Science

Science Guy Bill Nye Debates Creationist Ken Ham

7:19am February 05, 2014

by Devin Katayama

Bill Nye, "The Science Guy," and Ken Ham "Answers in Genesis" squared off Tuesday night at the Creation Museum in Kentucky. The debate between the two men on the origins of the universe had been highly-anticipated.

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How Industrial Chemical Regulation Failed West Virginia

7:55pm January 29, 2014

For Charleston Gazette reporter Ken Ward, the recent chemical spill — and sometimes confusing information authorities have provided about the risks to citizens — reflect long-standing regulatory failures in the state. He says West Virginia has "basically ignored" recommendations for stricter oversight.

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The Chinese flag is seen in front of a view of the moon at Beijing's Tiananmen Square in December, when China's first moon rover touched the lunar surface. That feat was widely celebrated — but observers believe the rover has now run into serious troubl

China's Jade Rabbit Rover May Be Doomed On The Moon

6:55pm January 28, 2014

by Geoff Brumfiel

Chinese officials recently announced the rover was experiencing mechanical difficulties, and now observers believe its done for. But the thirst for more moon missions may be spreading in China.

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A boat skims through the melting ice in the Ilulissat fjord in August 2008, on the western coast of Greenland.

Entrepreneurs Looking For 'Windfall' Cash In On Climate Change

2:48pm January 28, 2014

A new book explores the ways melting Arctic ice yield new shipping channels, new oil and gas resources — and potential profits. Journalist McKenzie Funk delves into the "booming business of global warming" in Windfall.

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Al Jones of the West Virginia Department of General Services tests water as he flushes faucets and opens a rest room at the State Capitol in Charleston, W. Va., on Jan. 13, four days after a chemical spill into the Elk River. It wasn't until Jan. 21 that

Drinking Water Not Tested For Tens Of Thousands Of Chemicals

8:48pm January 24, 2014

by Elizabeth Shogren

The fact that a second contaminant in West Virginia's drinking water eluded detection for nearly two weeks — despite intense testing of the water — reveals an important truth about how companies test drinking water: In most cases, they only find the contaminants they're looking for.

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Science

Diversity of Species in North Carolina

11:43am January 24, 2014

by Shawn Fitzmaurice

North Carolina ranks among the top states in the country for biodiversity. That is, the amount of different living species within a given area. There are many reasons for this, and we're going to discover some of them from the ground up. Literally.

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Each year, 6 to 8 percent of the global population of sharks and rays gets caught, scientists say. The fish can't reproduce fast enough to keep pace

Ancient And Vulnerable: 25 Percent Of Sharks And Rays Risk Extinction

9:23am January 22, 2014

by Richard Harris

"People know about the global trade in shark fins, but few know that some of the most valuable fins ... used in shark fin soup come from the sharklike rays — species like sawfishes and wedgefishes and guitarfishes," says Sonja Fordham, who contributed to a new analysis of the fisheries.

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Tracks from NASA's Opportunity rover disappear toward the horizon on the Meridiani Plains of Mars. The rover has been on the planet since 2004.

Science

Mars Or Bust: Putting Humans On The Red Planet

6:42pm January 19, 2014

by NPR Staff

Some of the earliest science fiction imagined voyages to Mars. We now have the space-faring technology to make reaching the Red Planet possible. It would involve massive resources and many potential dangers, but some believe the rewards would be massive.

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Science

Body On A Chip

2:52pm January 17, 2014

by Shawn Fitzmaurice

Today we'll talk about printing body parts. I'm not talking about antics in the copy room. I mean bio-printing three dimensional human organs for medical research.

There are several types of 3D printers, but the generic model for this particular type involves a nozzle that squirts out a building material like an ink. Mounted in a frame, it moves side to side as well as up and down. This allows for travel to any point within the printer's range; “printing” material layer by layer. The result is an accurate translation of a digital computer file into a solid three dimensional object.

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A northern spotted owl in a Redwood forest.

To Save Threatened Owl, Another Species Is Shot

12:19pm January 17, 2014

by Elizabeth Shogren

The rare northern spotted owl species faces habitat loss and, now, intruding barred owls. A biologist, and the federal government, have made a difficult decision — killing one owl to ward off the extinction of another.

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