Science

Researchers from Columbia University and Rutgers University found roughly 240,000 detectable plastic fragments in a typical liter of bottled water.

Researchers find a massive number of plastic particles in bottled water

11:58am January 10, 2024

by James Doubek

Researchers found roughly 240,000 detectable plastic fragments in a typical liter of bottled water. Most of them were nanoplastics — particles less than 1 micrometer in size.

The James H. Miller Jr. Electric Generating Plant in Adamsville, Alabama is a coal-fired facility. In 2023 U.S. greenhouse gas emissions declined 1.9% because less of the country's electricity came from plants like this one.

U.S. cut climate pollution in 2023, but not fast enough to limit global warming

5:00am January 10, 2024

by Jeff Brady

Climate-warming greenhouse gasses in the U.S. declined 1.9% last year, but that's only a third of what's needed to meet Paris climate change goals.

One common stumbling block to sticking with a New Year's resolution is setting an unrealistic goal.

Don't let your resolutions wash away. Tips to turn a slow start into progress

1:29pm January 08, 2024

by Allison Aubrey

If you made a New Year's resolution but are struggling to get started or are already wavering, you may need to refine your goal and nail down a plan to get there. Try this evidence-based approach.

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This photograph taken on December 27, 2023, shows the last full moon of the year, also known as the "Cold Moon," behind New Year's decorations in Skopje, the capital of the Republic of Macedonia.

Navajo Nation objects to a plan to send human remains to the moon

9:28am January 08, 2024

by Joe Hernandez

A CEO of one of the companies offering "memorial spaceflights" says his customers view it as "an appropriate celebration" of their loved ones.

Science

January's full moon is known as the wolf moon. Do wolves really howl at a full moon?

5:07am January 08, 2024

The Old Farmer's Almanac says the moon got the nickname because wolves were likely heard howling in mid-winter. Wolf experts say the pack may be howling during full moons for other reasons.

Five U.S. cities which imposed taxes on sugary drinks saw prices rise and sales fall by 33%, according to a new study.

Cities with soda taxes saw sales of sugary drinks fall as prices rose, study finds

10:32am January 06, 2024

by Maria Godoy

Soda taxes are meant to discourage people from drinking too much sugar, which is linked to a host of bad health outcomes. Cities that imposed the taxes saw a 33% decrease in the sale of sugary drinks.

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Monarch butterflies' migration patterns are changing. Scientists want you to help

8:07am January 06, 2024

by Sofi Gratas

Researchers in the South want people to report Monarch butterfly sightings this winter as more butterflies seem to skip the long migration to breeding grounds in Mexico.

The images taken by Voyager 2 when it passed Neptune in 1989 were originally processed to better reveal its distinctive features, but as a result they made the planet look too blue.

Science

Don't look so blue, Neptune: Now astronomers know this planet's true color

4:05pm January 05, 2024

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Neptune has long been depicted as a deeper, darker blue than its fellow ice giant Uranus, but a new study shows that both are a similar shade of light greenish blue.

Global wishes for 2024: Pay for family leave. Empower Black men. Respect rural voices

12:25pm January 04, 2024

by NPR Staff

We asked leaders in global health and development to share their wishes for the new year. Here's what they hope will happen in the year ahead. And readers, we'd like to hear from you.

People who use hearing aids to restore hearing have a 24% lower risk of death, compared to people who don't use hearing aids, a new study finds.

Hearing aids may boost longevity, study finds. But only if used regularly

5:00am January 04, 2024

by Allison Aubrey

Roughly 40 million adults in the U.S. have hearing loss, but most don't use hearing aids. This increases the risk of social isolation, physical and cognitive decline and may lead to premature death.