Science

Wastewater reveals which viruses are actually circulating and causing colds

6:43pm October 20, 2023

by Pien Huang

While COVID, flu and RSV remain the big three of respiratory illnesses in the U.S., researchers are getting a clearer picture of other circulating viruses with wastewater surveillance.

Queue Listen Now

People who consume higher amounts of red meat and processed meat are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than people who consume less, a new study finds.

Too much red meat is linked to a 50% increase in Type 2 diabetes risk

7:11pm October 19, 2023

by Allison Aubrey

A study finds people who eat more than one serving of red meat a day are at higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Processed meats, like bacon and hot dogs, were linked to an even higher risk.

Queue Listen Now

This week in science: How albatrosses navigate, fossilized ocean worms, meteor shower

4:28pm October 19, 2023

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Regina Barber and Aaron Scott of Short Wave about albatrosses' impressive navigational abilities, fossilized ocean worms and an upcoming meteor shower.

Middle school is a good time to encourage kids to embrace the benefits of bike riding, says Esther Walker of Outride, a nonprofit which promotes cycling at school.

Bike riding in middle school may boost mental health, study finds

7:54pm October 18, 2023

by Maria Godoy

Middle school can be a challenging time and it turns out bike riding may help. Researchers found students who took part in a 6 to 8 week cycling class reported having a more positive outlook on life.

Rivers of meltwater carve into the Greenland ice sheet. Melting at the ice sheet's surface can spur more melt, creating a dangerous feedback loop.

A new study points to a key window of opportunity to save Greenland's ice sheet

4:23pm October 18, 2023

by Alejandra Borunda

Even if the planet warms more than 2 degrees Celsius, the ice sheet can be protected if temperatures cool back down quickly enough.

A view shows an area of Al Ahli Arab Hospital where hundreds of Palestinians were killed in a blast. The blast area was relatively small but occurred in a courtyard packed with Palestinian civilians.

Here's the available evidence of what happened at Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza

3:18pm October 18, 2023

Videos and photos provide some clues, but much remains unknown about the horrific explosion at the site.

Hundreds of active oil wells sit in densely populated and mostly low-income neighborhoods in Los Angeles. A new report details why equity should be central to climate and energy policy in the U.S. to address historical practices.

Major U.S. science group lays out a path to smooth the energy transition

5:26pm October 17, 2023

by Alejandra Borunda

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine says putting equity at the center of climate and energy policy will help speed along necessary fossil fuel emission cuts

A Russian Yars ballistic missile mounted on a mobile launcher during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Red Square in 2018. Russia has refrained from testing its nuclear weapons since the 1990s.

Russia is scrapping its ratification of a key nuclear test ban. Here's what that means

4:43pm October 17, 2023

by Geoff Brumfiel

The world's major nuclear powers haven't tested a bomb this century, but experts worry that may be about to change.

Queue Listen Now

A Pepper X pepper is shown earlier this month in Fort Mill, S.C.

The new world's hottest pepper, Pepper X, is 3 times spicier than its predecessor

11:53am October 17, 2023

by Joe Hernandez

Ed Currie of PuckerButt Pepper Company in South Carolina said his team stabilized Pepper X about a decade ago, but only released it now because no one had been able to beat his previous record.

A 1992 analysis by Duke University and EPA researchers found that children in a home with a gas stove have about a 20% increased risk of developing respiratory illness. A 2022 analysis showed 12.7% of childhood asthma cases in the U.S. can be attributed to gas stove use in homes.

How gas utilities used tobacco tactics to avoid gas stove regulations

10:21am October 17, 2023

by Jeff Brady

Gas stoves emit potentially harmful pollutants, but utilities and their trade group avoided regulation with tactics perfected by the tobacco industry to cast doubt on science showing health problems.