Science

Science

A record shark migration, metalhead woodpeckers and how the brain understands 'not'

10:25pm June 03, 2024

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Regina Barber and Emily Kwong of Short Wave about shark migration, why woodpeckers are "metalheads," and how the brain interprets the word "not."

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Don't just blame rat fleas. Lice may have helped spread 'black death' plague

4:34pm June 03, 2024

by Ari Daniel

The mystery: How did bubonic plague spread so rapidly? Could rat fleas have done it all? A new study points the finger at lice as possible accomplices.

Listen to the yowling, ethereal sounds a Joshua tree can be made to make

3:15pm June 03, 2024

by Christopher Intagliata

Scientists have long studied how near-infrared light bounces off forests and grasslands, as a proxy for plant health. Now, an artist is using the same trick to turn the Joshua tree into an instrument.

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Science

$30 too much a month keeps a cancer patient in Georgia from cheaper care

2:25pm June 03, 2024

Georgia hasn’t expanded Medicaid. Some people suffer more than others because of that coverage gap.

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Step aside BMI, body composition tests are on the rise. Here's what to know

2:25pm June 03, 2024

by Allison Aubrey

If you dread getting on a scale to calculate your body mass index, there’s a good reason to ignore the measure. Body composition tests are an increasingly popular way to gauge health. Here’s why they're better than BMI.

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Later this year, the FDA plans to decide whether MDMA can be used to treat PTSD

Misconduct claims may derail MDMA psychedelic treatment for PTSD

3:01am June 03, 2024

People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may soon have a new treatment option: MDMA, the chemical found in ecstasy. In August, the Food and Drug Administration plans to decide whether MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD will be approved for market based on years of research. But serious allegations of research misconduct may derail the approval timeline.

NPR science reporter Will Stone talks to host Emily Kwong about the clinical trials on MDMA-assisted therapy research and a recent report questioning the validity of the results.

Read Will's full story here.

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Dr. David Morens Testifies Before The House Select Subcommittee On The Coronavirus Pandemic

As Republicans probe COVID’s origins, some see an attack on science; others say it’s long overdue

7:00am June 02, 2024

by Geoff Brumfiel

Hearings have turned up embarrassing emails and problems with grants, but evidence of a larger cover-up is lacking.

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Science

The launch of Boeing’s crewed Starliner space capsule is called off yet again

6:25pm June 01, 2024

by Geoff Brumfiel

The Boeing Starliner launch was halted with just minutes to spare. The mission to the International Space Station was to carry two NASA astronauts. Starliner has already faced years of delays.

Yellow-shafted Flicker, Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus

Science

'Chimney caps, vent pipes, gutters': Why some woodpeckers are major metal heads

5:30pm May 31, 2024

by Sacha Pfeiffer

When an NPR reporter heard a startling loud metallic noise in her house, she was about to get an interesting lesson in animal behavior.

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Science

Are auroras coming back?

3:58pm May 31, 2024

by Bill Chappell

The same solar region that brought an outburst of night-time beauty in early May is coming back around. But things have changed, a space weather expert tells NPR.