's 'Deaths Of Despair'

The Forces Driving Middle-Aged White People's 'Deaths Of Despair'
Middle-aged white people without college degrees are increasingly likely to die of suicide, or drug and alcohol abuse. The lack of a pathway to solid jobs is one reason why, two economists say.

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Central Cygnus Skyscape

In cosmic brush strokes of glowing hydrogen gas, this beautiful skyscape unfolds across the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy near the northern end of the Great Rift and the center of the constellation Cygnus the Swan. A 36 panel mosaic of telescopic image data, the scene spans about six degrees. Bright supergiant star Gamma Cygni (Sadr) to the upper left of the image center lies in the foreground of the complex gas and dust clouds and crowded star fields. Left of Gamma Cygni, shaped like two luminous wings divided by a long dark dust lane is IC 1318 whose popular name is understandably the Butterfly Nebula. The more compact, bright nebula at the lower right is NGC 6888, the Crescent Nebula. Some distance estimates for Gamma Cygni place it at around 1,800 light-years while estimates for IC 1318 and NGC 6888 range from 2,000 to 5,000 light-years. via NASA http://ift.tt/2ncQrRl

NPR News: Doctor Turns Up Possible Treatment For Deadly Sepsis

Doctor Turns Up Possible Treatment For Deadly Sepsis
Research hasn't yet confirmed the early hints that a mix of IV vitamins and steroids might stop the fatal organ failure of sepsis. But an effective treatment for sepsis would be a really big deal.

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NPR News: Social Media, Math And The Mystery Of A Mumps Outbreak

Social Media, Math And The Mystery Of A Mumps Outbreak
Since August 2016, there have been nearly 3,000 cases of mumps diagnosed in Arkansas. A epidemiologist explains how her team used online data and mathematical modeling to understand the outbreak.

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NPR News: Powdered Vaccine Raises Hopes Of Stopping A Top Killer Of Kids

Powdered Vaccine Raises Hopes Of Stopping A Top Killer Of Kids
it's aimed at rotavirus, a nasty pathogen that can cause diarrhea and kills 200,000 children a year in developing countries.

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NPR News: Powdered Vaccine Raises Hopes Of Stopping A Top Killer Of Kids

Powdered Vaccine Raises Hopes Of Stopping A Top Killer Of Kids
it's aimed at rotavirus, a nasty pathogen that can cause diarrhea and kills 200,000 children a year in developing countries.

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NPR News: This Parrot Has An 'Infectious Laugh,' Scientists Say

This Parrot Has An 'Infectious Laugh,' Scientists Say
The researchers say that when the highly intelligent kea parrots hear a call associated with play, they start playful tussling, aerial acrobatics, or throwing objects into the air.

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NPR News: This Parrot Has An 'Infectious Laugh,' Scientists Say

This Parrot Has An 'Infectious Laugh,' Scientists Say
The researchers say that when the highly intelligent kea parrots hear a call associated with play, they start playful tussling, aerial acrobatics, or throwing objects into the air.

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NPR News: A Smartphone Can Accurately Test Sperm Count

A Smartphone Can Accurately Test Sperm Count
Measuring the quality of those little swimmers usually requires a trip to the doctor. Researchers have come up with a smartphone accessory that would let men do that at home in less than five seconds.

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NPR News: A Smartphone Can Accurately Test Sperm Count

A Smartphone Can Accurately Test Sperm Count
Measuring the quality of those little swimmers usually requires a trip to the doctor. Researchers have come up with a smartphone accessory that would let men do that at home in less than five seconds.

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NPR News: Congress Rolls Back Obama-Era Rule On Hunting Bears And Wolves In Alaska

Congress Rolls Back Obama-Era Rule On Hunting Bears And Wolves In Alaska
The Senate voted Tuesday to lift a 2016 ban on certain hunting practices — like trapping and aerial shooting — on national wildlife refuges there. Now the bill heads to President Trump to be signed.

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@CleanStreamsDE: The Great Schools @CleanStreamsDE pledge drive starts March 27th! Pledge to help your school be one of the top 16 f… https://t.co/zbh5ML7QEJ

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NPR News: You Probably Believe Some Learning Myths: Take Our Quiz To Find Out

You Probably Believe Some Learning Myths: Take Our Quiz To Find Out
A new survey shows widespread misconceptions and unfounded confidence about learning.

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NPR News: Researchers Test Hotter, Faster And Cleaner Way To Fight Oil Spills

Researchers Test Hotter, Faster And Cleaner Way To Fight Oil Spills
The Flame Refluxer is essentially a big copper blanket: think Brillo pad of wool sandwiched between mesh. Using it while burning off oil yields less air pollution and residue that harms marine life.

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NASA Acting Administrator Statement on the NASA Authorization Act of 2017

Statement from NASA acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot on President Trump signing Tuesday the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Transition Authorization Act of 2017.

March 21, 2017
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NPR News: The Thai Turtle That Ate Hundreds Of Coins Has Died

The Thai Turtle That Ate Hundreds Of Coins Has Died
The green sea turtle drew international sympathy when it emerged that she had consumed nearly 1,000 coins that had been thrown into her pool. She died despite two emergency surgeries.

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NPR News: Who Has The Healthiest Hearts In The World?

Who Has The Healthiest Hearts In The World?
Move over Japanese women. You've been dethroned as the population with the healthiest hearts. This group of people can fight off heart disease even into their 80s. What's their secret?

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NPR News: Who Has The Healthiest Hearts In The World?

Who Has The Healthiest Hearts In The World?
Move over Japanese women. You've been dethroned as the population with the healthiest hearts. This group of people can fight off heart disease even into their 80s. What's their secret?

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NPR News: Harvard Scientists Call For Better Rules To Guide Research On 'Embryoids'

Harvard Scientists Call For Better Rules To Guide Research On 'Embryoids'
Some recent studies in synthetic biology, they say, raise new questions about the ethical limits of creating entities that might feel pain or resemble human embryos — or mimic humans in other ways.

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NPR News: Harvard Scientists Call For Better Rules To Guide Research On 'Embryoids'

Harvard Scientists Call For Better Rules To Guide Research On 'Embryoids'
Some recent studies in synthetic biology, they say, raise new questions about the ethical limits of creating entities that might feel pain or resemble human embryos — or mimic humans in other ways.

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NPR News: Doctors Consider Ethics Of Costly Heart Surgery For People Addicted To Opioids

Doctors Consider Ethics Of Costly Heart Surgery For People Addicted To Opioids
A troubling trend has followed the opioid epidemic: people who use intravenous drugs are getting heart infections, driving up hospital bills and stirring an ethical debate among doctors.

