Science

Science

What A Brain Organoid Grown With Neanderthal DNA Tells Us About Modern Humans

5:10pm February 11, 2021

by Jon Hamilton

A brain organoid grown with Neanderthal DNA reveals how evolution shaped the brains of modern humans and adds to evidence that brain differences helped us survive while our human cousins went extinct.

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A nurse prepares syringes for a coronavirus vaccination drill in Kawasaki on Jan. 27.

Short On Special Syringes, Japan May Waste Millions Of Pfizer Vaccine Doses

11:36am February 11, 2021

by Anthony Kuhn

Japan had purchased doses to vaccinate 72 million people, but without the appropriate syringes, it will fall 12 million people short.

An artist's rendition of the conch of Marsoulas being played in a cave where it was found by researchers in the early 20th Century.

Why A Musician Breathed New Life Into a 17,000-Year-Old Conch Shell Horn

4:45pm February 10, 2021

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

A seashell found in a French cave appears to have been modified by prehistoric people so that it could be used like a trumpet, making it a new addition to the Stone Age orchestra.

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A model of a feathered Tyrannosaurus rex at the American Museum of Natural History in 2019 in New York City. All Things Considered is making amends for its lack of dinosaur coverage.

8-Year-Old Calls Out NPR For Lack Of Dinosaur Stories

7:23am February 10, 2021

by Mary Louise Kelly

How can All Things Considered consider all things without considering dinosaurs? That's the question posed by 8-year-old Leo Shidla of Minneapolis.

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A picture taken on July 19, 2020, shows a screen broadcasting the launch of the "Hope" Mars probe at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai. "Hope" — Al-Amal in Arabic — is expected to start orbiting Mars this week, marking the 50th anniversary

Science

Hope Heads For A Rendezvous With Mars

5:28pm February 08, 2021

by Joe Palca

The UAE probe arrives at Mars on Tuesday, Feb 9. Its purpose is to both study the weather on Mars as well as inspire the next generation of that country's scientists and engineers.

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SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk is funding a $100 million competition to find innovative ways to remove carbon from the air or water. He's seen here at an awards show last December.

Elon Musk Funds $100 Million XPrize For Pursuit Of New Carbon Removal Ideas

12:42pm February 08, 2021

by Bill Chappell

The goal, XPrize says, is to tackle "the biggest threat facing humanity — fighting climate change and rebalancing Earth's carbon cycle. "

For many families, one of the hardest things about this pandemic is not being able to see loved ones who live far away.

My Mother Got Vaccinated. Is It Now Safe To Visit?

11:42am February 08, 2021

by Jane Greenhalgh

I haven't seen my mother in over a year. I was going to visit in April to celebrate her 90th birthday but the pandemic put that on hold. Now that she's been vaccinated is it time for the birthday hug?

Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future, by Elizabeth Kolbert

'Under A White Sky' Examines What It Might Take For Humans To Continue To Exist

10:34am February 08, 2021

by Adam Frank

Elizabeth Kolbert makes clear how far we already are from a world of undisturbed, balanced nature — and how far we must go to find a new balance for the planet's future, one that still includes us.

COVID Cases Finally Are Falling. Experts Worry Variants Could Erase That Fast

8:01am February 06, 2021

by Rob Stein

The Biden administration must do more to identify and track three fast-spreading mutations of the COVID-19 virus, researchers say. Clearer CDC guidelines for masks and reopening would help too.

Africa's Hit Science Show For Kids Is Coming To The U.S.

10:48am February 05, 2021

by Amy Fallon

African TV execs say it's unlike any show for kids that's been produced and broadcast on the continent — especially with its focus on women presenters and scientists.