Science

Indicted Ex-Oil CEO Aubrey McClendon Dies In Car Crash

4:27pm March 02, 2016

by Joe Wertz

Aubrey McClendon, one of the pioneers of the shale oil revolution in the U.S. died in a car crash Wednesday at age 56 years. McClendon was indicted Tuesday on charges he conspired to rig the bidding process on oil and gas leases in Oklahoma.

Our 'Golden Mole' Winner Used To Paint Wasps For A Living

2:00am March 02, 2016

by Adam Cole

NPR's Skunk Bear blog received 300 nominations for our Golden Mole Award for Accidental Brilliance. We have a winner: Elizabeth Tibbetts found her luck, and scientific insight, in tiny insect faces.

Queue Listen Now

In recent years, a pesticide called flubendiamide has been used on about 14 percent of the nation's almonds, peppers and watermelons. Now the FDA wants to revoke the chemical's conditional approval.

In An Unusual Move, The EPA Tries To Pull A Pesticide From Market

9:54pm March 01, 2016

by Dan Charles

The pesticide got "conditional" approval eight years ago, but the EPA now says it could poison aquatic life. The move is raising hope among activists who want tighter regulation of pesticides.

Science

How Does Gender Affect One's Willingness To Compete?

6:48pm March 01, 2016

by Shankar Vedantam

New research looks at how gender shapes competitions. Multiple strands of social science research suggest highly competitive settings are likely to dissuade qualified women from tossing their hats in the ring. NPR explores the consequences, the implications and also the causes for this disparity in the willingness to compete.

Queue Listen Now

Scott Kelly Reflects On His Year Off The Planet

6:40pm March 01, 2016

by Geoff Brumfiel

During his 340 days aboard the International Space Station, the astronaut documented his time there with hundreds of photos. Kelly says the perspective makes him feel like an environmentalist.

Queue Listen Now

Scott Kelly Reflects On His Year Off The Planet

6:11pm March 01, 2016

by Geoff Brumfiel

During his 340 days aboard the International Space Station, the astronaut documented his time there with hundreds of photos. Kelly says the perspective makes him feel like an environmentalist.

A bumblebee gathers pollen from a cherry blossom in a garden outside Moscow.

Is Nutritious Food In Peril, Along With Pollinators?

5:09pm March 01, 2016

by Dan Charles

A U.N.-sponsored report warns that disappearing pollinators, such as bees, could cut production of healthful foods like fruits and nuts. But the degree of damage is mostly a matter of speculation.

Noooo. But you can blame Mom and Dad for that gray hair, at least some of the time.

This Gene Could Turn Your Hair Gray

3:23pm March 01, 2016

by Nancy Shute

Is stress turning your hair gray? Your ancestors may have something to do with it, too. Scientists say they've found the first genetic variant associated with going gray.

As part of a wider effort to reduce waste and energy consumption, Hamburg, Germany, has become the world's first city to ban the use of coffee pods in government-run buildings, offices and institutions like schools and universities.

Why This German City Has Banned Coffee Pods In Government Buildings

3:06pm March 01, 2016

by Esme Nicholson

Hamburg officials say single-use pods waste resources and aren't always recyclable. The city is believed to be the world's first to oust the capsules from schools, offices and other institutions.

Dr. Jessie Gaeta, chief medical officer of Health Care for the Homeless at Boston Medical Center, stands in a conference room that will soon be converted to a place where patients high on heroin or other drugs can be safely monitored.

Boston's Heroin Users Will Soon Get A Safer Place To Be High

9:58am March 01, 2016

by Martha Bebinger

Set to open within a few weeks, the room will not be a place to inject drugs or get high, say health providers. Instead, a nurse will monitor heroin users as they come down from the drug's effects.

Queue Listen Now