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NPR News: Tomb Of Jesus Is Restored In Jerusalem

Tomb Of Jesus Is Restored In Jerusalem
Jesus' tomb has been freshened up in time for Easter. "This monument today is free," said Antonia Moropolou, who led the Greek team that handled the renovations.

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NPR News: Ketamine for Severe Depression: 'How Do You Not Offer This Drug to People?'

Ketamine for Severe Depression: 'How Do You Not Offer This Drug to People?'
More and more doctors are offering ketamine, an anesthetic and club drug, to severely depressed patients who haven't responded to other treatments.

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NPR News: Congress May Undo Rule That Pushes Firms To Keep Good Safety Records

Congress May Undo Rule That Pushes Firms To Keep Good Safety Records
Labor statistics specialists under George W. Bush and Barack Obama warn that if the safety regulation is repealed, record keeping on worker injuries will become less accurate and less reliable.

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NPR News: Congress May Undo Rule That Pushes Firms To Keep Good Safety Records

Congress May Undo Rule That Pushes Firms To Keep Good Safety Records
Labor statistics specialists under George W. Bush and Barack Obama warn that if the safety regulation is repealed, record keeping on worker injuries will become less accurate and less reliable.

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NPR News: Climate Change As An Issue Of National Security

Climate Change As An Issue Of National Security
Defense Secretary James Mattis called climate change a national security threat. Retired Brig. Gen. Gerald Galloway talks about how the Pentagon will manage challenges presented by climate change.

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JWST: Ghosts and Mirrors

Ghosts aren't actually hovering over the James Webb Space Telescope. But the lights are out as it stands with gold tinted mirror segments and support structures folded in Goddard Space Flight Center's Spacecraft Systems Development and Integration Facility clean room. Following vibration and acoustic testing, bright flashlights and ultraviolet lights are played over the stationary telescope looking for contamination, easier to spot in a darkened room. In the dimness the camera's long exposure creates the ghostly apparitions, blurring the moving lights and engineers. A scientific successor to Hubble, the James Webb Space Telescope is optimized for the infrared exploration of the early Universe. Its planned launch is in 2018 from French Guiana on a European Space Agency Ariane 5 rocket. via NASA http://ift.tt/2mGq8A0

NPR News: Should The U.S. Government Buy A Drug Company To Save Money?

Should The U.S. Government Buy A Drug Company To Save Money?
Most of the millions in the U.S. who are infected with hepatitis C can't afford the cure. Some say the U.S. could save money and cure more people if it bought the drugmaker Gilead Sciences Inc.

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NASA TV to Air Preview Briefing, Three U.S. Spacewalks

Expedition 50 astronauts will conduct three spacewalks outside the International Space Station (ISS) in late March and early April to prepare for the future arrival of U.S. commercial crew spacecraft and upgrade station hardware.

March 17, 2017
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NPR News: #CuriousGoat: Ask Us About Climate Change And Global Well-being

#CuriousGoat: Ask Us About Climate Change And Global Well-being
What questions do you have about the toll that climate change is taking — and about possible solutions?

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NPR News: Digitization Unearths New Data From Cold War-Era Nuclear Test Films

Digitization Unearths New Data From Cold War-Era Nuclear Test Films
The U.S. conducted hundreds of atmospheric nuclear tests between 1945 and 1962 — and filmed them. A project to digitize those films has changed the analysis of the nuclear explosions themselves.

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NPR News: Study: 'Urgent' Action Against Global Warming Needed To Save Coral Reefs

Study: 'Urgent' Action Against Global Warming Needed To Save Coral Reefs
After another major coral bleaching event, a new study has concluded that securing a future for coral reefs "ultimately requires urgent and rapid action to reduce global warming."

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NPR News: Study: 'Urgent' Action Against Global Warming Needed To Save Coral Reefs

Study: 'Urgent' Action Against Global Warming Needed To Save Coral Reefs
After another major coral bleaching event, a new study has concluded that securing a future for coral reefs "ultimately requires urgent and rapid action to reduce global warming."

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NPR News: How To Make Farmers Love Cover Crops? Pay Them

How To Make Farmers Love Cover Crops? Pay Them
New satellite images reveal that few Midwestern farmers are planting pollution-preventing "cover crops." In Maryland, though, farmers are doing it, thanks to hefty subsidies.

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NPR News: Groovy: Scientists Say They've Found The First Fluorescent Frog

Groovy: Scientists Say They've Found The First Fluorescent Frog
The South American polka dot tree frog initially appears unremarkable. But when researchers in Argentina shined an ultraviolet light on the frog, it glowed.

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NPR News: Groovy: Scientists Say They've Found The First Fluorescent Frog

Groovy: Scientists Say They've Found The First Fluorescent Frog
The South American polka dot tree frog initially appears unremarkable. But when researchers in Argentina shined an ultraviolet light on the frog, it glowed.

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NPR News: One Way To Force Down Drug Prices: Have The U.S. Exercise Its Patent Rights

One Way To Force Down Drug Prices: Have The U.S. Exercise Its Patent Rights
Some members of Congress say the U.S. government should use the patent rights it owns for any drugs that were developed with federal grants to drive down the prices of those drugs.

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NPR News: Trump's Budget Slashes Climate Change Funding

Trump's Budget Slashes Climate Change Funding
The White House's proposed federal budget cuts everything from research to regulation, and makes clear that the administration doesn't view climate change as a priority.

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NPR News: How One Of The World's Toughest Creatures Can Bring Itself Back To Life

How One Of The World's Toughest Creatures Can Bring Itself Back To Life
The tardigrade, a strange animal smaller than a grain of sand and with hooks for feet, can survive in a dried-up state for a decade. Its secret might help improve how drugs are shipped and stored.

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NPR News: How One Of The World's Toughest Creatures Can Bring Itself Back To Life

How One Of The World's Toughest Creatures Can Bring Itself Back To Life
The tardigrade, a strange animal smaller than a grain of sand and with hooks for feet, can survive in a dried-up state for a decade. Its secret might help improve how drugs are shipped and stored.

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NPR News: Trump Administration Proposes Big Cuts In Medical Research

Trump Administration Proposes Big Cuts In Medical Research
The National Institutes of Health, which funds research in treatments and cures, could lose 20 percent of its budget under the administration's proposal. More money would go for addiction treatment.

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NPR News: Trump Administration Proposes Big Cuts In Medical Research

Trump Administration Proposes Big Cuts In Medical Research
The National Institutes of Health, which funds research in treatments and cures, could lose 20 percent of its budget under the administration's proposal. More money would go for addiction treatment.

