Science

West Hansen's role is to inform people of the government benefits and services they can access, including the coronavirus vaccine. But many of his clients distrust the needle.

The number of Americans who say they won't get a COVID shot hasn't budged in a year

4:37pm May 16, 2022

by John Burnett

Politics, religion, distrust and disinformation all play a role. "I've realized that there's no convincing somebody once they have their mind made up," says a social worker in Beaumont, Texas.

Wildfires are causing billions in damage every year and yet many homebuyers have little idea whether their house is at risk.

Is your house at risk of a wildfire? This online tool could tell you

3:32pm May 16, 2022

by Lauren Sommer

Many people move without realizing the danger that wildfires pose to their new home. A new risk rating system could help buyers learn more on real estate sites.

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Sarah Peper, Missouri Department of Conservation Fisheries Management Biologist, downloads fish tracking data on the Mississippi River in West Alton, Mo.

Science

Missouri scientists work to save lake sturgeon by electronically tracking them

2:58pm May 16, 2022

by Shahla Farzan

With a decreasing population of lake sturgeon, nine states have listed the species as endangered. To protect them, scientists are studying where lake sturgeon travel before and after they reproduce.

With Roe v. Wade primed to be overruled, people seeking abortions could soon face new barriers in many states. Researcher Diana Greene Foster documented what happens when someone is denied an abortion in The Turnaway Study.

A landmark study tracks the lasting effect of having an abortion — or being denied one

12:35pm May 15, 2022

The Turnaway Study followed nearly 1,000 women who sought abortions, interviewing them regularly for years to understand the impact on their mental and financial wellbeing.

Researchers Robert Ferl and Anna-Lisa Paul.

Scientists successfully grow plants in soil from the moon

9:25am May 14, 2022

by Rina Torchinsky

The study makes use of lunar soil samples collected from Apollo 11, 12 and 17.

4 high school students talk mental health and how the pandemic changed them

5:37am May 14, 2022

by Anya Steinberg

After two years of isolation and uncertainty, many American teens are struggling with mental health problems. But they're also discovering themselves — and their own resilience.

Solar and wind power projects have been booming in California, like the Pine Tree Wind Farm and Solar Power Plant in the Tehachapi Mountains, but that doesn't mean fossil fuels are fading away quickly.

California just ran on 100% renewable energy, but fossil fuels aren't fading away yet

11:35am May 13, 2022

by Lauren Sommer

California broke its record for renewable energy when solar and wind provided enough to meet all consumer demand. At the time, natural gas power plants were still on, a necessity for the grid.

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A mural of Elon Musk in downtown Brownsville by Alexander Gonzalez-Hernandez.

Housing costs skyrocket as SpaceX expands in Texas city

11:34am May 13, 2022

by Gaige Davila | TPR

SpaceX plans to launch rockets near Brownsville, Texas, and send the first person to Mars from there. Seven years after breaking ground, residents say the only thing skyrocketing is housing prices.

Science

In thimble-sized pots, researchers wanted to see if the moon could grow food

6:28am May 13, 2022

Decades ago, Apollo astronauts gathered hundreds of pounds of lunar rocks and dirt. Last year, NASA loaned scientists at the University of Florida some of the soil, and they sprouted seedlings.

The 1st image of the supermassive black hole at our galactic center

4:43pm May 12, 2022

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The first ever image of the black hole at the center of our galaxy has been released by scientists, who say it shows Albert Einstein was right about gravity.