Science

Warehouse workers often labor in extremely hot conditions in California, as do many others whose workplaces are indoors. The state has been considering new rules protecting them when temperatures soar to dangerous levels, but political headwinds have left the rules in limbo.

California wants to protect indoor workers from heat. That goal is now in limbo

10:46am March 23, 2024

by Alejandra Borunda

The state was on the cusp of making new rules to protect people who work in places like warehouses from dangerous heat. A last-minute shake-up leaves workers wondering if they'll be safe come summer.

Science

Over 4,400 preserved human brains have been discovered across the world, study finds

10:41am March 23, 2024

by Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Oxford University scientist Alexandra Morton-Hayward about how some brains are preserved thousands of years after a person's death.

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The Catholic Church officially opposes in vitro fertilization, yet many Catholics don't view IVF as morally wrong.

Despite church prohibitions, Catholics still choose IVF to have children

6:02pm March 22, 2024

by Jason DeRose

Religions hold a variety of views toward IVF. Catholicism has one of the strongest negative judgments against the practice. Yet many in the church still use the procedure in order to have children.

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Science

Remembering Frans de Waal, who studied empathy and emotion in primates

5:40pm March 22, 2024

The primatologist Frans de Waal, who explored empathy and emotion in bonobos and chimps, died last week at 75. His colleague Sarah Brosnan remembers his legacy as both a scientist and friend.

This week in science: whale menopause, bird rest stops and a speech-generating patch

6:12pm March 21, 2024

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Emily Kwong and Margaret Cirino about whale menopause, songbird rest stops along migratory routes, and a device that allows people with voice disorders to speak.

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What the collapse of salmon populations means for one Alaska family

7:42pm March 20, 2024

by Kavitha George

For Alaska Native communities along the Yukon River, fishing for salmon has always been a central part of life. But climate change is driving a massive collapse in salmon populations.

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A young, genetically modified pig raised at a Revivicor farm for organ transplantation research.

How genetically modified pigs could end the shortage of organs for transplants

1:15pm March 20, 2024

by Rob Stein

Scientists are optimistic that gene-edited animals could provide a new source of organs for transplantation. Pig organs modified to minimize rejection are now being tested in humans.

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Bats have a seven-octave vocal range. Researchers say, to make their low-frequency calls, bats use the same trick as throat singers and death metal growlers.

Death metal singers have a vocal counterpart ... in bats

10:47am March 20, 2024

by Mia Venkat

Bats and death metal singers have more in common than a love of the dark. A new study has found that some of bats' lower frequency calls appear to use a technique similar to death metal growling.

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The U.S. ranks higher in the world happiness report when it comes to people aged 60 and older.

U.S. drops in new global happiness ranking. One age group bucks the trend

8:45am March 20, 2024

by Allison Aubrey

A new happiness report finds sharp declines in well-being among adolescents and young adults in the U.S. But the picture is better for people aged 60 and older, marking a striking generational divide.

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A cicada perches on a picnic table in front of Nolde Mansion in Cumru Township, PA in May 2021. New research shows that these insects urinate in a surprising way.

Science

Scientists studied how cicadas pee. Their insights could shed light on fluid dynamics

5:01am March 20, 2024

by Ari Daniel

Cicadas, and the way they urinate, offer a 'perfect' lab for understanding fluid dynamics at very small scales, researchers say

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