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NASA Acting Administrator Statement on Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Proposal

Statement from NASA acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot on the Fiscal Year 2018 agency budget proposal.

March 16, 2017
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NPR News: Study Finds High Temperatures Killing Large Parts Of Great Barrier Reef

Study Finds High Temperatures Killing Large Parts Of Great Barrier Reef
A new study looks at coral bleaching in 2015-2016. Mia Hoogenboom was a co-author, who says warming ocean temperatures are killing sections of the Great Barrier Reef faster than researchers expected.

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NPR News: Study Finds High Temperatures Killing Large Parts Of Great Barrier Reef

Study Finds High Temperatures Killing Large Parts Of Great Barrier Reef
A new study looks at coral bleaching in 2015-2016. Mia Hoogenboom was a co-author, who says warming ocean temperatures are killing sections of the Great Barrier Reef faster than researchers expected.

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NPR News: Travel Ban Adds Stress To 'Match Week' For Some Doctors

Travel Ban Adds Stress To 'Match Week' For Some Doctors
A medical residency program is the next training step for newly minted doctors, and awaiting "the match," can be tense. For some international students, Trump's travel ban has made the tension worse.

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@CleanStreamsDE: Parents, teachers and NCC citizens get ready--March 27th is coming! How many pledges will you help your favorite sc… https://t.co/e3zJ4qsZl5

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NPR News: 3 Women Blinded By Unproven Stem Cell Treatments

3 Women Blinded By Unproven Stem Cell Treatments
Three patients were blinded after getting stem cells from fat at a Florida clinic. But another patient shows promise after treatment in Japanese study using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.

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NPR News: 3 Women Blinded By Unproven Stem Cell Treatments

3 Women Blinded By Unproven Stem Cell Treatments
Three patients were blinded after getting stem cells from fat at a Florida clinic. But another patient shows promise after treatment in Japanese study using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.

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NASA TV to Air Departure of U.S. Cargo Ship from International Space Station

After delivering about 5,500 pounds of cargo, the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is set to leave the International Space Station on Sunday, March 19. Live coverage of Dragon's departure will begin at 4:45 a.m. EDT on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

March 15, 2017
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NPR News: California Officials Pledge Not To Roll Back Fuel Efficiency Standards

California Officials Pledge Not To Roll Back Fuel Efficiency Standards
California officials have said they will not back off the fuel efficiency standards established under Obama, despite the Trump administration's plan to revisit those standards.

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NPR News: Trump To Reopen Review Of Car Fuel Efficiency Standards

Trump To Reopen Review Of Car Fuel Efficiency Standards
President Trump announced he is reopening review of car fuel efficiency standards at a rally Wednesday in Michigan. But his claims that the standards are hurting the auto industry's bottom line come at a time when carmakers are enjoying record profits.

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NPR News: Emails Reveal Monsanto's Tactics To Defend Glyphosate Against Cancer Fears

Emails Reveal Monsanto's Tactics To Defend Glyphosate Against Cancer Fears
Newly released internal emails show Monsanto executives scrambling to counter a U.N. agency's conclusion that glyphosate can cause cancer. One executive proposed "ghost-writing" scientific papers.

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NASA Study Confirms Biofuels Reduce Jet Engine Pollution

Using biofuels to help power jet engines reduces particle emissions in their exhaust by as much as 50 to 70 percent, in a new study conclusion that bodes well for airline economics and Earth’s environment.

March 15, 2017
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West Virginia Students to Speak to NASA Astronauts on Space Station

Students in West Virginia will speak with NASA astronauts living and working aboard the International Space Station at 10:25 a.m. EDT Friday, March 17.

March 15, 2017
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NPR News: Cancer Drug That Might Slow Parkinson's, Alzheimer's Headed For Bigger Tests

Cancer Drug That Might Slow Parkinson's, Alzheimer's Headed For Bigger Tests
In a preliminary study, the cancer drug nilotinib seemed to help patients with Parkinson's and dementia. Now two larger and more rigorous studies of the drug are under way.

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NPR News: Cancer Drug That Might Slow Parkinson's, Alzheimer's Headed For Bigger Tests

Cancer Drug That Might Slow Parkinson's, Alzheimer's Headed For Bigger Tests
In a preliminary study, the cancer drug nilotinib seemed to help patients with Parkinson's and dementia. Now two larger and more rigorous studies of the drug are under way.

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NPR News: I Want To Eat Fish Responsibly. But The Seafood Guides Are So Confusing!

I Want To Eat Fish Responsibly. But The Seafood Guides Are So Confusing!
All reputable seafood guides are science-based, and yet can offer conflicting advice, because they have different goals. Some support sustainable fishers. Others aim to recover declining populations.

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NPR News: Go Ahead, Eat It. Scientist Affirms 5-Second Rule

Go Ahead, Eat It. Scientist Affirms 5-Second Rule
A germ expert tells the British Press Association if you drop food and pick it up quickly, bacteria on the floor are not likely to have attached. It's probably ok to eat.

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NPR News: Send Us Your Science Questions For 'Skunk Bear'

Send Us Your Science Questions For 'Skunk Bear'
NPR's YouTube channel, "Skunk Bear," answers science questions in surprising, artsy videos. NPR asks what mystery listeners would like them to tackle next.

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NPR News: Love In The Time Of Repeal And Replace

Love In The Time Of Repeal And Replace
One couple sped up their wedding plans because of concern over how a GOP health plan might affect them. The bride had bad experiences in getting health insurance before the Affordable Care Act.

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NPR News: Scientists Catch Star And Possible Black Hole In A Rapid, Dangerous Dance

Scientists Catch Star And Possible Black Hole In A Rapid, Dangerous Dance
The white dwarf is whizzing around what researchers think is a black hole at an extraordinary speed — at least twice an hour. It is believed to be a star's closest known orbit to a black hole.

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NPR News: Scientists Catch Star And Possible Black Hole In A Rapid, Dangerous Dance

Scientists Catch Star And Possible Black Hole In A Rapid, Dangerous Dance
The white dwarf is whizzing around what researchers think is a black hole at an extraordinary speed — at least twice an hour. It is believed to be a star's closest known orbit to a black hole.

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NPR News: Natural Environmental Swings Cause Up To Half Of Arctic Sea Ice Loss

Natural Environmental Swings Cause Up To Half Of Arctic Sea Ice Loss
Researchers say 30 percent to 50 percent of the ice loss is due to natural variation in temperature and humidity, while human-caused warming is responsible for the rest.

