Science

Scallop fishermen discard their bycatch near Montauk, N.Y. These waters are some of the most productive fishing grounds on the Eastern Seaboard.

Fishermen Fear Damage From Wind Farms Along The Eastern Seaboard

11:19am December 04, 2017

by Jon Kalish

Will thousands of giant turbines and underwater cables in the Atlantic disrupt the commercial fishing industry? The answer is not yet clear, and studies on the farms' possible impact are underway.

Science

The Call-In: DNA Testing

8:08am December 03, 2017

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro asks listener Maria Colon what about DNA testing kits interests her and then turns to The Gene author Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee for more information.

Science

Encore: Blue Light And Sleep

8:08am December 03, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

Lots of phone and tablet apps promise to improve sleep by filtering the blue light from device screens. But that won't help if you're not getting enough shuteye because of caffeine or stress.

Science

The Many Eyes Of Scallops

8:08am December 03, 2017

Scientists have discovered that the sea scallop has an incredibly complicated eyesight system.

Brazilian 76-year-old farmer Jose Pascual walks through a devastated area in Paracatu de Baixo village on October 2016, one year after a mine waste flood destroyed the town. The village was ruined in 2015 by a flood following the collapse of Brazilian min

U.N. Body Alarmed Over Mining Waste Disasters

7:00am December 02, 2017

by Jose Olivares

A report by the United Nations Environmental Programme offers recommendations to stop the failure of dams holding mine waste. Will governments and industry leaders sign on?

Researchers point to a number of causes for dwindling farmworkers: tighter border controls; higher prices charged by smugglers; well-paying construction jobs and a growing middle-class in Mexico that doesn't want to pick vegetables for Americans.

Health Risks To Farmworkers Increase As Workforce Ages

5:13pm December 01, 2017

by Sarah Varney

As the number of immigrants available for farm work has dwindled in California, many who are left are older, and suffer from health problems related to decades of difficult labor.

Soybean plants, with pods ready for harvest, in Boonsboro, Maryland.

Science

The Soybean Is King, Yet Remains Invisible

4:53pm December 01, 2017

by Dan Charles

For the first time in history, soybeans are about to become America's most widely grown crop. Yet compared to corn or wheat, they remain curiously invisible in American culture.

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Complexity Of Touring With Rosewood Instruments May Soon Be Eased

4:41pm December 01, 2017

by Robert Benincasa

Complex regulations around the material, including a confusing permit process for musicians, may be much easier to navigate after a meeting today in Geneva.

Rats have been a persistent problem for cities around the world.

The Genetic Divide Between NYC's Uptown And Downtown Rats

12:36pm December 01, 2017

Fordham University graduate student Matthew Combs studies the DNA of New York City's rats. He found that rats living uptown are genetically distinct from rats living downtown.

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Grad students are the heart of America's science future, says professor Adam Frank.

A Tax That Would Hurt Science's Most Valuable — And Vulnerable

10:41am December 01, 2017

by Adam Frank

Grad students are the engines of America's scientific and technological prowess — with an amazing return on investment, says professor Adam Frank.