Science

Two chimps groom each other at the Save the Chimps facility in Florida. The National Institutes of Health owns about 360 chimpanzees that aren't yet retired and that are living at research facilities; new guidelines say most of its chimps should be retire

Rules Would Retire Most Research Chimps

3:56pm January 23, 2013

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

An NIH working group recommends that most of the agency's 360 research chimpanzees be sent to a sanctuary — a non-laboratory setting where chimps can live more natural lives. But even if the NIH accepts the recommendations, putting them into effect won't be easy.

Queue Listen Now

"We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations," President Obama said Monday during his second inaugural address.

In Second Inaugural, Obama Makes Climate A Priority

8:48pm January 22, 2013

by Elizabeth Shogren

President Obama pulled out a surprise in his inaugural address. After barely mentioning climate change in his campaign, he put it on his short list of priorities for his second term. Experts believe he'll use the EPA to ramp up efforts to reduce greenhouse gases from power plants.

Queue Listen Now

Explorers Reflect On 125 Years Of National Geographic

2:18pm January 22, 2013

January 2013 marks the 125th birthday of the National Geographic Society. Over the decades, the magazine has transported readers to faraway places, introduced the world to new species and provided a window into a world of exploration and discovery.

Queue Listen Now

A group of volunteers is helping biologists see whether there are any martens left in the Olympic National Forest in Washington state.

To Catch A Marten: Seeking Clues In Olympic National Forest

9:01am January 22, 2013

by Ashley Ahearn

Scientists are worried about the elusive members of the weasel family that live in parts of Olympic National Forest in Washington state. To see whether martens are endangered, volunteers are installing remote camera traps to take photos of the animals.

Queue Listen Now

Harvest wheat from a field near Wright, Kan. May 10, 2004.

Former Anti-GMO Activist Says Science Changed His Mind

5:29pm January 20, 2013

by NPR Staff

For years, British environmental activist Mark Lynas vandalized genetically modified food crops. Then, he had a change of heart. He went in front of the world to reverse his position, telling the anti-GMO lobby to "get out of the way and let the rest of us get on with feeding the world sustainably."

Queue Listen Now

Hannah and Marty eat watermelon snacks at the Save the Chimps sanctuary.

Science

Figuring How To Pay For (Chimp) Retirement

10:06pm January 18, 2013

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The National Institutes of Health owns or supports almost 700 chimps. But the question of where they go when no longer needed for research is a thorny one: NIH money to support retired chimps in sanctuaries has been limited by Congress.

Queue Listen Now

Science

Inventors Design Lamp Powered Entirely By Gravity

1:03pm January 18, 2013

As part of a research initiative on how to harness off-grid energy for low-power electronics, a pair of U.K.-based designers created a lamp that uses gravity to generate light. Martin Riddiford, co-inventor of the GravityLight, talks about plans for the innovative project.

Queue Listen Now

Dementia Takes The Stage In 'The Other Place'

1:03pm January 18, 2013

In the Broadway play The Other Place actress Laurie Metcalf ("Jackie" on the TV show "Roseanne") plays a scientist suffering from the dementia she studies. Playwright Sharr White discusses the play and the challenge of presenting complicated science on a theater stage.

Queue Listen Now

Science
Arts

Edward Tufte Wants You to See Better

1:03pm January 18, 2013

Data scientist Edward Tufte (dubbed the "Galileo of graphics" by BusinessWeek) pioneered the field of data visualization. Tufte discusses what he calls "forever knowledge," and his latest projects: sculpting Richard Feynman's diagrams, and helping people "see without words."

Queue Listen Now

Researchers in Massachusetts and Wisconsin are comparing modern flower blooming data with notes made by Henry David Thoreau and Aldo Leopold. The sight of irises blooming during a Boston winter helped spur the research.

Understanding Climate Change, With Help From Thoreau

12:35pm January 18, 2013

by Elizabeth Shogren

Some of the most beloved nature writers of all time, Henry David Thoreau and Aldo Leopold, are helping scientists learn how global warming will affect spring. Using historical records, the scientists are able to predict when flowers will bloom during especially hot years.

Queue Listen Now