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NPR News: Why More Info May Be Counterproductive When Battling Fake News

Why More Info May Be Counterproductive When Battling Fake News
As the country has become more polarized, we increasingly disagree not just on policy, but on the facts. Can more and better information solve the problem of fake news?

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NPR News: Researchers Examine Breitbart's Influence On Election Information

Researchers Examine Breitbart's Influence On Election Information
A study of 1.25 million media stories says a Breitbart-centered media ecosystem fostered the sharing of stories that were, at their core, misleading. Steve Inskeep talks to researcher Yochai Benkler.

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NPR News: A Microbe Hunter Plies Her Trade In Space

A Microbe Hunter Plies Her Trade In Space
Meet Kate Rubins, a virus-hunter turned astronaut. When she sequenced DNA in space for the first time, she opened the door to a new era in space biology.

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NPR News: Orangutan's Vocal Feats Hint At Deeper Roots of Human Speech

Orangutan's Vocal Feats Hint At Deeper Roots of Human Speech
Rocky wowed scientists when he showed he could control his vocal cords much the way people do. His abilities suggest that early humans might have spoken words 10 million years ago.

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NPR News: A Microbe Hunter Plies Her Trade In Space

A Microbe Hunter Plies Her Trade In Space
Meet Kate Rubins, a virus-hunter turned astronaut. When she sequenced DNA in space for the first time, she opened the door to a new era in space biology.

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NPR News: When It Comes To Politics and 'Fake News,' Facts Aren't Enough

When It Comes To Politics and 'Fake News,' Facts Aren't Enough
In politics, it sometimes feels like we can't agree on basic facts. But according to neuroscientist Tali Sharot, facts are not enough — emotions may be the key to changing our minds.

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NPR News: Un-Sweetened: How A Maryland County Cut Soda Sales Without A Soda Tax

Un-Sweetened: How A Maryland County Cut Soda Sales Without A Soda Tax
Over three years, a campaign urged Howard County, Md., residents to pare back on sugary drinks — through ads, social media, health counseling and changes to what vending machines sold. And it worked.

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NPR News: Un-Sweetened: How A Maryland County Cut Soda Sales Without A Soda Tax

Un-Sweetened: How A Maryland County Cut Soda Sales Without A Soda Tax
Over three years, a campaign urged Howard County, Md., residents to pare back on sugary drinks — through ads, social media, health counseling and changes to what vending machines sold. And it worked.

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NASA Contracts for Armstrong Center Logistics Services

NASA has selected Kay and Associates, Inc., in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, to provide center logistics services and aerospace ground equipment support services (CLS & AGESS) for the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

March 13, 2017
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NPR News: Boaty McBoatface Prepares For First Antarctic Mission

Boaty McBoatface Prepares For First Antarctic Mission
After the Internet voted to name a U.K. research vessel "Boaty McBoatface," the results were overruled. But, as a consolation gesture, the name was given to a remote-controlled submersible.

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NPR News: The Saga Of The Irish Giant's Bones Dismays Medical Ethicists

The Saga Of The Irish Giant's Bones Dismays Medical Ethicists
Charles Byrne was about 7 feet 7 inches tall, an 18th century marvel whose height came from a pituitary tumor. He asked for privacy in death, but his skeleton is still on display in a London museum.

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NPR News: Old-Style Chemo Is Still A Mainstay In The Age Of Targeted Cancer Therapy

Old-Style Chemo Is Still A Mainstay In The Age Of Targeted Cancer Therapy
Scientists hunting cures for cancer hope to find targeted therapies with fewer side effects. But there's also new evidence that old-style chemo sometimes helps gentler treatments work better.

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NPR News: Old-Style Chemo Is Still A Mainstay In The Age Of Targeted Cancer Therapy

Old-Style Chemo Is Still A Mainstay In The Age Of Targeted Cancer Therapy
Scientists hunting cures for cancer hope to find targeted therapies with fewer side effects. But there's also new evidence that old-style chemo sometimes helps gentler treatments work better.

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NPR News: Save Hide And Seek For The Playground: Why Kids Should See Their Veggies

Save Hide And Seek For The Playground: Why Kids Should See Their Veggies
Getting kids to eat veggies through subterfuge — say, spinach smoothies -- sets the bar too low, researchers say. Your child must actually learn to like veggies, weird textures and all. Here's how.

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NPR News: Beyond Lyme: New Tick-Borne Diseases On The Rise In U.S.

Beyond Lyme: New Tick-Borne Diseases On The Rise In U.S.
The world is seeing more and more new diseases, and the U.S. is no exception. We're living in a hot spot for tick-borne diseases. Some are deadly. The key to stopping them may be an unlikely critter.

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NPR News: Activists Work To Preserve Government Environmental Data

Activists Work To Preserve Government Environmental Data
Scott Simon talks with historian Matt Price, whose group holds "hack-a-thons" to preserve scientific information. Activists fear environmental data will be harder to find under the new administration.

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NPR News: Some Plaque To Build A Theory On: Did Humans And Neanderthals Kiss?

Some Plaque To Build A Theory On: Did Humans And Neanderthals Kiss?
NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the scientific discovery of Neanderthal dental plaque that indicates they might have kissed humans.

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NPR News: Some Plaque To Build A Theory On: Did Humans And Neanderthals Kiss?

Some Plaque To Build A Theory On: Did Humans And Neanderthals Kiss?
NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the scientific discovery of Neanderthal dental plaque that indicates they might have kissed humans.

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NPR News: Eating More — Or Less — Of 10 Foods May Cut Risk Of Death From Heart Disease

Eating More — Or Less — Of 10 Foods May Cut Risk Of Death From Heart Disease
Too much bacon, or too few nuts, can influence the risk of death from heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, a study finds. Nearly half of U.S. deaths from these causes were linked to diet.

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NPR News: Eating More — Or Less — Of 10 Foods May Cut Risk Of Death From Heart Disease

Eating More — Or Less — Of 10 Foods May Cut Risk Of Death From Heart Disease
Too much bacon, or too few nuts, can influence the risk of death from heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, a study finds. Nearly half of U.S. deaths from these causes were linked to diet.

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NPR News: Moon Or Space Dumpling? You Decide

Moon Or Space Dumpling? You Decide
New images from the Cassini spacecraft reveal that Saturn's moon Pan looks like a dumpling.

