Science

Rising sea levels threaten affordable housing

5:09pm January 09, 2022

by Sam Turken

Lots of low-income and public housing is threatened by rising seas. Losing those units will make the affordable housing crisis even worse, and put more people at risk of homelessness.

The role of tiny blood clots in long COVID

5:09pm January 09, 2022

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with scientist Resia Pretorius of Stellenbosch University in South Africa about the key role of microclots in the diagnosis and treatment of long Covid.

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Researchers were able to detect DNA from elephants at the Copenhagen Zoo simply by sampling the air nearby.

Scientists vacuum zoo animals' DNA out of the air

7:00am January 09, 2022

by Geoff Brumfiel

Researchers who detected that detecting environmental DNA, or eDNA, in two zoos say the technique could one day be used to look for endangered species in remote locations in the wild.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testifies at a Senate hearing. The agency has come under criticism for not holding regular briefings. This week, Walensky pledged to hold regular briefings moving forward.

CDC is criticized for failing to communicate, promises to do better

5:14pm January 08, 2022

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held only two telebriefings in 2021. That lack of transparency has prompted criticism — and a pledge from director Dr. Rochelle Walensky to be more open.

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Technicians lift the mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope using a crane at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., in April 2017. On Saturday, the telescope completed its final deployment in space.

Science

NASA's James Webb telescope completes its final unfolding in space

3:20pm January 08, 2022

by Deepa Shivaram

Considered the most powerful telescope in space, the James Webb telescope has completed its deployment process. It will still be five months before it will start picking up images.

This photo released by the the National Galapagos Park communications office shows lava from the eruption of Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, on Friday.

Tallest Galapagos volcano erupts, spewing lava and ash

2:54am January 08, 2022

by The Associated Press

Ecuador's Emergency Operations Committee said the eruption on Isabela Island didn't represent a risk to humans or to native local species.

A newborn lies in the maternity ward of the Lens hospital, northern France. A study of crying mice could help explain some building blocks of human infant cries and adult speech.

Science

What crying baby mice could teach us about human speech

6:09pm January 07, 2022

by Jon Hamilton

Scientists have found a cluster of rhythmic brain cells in newborn mice that may explain why spoken languages around the world share a common tempo.

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Science

Is your dog bilingual? A new study suggests their brains can tell languages apart

4:25pm January 07, 2022

When brain researcher Laura Cuaya moved from Mexico to Hungary, she wanted to know if her two dogs would recognize the change in language. So she devised an experiment.

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Ryan Phelan speaks at TEDMonterey on August 3, 2021. TEDMonterey: The Case for Optimism. August 1-4, 2021, Monterey, California. Photo: Bret Hartman / TED

Ryan Phelan: How gene technology can save species on the brink of extinction

9:27am January 07, 2022

What if we could rescue endangered species before they disappear? Biotech entrepreneur Ryan Phelan explores how genetic engineering tools can save species that would otherwise go extinct.

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Nabiha Saklayen speaks at TEDMonterey on August 2, 2021. TEDMonterey: The Case for Optimism. August 1-4, 2021, Monterey, California. Photo: Bret Hartman / TED

Nabiha Saklayen: Could lasers make stem cell therapy available to everyone?

9:26am January 07, 2022

Stem cells have long been heralded as a potential tool to treat illnesses. Nabiha Saklayen explains how it's still early, but scientists are getting closer to turning this vision into a reality.

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