Science

Nations Agree To Deal To Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions

7:16am December 15, 2014

by Christopher Joyce

In Lima, Peru, almost all of the world's governments agreed on a document meant to galvanize efforts to curb climate change. While the outcome was modest, it did establish some important principles.

Queue Listen Now

A crab pot full of snow crabs, fished out of the Bering Sea.

Why The White House Wants To Go After Seafood Pirates

10:02pm December 14, 2014

by Christopher Joyce

Americans eat more seafood than just about anyone, but a big portion of imports are caught illegally. One expert calls this "the single greatest threat to sustainable fisheries in the world today."

Queue Listen Now

Manuel Pulgar-Vidal (center), Peru's environment minister, applauds on Saturday after delegates to the Lima climate conference agreed on a deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Nations Salvage Deal To Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions

3:07pm December 14, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The deal is the first-ever to require all nations to reduce emissions, but it doesn't include a mechanism to monitor compliance.

Farmers raise millions of goats, but little has been known about whether their ruminants are happy. Now we know better.

Science

How Can You Tell If Your Goat Is Happy? Now We Know!

2:28pm December 14, 2014

by Marc Silver

Farmers raise millions of goats. But little has been known about how to tell if a goat is doing OK — until now. A new study reveals the signs of a happy ruminant.

The Geminid meteor shower above Skopje, Macedonia, on Saturday.

Geminid Meteor Showers Light Up Both Hemispheres

11:24am December 14, 2014

by L. Carol Ritchie

Pieces of gravel and dust from a "rock comet" called 3200 Phaethon are still shooting across the sky, dazzling the Earthlings below.

Science

Scents Of The Season Speak Directly To Our Emotions

2:21pm December 13, 2014

Peppermint, evergreen, latkes on the griddle — all are signature smells of Christmas. NPR's Scott Simon talks with Mandy Aftel, author of Fragrant, about why we react so strongly to scents.

Queue Listen Now

Science

Electric Eels Jolt Their Prey By Remote Control

2:21pm December 13, 2014

The electric eel creates its own electricity, sure, but Vanderbilt University professor Ken Catania tells NPR's Scott Simon what's shocking is how the eel uses it to remotely control prey.

Queue Listen Now

Science

Geminids Promise A Light Show In The Night Sky

12:52pm December 13, 2014

The best and most easily-watched meteor shower of the year is happening this weekend. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Jackie Faherty, an astronomer at the Carnegie Institution for Science.

Queue Listen Now

Science

Are Men Idiots Who Do Stupid Things? Study Says Yes

6:25pm December 12, 2014

by Krishnadev Calamur

It looked at winners of the Darwin Awards, given to people who die in such an idiotic manner their action ensures the species' long-term survival. Nearly 90 percent of the winners were male.

Broccoflower was originally grown in Holland and hit the U.S. market in 1989. It's remained a relatively specialty item since then, but culinary experts say it may soon become more widely available.

Science

Kalettes, Broccoflower And Other Eye-Popping Vegetables For 2015

6:22pm December 12, 2014

by Alison Bruzek

Kale's days as the superfood-du-jour may be numbered. Next up: Kalettes? It's a cross between kale and Brussels sprouts, and it's one of a few bewitching hybrid vegetables that could go big in 2015.