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NPR News: This Moon Of Saturn May Be Tiny, But It Sure Looks Like A Mouthful

This Moon Of Saturn May Be Tiny, But It Sure Looks Like A Mouthful
You may be inclined to see a ravioli, a walnut or an empanada, but it's tough to deny that Pan's distinctive ridge makes a tasty impression. The images were taken by the Cassini spacecraft Thursday.

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NASA Awards Contract for SOFIA Science, Mission Operations Support

NASA has selected Universities Space Research Association of Columbia, Maryland, to provide the agency with science and mission operations support for its Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) program.

March 10, 2017
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NASA Brings Universe to South By Southwest

NASA returns to Austin, Texas, to share its exciting missions, discoveries, technology advancements and plans for future space exploration at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival, March 10-14, and SXSW Tradeshow, March 13-15.

March 09, 2017
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NPR News: Dan Ariely: When Are Our Decisions Made For Us?

Dan Ariely: When Are Our Decisions Made For Us?
We often think that our decisions are our own. But Behavioral Economist Dan Ariely explains how our environment — even something as simple as how a question is framed — can affect what we choose.

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NPR News: Ruth Chang: How Can Making Hard Choices Empower Us?

Ruth Chang: How Can Making Hard Choices Empower Us?
One choice isn't always better than the other. Philosopher Ruth Chang says, once we realize that, it's easier to embrace the hard work of decision-making.

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NPR News: Sheena Iyengar: Why Are Some Choices So Paralyzing?

Sheena Iyengar: Why Are Some Choices So Paralyzing?
Psycho-economist Sheena Iyengar explains how we can actively use choice as a tool to help us arrive at decisions we can live with.

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NPR News: Dan Ariely: When Are Our Decisions Made For Us?

Dan Ariely: When Are Our Decisions Made For Us?
We often think that our decisions are our own. But Behavioral Economist Dan Ariely explains how our environment — even something as simple as how a question is framed — can affect what we choose.

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NPR News: Ruth Chang: How Can Making Hard Choices Empower Us?

Ruth Chang: How Can Making Hard Choices Empower Us?
One choice isn't always better than the other. Philosopher Ruth Chang says, once we realize that, it's easier to embrace the hard work of decision-making.

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NPR News: Sheena Iyengar: Why Are Some Choices So Paralyzing?

Sheena Iyengar: Why Are Some Choices So Paralyzing?
Psycho-economist Sheena Iyengar explains how we can actively use choice as a tool to help us arrive at decisions we can live with.

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NPR News: High-Tech Greenhouse Has Neighbors Throwing Shade Over Light Pollution

High-Tech Greenhouse Has Neighbors Throwing Shade Over Light Pollution
LEF Farms is investing $10 million to grow gourmet lettuce indoors in New Hampshire. Neighbors say they support the idea of locally grown food, but worry that the lights may affect property values.

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NPR News: Bees Travel Cross Country For The California Almond Harvest

Bees Travel Cross Country For The California Almond Harvest
Each year, millions upon millions of honey bees go on a cross country road trip to make the California almond harvest possible.

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NPR News: EPA Head Scott Pruitt Doubts Basic Consensus On Climate Change

EPA Head Scott Pruitt Doubts Basic Consensus On Climate Change
The head of the Environmental Protection Agency says he does not agree that carbon dioxide is the main driver of climate change.

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NPR News: Mozzarella Magic: How My Father And I Learned To Separate Curds And Whey

Mozzarella Magic: How My Father And I Learned To Separate Curds And Whey
To feed their cheese habit, the author and her father took a crash course in mozzarella on a Pennsylvania farm. The experience offered valuable insight into the science and history of cheese-making.

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NPR News: Scientists Closer To Creating A Fully Synthetic Yeast Genome

Scientists Closer To Creating A Fully Synthetic Yeast Genome
An international consortium of researchers has synthesized about a third of the genetic code of baker's yeast. It's an important milestone in science's quest to create complex "synthetic life."

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NPR News: Scientists Closer To Creating A Fully Synthetic Yeast Genome

Scientists Closer To Creating A Fully Synthetic Yeast Genome
An international consortium of researchers has synthesized about a third of the genetic code of baker's yeast. It's an important milestone in science's quest to create complex "synthetic life."

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NPR News: EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Questions Basic Facts About Climate Change

EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Questions Basic Facts About Climate Change
In an interview with CNBC, President Trump's EPA administrator said he did not believe carbon dioxide is a major contributor to global warming.

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NPR News: Trump, Democrats Look For Common Ground On Drug Prices

Trump, Democrats Look For Common Ground On Drug Prices
Two congressmen met with President Trump seeking support for a bill to expand the government's ability to negotiate drug prices. But it's not clear it would have much impact or will gain support.

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NPR News: Some Neanderthals Were Vegetarian — And They Likely Kissed Our Human Ancestors

Some Neanderthals Were Vegetarian — And They Likely Kissed Our Human Ancestors
A new study of the dental plaques of three Neanderthals reveals surprising facts about their lives, including what they ate, the diseases that ailed them and how they self-medicated (and smooched).

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NASA Selects Over 100 Small Business Projects to Advance Space Innovation

NASA has selected 133 proposals from U.S. companies to conduct research and develop technologies that will enable NASA's future missions into deep space and benefit the U.S. economy.

March 08, 2017
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NPR News: Maybe You, Too, Could Become A Super Memorizer

Maybe You, Too, Could Become A Super Memorizer
After six weeks of training, people could memorize twice as much. Areas of the brain had begun communicating in new ways — a lot like what happens inside the heads of world memory champions.

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NPR News: Maybe You, Too, Could Become A Super Memorizer

Maybe You, Too, Could Become A Super Memorizer
After six weeks of training, people could memorize twice as much. Areas of the brain had begun communicating in new ways — a lot like what happens inside the heads of world memory champions.

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NPR News: Researchers Take A Step Toward Mind-Controlled Robots

Researchers Take A Step Toward Mind-Controlled Robots
Researchers have created a system where humans can guide robots with their brainwaves, signaling to the machines when they've made a mistake. It could help improve the way humans and robots interact.

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NPR News: Researchers Take A Step Toward Mind-Controlled Robots

Researchers Take A Step Toward Mind-Controlled Robots
Researchers have created a system where humans can guide robots with their brainwaves, signaling to the machines when they've made a mistake. It could help improve the way humans and robots interact.

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NASA Marks International Women’s Day, Women’s History Month with Virtual Tour Highlighting Women in STEM

In celebration of International Women’s Day on Wednesday and Women’s History Month in March, NASA has unveiled an educational virtual tour that brings students into the exciting careers of seven women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields at the agency.

March 08, 2017
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NPR News: Effects Of Global Warming On Display In Antarctica

Effects Of Global Warming On Display In Antarctica
James McClintock, a marine biologist, talks with David Greene about how warming temperatures have had a dramatic impact on the glacier near the U.S. Palmer Station in Antarctica.

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NPR News: The Affordable Care Act, Medicaid And Divorce

The Affordable Care Act, Medicaid And Divorce
As Republicans unveil their Affordable Care Act replacement, we examine how Medicaid expansion has affected divorce rates among older people.

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NPR News: Is Dieting Passe? Study Finds Fewer Overweight People Try To Lose Weight

Is Dieting Passe? Study Finds Fewer Overweight People Try To Lose Weight
Some health experts worry about what this trend means for chronic disease linked to obesity. Others see an upside: Diets often fail, but a healthy body image can lead to healthy outcomes.

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UGC 12591: The Fastest Rotating Galaxy Known

Why does this galaxy spin so fast? To start, even identifying which type of galaxy UGC 12591 is difficult -- it has dark dust lanes like a spiral galaxy but a large diffuse bulge of stars like a lenticular. Surprisingly observations show that UGC 12591 spins at about 480 km/sec, almost twice as fast as our Milky Way, and the fastest rotation rate yet measured. The mass needed to hold together a galaxy spinning this fast is several times the mass of our Milky Way Galaxy. Progenitor scenarios for UGC 12591 include slow growth by accreting ambient matter, or rapid growth through a recent galaxy collision or collisions -- future observations may tell. The light we see today from UGC 12591 left about 400 million years ago, when trees were first developing on Earth. via NASA http://ift.tt/2n1eAYG

NPR News: Public Clinics Fear Federal Cuts To Planned Parenthood Would Strand Patients

Public Clinics Fear Federal Cuts To Planned Parenthood Would Strand Patients
A goal for many Republicans is to cut federal funding for health services at Planned Parenthood and divert those funds to public health centers. How ready are those centers to pick up that work?

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NPR News: Texas City Leads The Way On Renewable Energy

Texas City Leads The Way On Renewable Energy
Georgetown, Texas, an exurb of Austin, is one of the first cities in the country to be 100 percent powered by renewable energy.

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NPR News: Eating Soy Has Benefits For Breast-Cancer Survivors, Study Finds

Eating Soy Has Benefits For Breast-Cancer Survivors, Study Finds
New research finds eating soy milk, edamame and tofu does not have harmful effects for women with breast cancer, as some have worried. In fact, for some women, soy consumption was tied to longer life.

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NPR News: Eating Soy Has Benefits For Breast-Cancer Survivors, Study Finds

Eating Soy Has Benefits For Breast-Cancer Survivors, Study Finds
New research finds eating soy milk, edamame and tofu does not have harmful effects for women with breast cancer, as some have worried. In fact, for some women, soy consumption was tied to longer life.

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NPR News: WATCH: Raindrops Catapult Bacteria Into The Air, And It's Beautiful

WATCH: Raindrops Catapult Bacteria Into The Air, And It's Beautiful
They don't have wings, but bacteria sure can fly. Researchers at MIT say that tiny bubbles trapped by raindrops play a part in launching bacteria on long-distance flights.

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NPR News: WATCH: Raindrops Catapult Bacteria Into The Air, And It's Beautiful

WATCH: Raindrops Catapult Bacteria Into The Air, And It's Beautiful
They don't have wings, but bacteria sure can fly. Researchers at MIT say that tiny bubbles trapped by raindrops play a part in launching bacteria on long-distance flights.

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NPR News: Are Routine Pelvic Exams A Must? Evidence Is Lacking, Task Force Says

Are Routine Pelvic Exams A Must? Evidence Is Lacking, Task Force Says
There's not enough good evidence to make the call as to whether an annual pelvic exam is a good screening tool, The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says.

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NPR News: Are Routine Pelvic Exams A Must? Evidence Is Lacking, Task Force Says

Are Routine Pelvic Exams A Must? Evidence Is Lacking, Task Force Says
There's not enough good evidence to make the call as to whether an annual pelvic exam is a good screening tool, The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says.

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NPR News: Farmers Fight Environmental Regulations

Farmers Fight Environmental Regulations
Many of America's farmers are successfully fending off environmental regulation, from the Obama administration's Clean Water Rule to a lawsuit in Iowa that's aimed at reducing nitrates in rivers.

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Colorful Aurora over Iceland

You don't always see a scene this beautiful when you hike to an ancient volcano -- you have to be lucky. When the astrophotographer realized that aurora were visible two-weeks ago, he made a night-time run for the top of the caldera to see if he could capture them also reflected in the central lake. When he arrived, he found that ... the northern lights were even brighter and more impressive than before! And his image of them is the featured 13-frame panoramic mosaic. The crater lake in the center is called Kerid (Icelandic: Kerið) and is about 3,000 years old. The aurora overhead shows impressive colors and banding, with the red colors occurring higher in the Earth's atmosphere than the green. The background sky is filled with icons of the northern night including Polaris, the Pleiades star cluster, and the stars that compose the handle of the Big Dipper. via NASA http://ift.tt/2me9SbC

NPR News: Tribes & Traitors: What Happens When You Empathize with the Enemy?

Tribes & Traitors: What Happens When You Empathize with the Enemy?
This week on Hidden Brain, the stories of two men who showed empathy for the other side and found themselves labeled "enemy" by their own people.

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NPR News: Dakota Access Demonstrators Inspire New Pipeline Protests

Dakota Access Demonstrators Inspire New Pipeline Protests
Opponents lost their bid to stop the Dakota Access pipeline, but their effort has energized others. Pipeline protests are expanding across the country.

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NPR News: Reports Of Medical Breakthroughs Often Don't Prove Out

Reports Of Medical Breakthroughs Often Don't Prove Out
Medical breakthroughs that were covered by newspapers were often later disproved by more comprehensive research, a study finds. That's a problem for scientists and journalists.

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NPR News: Reports Of Medical Breakthroughs Often Don't Prove Out

Reports Of Medical Breakthroughs Often Don't Prove Out
Medical breakthroughs that were covered by newspapers were often later disproved by more comprehensive research, a study finds. That's a problem for scientists and journalists.

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NPR News: WATCH: Tracking Lightning Strikes, From Space

WATCH: Tracking Lightning Strikes, From Space
NOAA's new weather satellite is carrying the first lightning detector ever parked in orbit over Earth. It has sent back its first images of real-time lightning storms in the Western Hemisphere.

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NPR News: Feeling Lonely? Too Much Time On Social Media May Be Why

Feeling Lonely? Too Much Time On Social Media May Be Why
It's not clear whether spending a lot of time on Facebook, Snapchat or Instagram leads to social isolation, or whether the lonely seek solace in social media.

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NPR News: Feeling Lonely? Too Much Time On Social Media May Be Why

Feeling Lonely? Too Much Time On Social Media May Be Why
It's not clear whether spending a lot of time on Facebook, Snapchat or Instagram leads to social isolation, or whether the lonely seek solace in social media.

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NPR News: If You Get Bit By a Lyme-Infested Tick, Here Are 5 Tips

If You Get Bit By a Lyme-Infested Tick, Here Are 5 Tips
One scientist is predicting a risky year for tick-borne Lyme disease in the Northeast, and it's spreading. But don't panic. We've got tips.

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NPR News: Forbidding Forecast For Lyme Disease In The Northeast

Forbidding Forecast For Lyme Disease In The Northeast
Lyme disease is spreading, and this summer is shaping up as a whopper. Why has the tick-borne illness gotten so bad? The answer traces back to something the colonists did more than 200 years ago.

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The Mysterious Rings of Supernova 1987A

What's causing those odd rings in supernova 1987A? Thirty years ago, in 1987, the brightest supernova in recent history was seen in the Large Magellanic Cloud. At the center of the featured picture is an object central to the remains of the violent stellar explosion. Surrounding the center are curious outer rings appearing as a flattened figure 8. Although large telescopes including the Hubble Space Telescope monitor the curious rings every few years, their origin remains a mystery. Pictured here is a Hubble image of the SN1987A remnant taken in 2011. Speculation into the cause of the rings includes beamed jets emanating from an otherwise hidden neutron star left over from the supernova, and the interaction of the wind from the progenitor star with gas released before the explosion. via NASA http://ift.tt/2lLdI8Y

NPR News: Thomas Starzl, Trailblazer In Organ Transplantation, Dies At 90

Thomas Starzl, Trailblazer In Organ Transplantation, Dies At 90
The doctor, who performed the world's first liver transplant surgery in 1963, eventually earned the moniker "father of transplantation."

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NPR News: For The First Time In 146 Years Chicago Goes Without Snow During January And February

For The First Time In 146 Years Chicago Goes Without Snow During January And February
Tom Skilling, chief meteorologist for WGN-TV and The Chicago Tribune, talks about the Windy City's changing weather, specifically the record-breaking lack of snow this year.

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NPR News: Doctor Launches Vision Quest To Help Astronauts' Eyeballs

Doctor Launches Vision Quest To Help Astronauts' Eyeballs
Scientists are learning that some astronauts' eyes change shape after time in space, leading to vision problems. But a sleep sack being developed might offer relief.

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Sivan 2 to M31

From within the boundaries of the constellation Cassiopeia (left) to Andromeda (right), this telescopic mosaic spans over 10 degrees in planet Earth's skies. The celestial scene is constructed of panels that are part of a high-resolution astronomical survey of the Milky Way in hydrogen-alpha light. Processing the monochromatic image data has brought out the region's faintest structures, relatively unexplored filaments of hydrogen gas near the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy. Large but faint and also relatively unknown nebula Sivan 2 is at the upper left in the field. The nearby Andromeda Galaxy, M31, is at center right, while the faint, pervasive hydrogen nebulosities stretch towards M31 across the foreground in the wide field of view. The broad survey image demonstrates the intriguing faint hydrogen clouds recently imaged by astronomer Rogelio Bernal Andreo really are within the Milky Way, along the line-of-sight to the Andromeda Galaxy. via NASA http://ift.tt/2lC3Nm8

NPR News: A Dip In Global Prices Creates Cocoa Crisis For Ivory Coast's Farmers

A Dip In Global Prices Creates Cocoa Crisis For Ivory Coast's Farmers
Ivory coast is the world's largest cocoa producer. But a bumper crop combined with a fall in the global demand for chocolate and a dip in cocoa prices are hurting the country's cocoa farmers.

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NPR News: Rick Perry Looks To Bring Texas Approach To Energy Department

Rick Perry Looks To Bring Texas Approach To Energy Department
On Thursday, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry was sworn in as the energy secretary for the Trump administration. NPR looks ahead to a series of upcoming pieces examining Perry's role in expanding wind energy production in Texas.

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NPR News: Do Showers Make Oranges Taste Better? NPR Investigates

Do Showers Make Oranges Taste Better? NPR Investigates
The Internet is full of things, including a Reddit subgroup devoted to the act of eating an orange in the shower. We gave it a shot ourselves.

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NPR News: The Culprit In Rising Western U.S. Smog Levels: Asia

The Culprit In Rising Western U.S. Smog Levels: Asia
U.S. emissions of smog-forming pollutants have dropped, but smog levels in the western U.S. have increased each year. Now, researchers say, they've found out why — it's wafting from across the Pacific Ocean.

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NPR News: Patients Demand The 'Right To Try' Experimental Drugs, But Costs Can Be Steep

Patients Demand The 'Right To Try' Experimental Drugs, But Costs Can Be Steep
Terminally ill patients want easier access to candidate medicines still in the earliest stages of testing. While 33 states have passed laws to enable that, ethicists also warn of big risks.

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NPR News: Rise In Smog In Western U.S. Is Blamed On Asia's Air Pollution

Rise In Smog In Western U.S. Is Blamed On Asia's Air Pollution
By tripling their emission of pollutants, Asian countries have contributed as much as 65 percent of a rise in ozone levels in the western U.S., scientists say.

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@CleanStreamsDE: Spread the word! Great Schools Clean Streams 2017 will run from March 27 to April 20! @NCCDE

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NPR News: Rise Of The Robot Bees: Tiny Drones Turned Into Artificial Pollinators

Rise Of The Robot Bees: Tiny Drones Turned Into Artificial Pollinators
Honeybees are a critical part of agriculture, pollinating many of our favorite crops. But bee deaths are on the rise. In Japan, scientists are testing whether insect-sized drones can help do the job.

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NPR News: Rise Of The Robot Bees: Tiny Drones Turned Into Artificial Pollinators

Rise Of The Robot Bees: Tiny Drones Turned Into Artificial Pollinators
Honeybees are a critical part of agriculture, pollinating many of our favorite crops. But bee deaths are on the rise. In Japan, scientists are testing whether insect-sized drones can help do the job.

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Annular Eclipse After Sunrise

From northern Patagonia, morning skies were clear and blue on Sunday, February 26. This sweeping composite scene, overlooking Hermoso Valle, Facundo, Chubut, Argentina, follows the Sun after sunrise, capturing an annular solar eclipse. Created from a series of exposures at three minute intervals, it shows the year's first solar eclipse beginning well above the distant eastern horizon. An exposure close to mid-eclipse recorded the expected ring of fire, the silhouette of the New Moon only slightly too small to cover the bright Sun. At that location on planet Earth, the annular phase of the eclipse lasted a brief 45 seconds. via NASA http://ift.tt/2lwEkdM

NPR News: First Clouded Leopard Cub Born Using Cryopreserved Semen

First Clouded Leopard Cub Born Using Cryopreserved Semen
A statement from the Smithsonian National Zoo and the Nashville Zoo said Thursday that the accomplishment is "a giant step for global conservation efforts."

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NPR News: First Clouded Leopard Cub Born Using Cryopreserved Semen

First Clouded Leopard Cub Born Using Cryopreserved Semen
A statement from the Smithsonian National Zoo and the Nashville Zoo said Thursday that the accomplishment is "a giant step for global conservation efforts."

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NPR News: Rick Perry Sworn In As Energy Secretary

Rick Perry Sworn In As Energy Secretary
The former Texas governor was confirmed Thursday by a 62-37 vote in the Senate. While running for president in 2011, Perry pledged to eliminate the department, but he says he's changed his mind.

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NPR News: Old Penicillin Mold Auctioned For More Than $14,000

Old Penicillin Mold Auctioned For More Than $14,000
An auction house in London has sold a dish containing a sample of the original mold that made Penicillin for over $14,000.

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NPR News: Embryo Experiments On Human Development Raise Ethical Concerns

Embryo Experiments On Human Development Raise Ethical Concerns
Embryo-like entities are being created in a New York lab using human embryonic stem cells. Scientists hope to learn more about the earliest stages of human development without using actual embryos.

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

NASA will host a media teleconference at noon EST Monday, March 6, to discuss science investigations launching on the next Orbital ATK commercial resupply flight to the International Space Station.

March 02, 2017
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NASA Acting Administrator, U.S. Chamber of Commerce to Speak to Astronauts Aboard International Space Station

During an annual U.S. Chamber of Commerce conference in Washington, NASA acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot will moderate a discussion with NASA astronauts currently living and working aboard the International Space Station.

March 01, 2017
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NPR News: Someday Disposable Drones May Deliver A Payload, Then Vanish

Someday Disposable Drones May Deliver A Payload, Then Vanish
DARPA, the Pentagon's R&D agency, is working with partners to develop low-cost gliders that travel about 100 miles and disappear within hours. The vehicles could have humanitarian and military uses.

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NPR News: Embryo Experiments Reveal Earliest Human Development, But Stir Ethical Debate

Embryo Experiments Reveal Earliest Human Development, But Stir Ethical Debate
Researchers who study developing human embryos have long limited their experimentation to lab embryos that are no more than 14 days into development. Some scientists are now pushing that boundary.

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NPR News: New Research Looks At Ways To Help Stop Airbnb Racial Discrimination

New Research Looks At Ways To Help Stop Airbnb Racial Discrimination
Airbnb has come under fire in the last year following reports that hosts are less likely to rent to African-Americans compared to whites. New research looked at ways to address the discrimination.

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NPR News: Embryo Experiments Reveal Earliest Human Development, But Stir Ethical Debate

Embryo Experiments Reveal Earliest Human Development, But Stir Ethical Debate
Researchers who study developing human embryos have long limited their experimentation to lab embryos that are no more than 14 days into development. Some scientists are now pushing that boundary.

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NPR News: New Research Looks At Ways To Help Stop Airbnb Racial Discrimination

New Research Looks At Ways To Help Stop Airbnb Racial Discrimination
Airbnb has come under fire in the last year following reports that hosts are less likely to rent to African-Americans compared to whites. New research looked at ways to address the discrimination.

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NPR News: Sierra Snowpack Smacks California's Drought

Sierra Snowpack Smacks California's Drought
Despite one of the wettest winters on record, California Gov. Jerry Brown hasn't declared the five-year drought over yet. But the water shortages may to be over.

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NPR News: Birth Control Is Working Better – Or At Least, It's Failing Less

Birth Control Is Working Better – Or At Least, It's Failing Less
Failure rates for the most common forms of contraception are down, but it's not entirely clear whether it's due to education, availability, or other reasons.

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NPR News: This Tiny Patch Of Mold Cost One Lucky Buyer Nearly $15,000

This Tiny Patch Of Mold Cost One Lucky Buyer Nearly $15,000
On the mold market — which is a thing, apparently — this bit of green is a "holy relic": some of the mold that helped Alexander Fleming discover penicillin. And it sold for big bucks at auction.

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NPR News: Tiny Fossils Could Be Oldest Evidence Of Life On Earth

Tiny Fossils Could Be Oldest Evidence Of Life On Earth
Scientists say they've found the remains of tube- and string-like organisms in Canadian rocks that are at least 3.7 billion years old. But findings like these are always controversial.

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NPR News: Tiny Fossils Could Be Oldest Evidence Of Life On Earth

Tiny Fossils Could Be Oldest Evidence Of Life On Earth
Scientists say they've found the remains of tube- and string-like organisms in Canadian rocks that are at least 3.7 billion years old. But findings like these are always controversial.

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NPR News: Warmer Temperatures Signal Early Start To Spring Weather

Warmer Temperatures Signal Early Start To Spring Weather
Spring arrived early this year across much of the U.S. NPR's Audie Cornish talks to Jake Weltzin of the U.S. Geological Survey to find out how we know.

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NPR News: Heavy Rainfall Strains One Of California's Most Essential Reservoirs

Heavy Rainfall Strains One Of California's Most Essential Reservoirs
Snow surveyors are measuring the health of the snow pack in the high altitude Sierra Nevada. After years of drought, much of the state is now experiencing one of its wettest years on record.

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NASA Releases Software Catalog, Granting the Public Free Access to Technologies for Earthy Applications

NASA has released its 2017-2018 software catalog, which offers an extensive portfolio of software products for a wide variety of technical applications, all free of charge to the public, without any royalty or copyright fees.

March 01, 2017
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NPR News: Some See 'Flat-Fee Primary Care' As A GOP-Friendly Way To Provide Routine Care

Some See 'Flat-Fee Primary Care' As A GOP-Friendly Way To Provide Routine Care
In "direct primary care," a model favored by HHS Secretary Tom Price, patients pay a monthly fee to doctors for basic health care. But does that really provide better value?

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