Science

Capers Blades "singles on a half shell" oysters grown by farmer Dave Belanger (aka Clammer Dave) in Capers Inlet, S.C.

Why The Southeast Could Become The Napa Valley Of Oysters

1:58pm January 27, 2016

by Jill Neimark

Oysters from the Pacific Northwest have long been the most coveted for their sweet, mild flavor. But they now have more competition from Southeast oysters cultivated from Virginia down to Florida.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson Gets Into A Rap Battle With B.o.B Over Flat Earth Theory

8:34pm January 26, 2016

by Laura Wagner

The famed astrophysicist got into a Twitter spat with the rapper, which then turned into a bona fide rap battle.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Health advise against eating any fish from the Lower Passaic because it may be contaminated with toxic chemicals. But Owaldo Avad says he's been catching and consuming fish like these

New Jersey River Polluters Fund Toxic Fish Swap — But There's A Snag

7:10pm January 26, 2016

by Sarah Gonzalez

Passaic River polluters are telling local fishermen to trade contaminated catch for healthy tilapia. But there's no disposal plan for the toxic fish, and residents don't want them to be incinerated.

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Marvin Minsky, Who Pioneered Artificial Intelligence Research, Dies At 88

6:47pm January 26, 2016

NPR's Robert Siegel speaks to Ray Kurzweil, the inventor and futurist, and founder of Kurzweil Technologies, Inc., about Marvin Minsky. Minsky, who was a founding father of artificial intelligence, has died at the age of 88.

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The Doomsday Clock stayed fixed at three minutes to midnight — the closest it has been to midnight since 1984.

Doomsday Clock Stays At 3 Minutes To Midnight

3:52pm January 26, 2016

by Laura Wagner

Despite the progress represented by the Iran nuclear deal, rising tensions between the U.S. and Russia, North Korea's nuclear tests and other conflicts mean the world is still close to catastrophe.

Journal editors want researchers to unlock the data vault.

Journal Editors To Researchers: Show Everyone Your Clinical Data

3:19pm January 26, 2016

by Harlan Krumholz

The world's leading medical journals have a proposal that could transform medical science: Researchers would have to publicly share their clinical data to get their studies published.

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Eyewitness testimony can be unreliable. But some such accounts are better than others, research shows. Can jurors be taught to tell the difference?

A Judge's Guidance Makes Jurors Suspicious Of Any Eyewitness

2:30pm January 26, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

A 2012 New Jersey law was meant to help juries discern factors that make eyewitness testimony strong versus weak. But research suggests a judge's instructions make jurors discount all such testimony.

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Loose-leaf green tea of the modern variety. Archaeologists have discovered ancient tea in the tomb of a Chinese emperor who died in 141 B.C. It's the oldest known physical evidence of tea. But scientists aren't sure if the emperor was drinking tea as we k

Science

World's Oldest Tea Discovered In An Ancient Chinese Emperor's Tomb

2:14pm January 26, 2016

by Jeremy Cherfas

Archaeologists found the 2,100-year-old tea leaves in the tomb of a Han dynasty emperor, suggesting tea was highly valued. But was the emperor drinking tea as we do, or using it as medicine?

Nyumah (left) and Sahr, just a few days after the dramatic bonﬁre ceremony that restored their friendship.

Fambul Tok: Forgiveness And 'Family Talk' In Sierra Leone

1:20am January 26, 2016

by NPR Staff

Following 11 years of brutal civil war, perpetrators and victims are forging peace around bonfires across Sierra Leone.

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A pharmacist counts pain pills. In an effort to curb the abuse of Oxycontin, Vicodin and other opioid painkillers, some health plans in Massachusetts now limit a patient's initial prescription to a 15-day supply, and plan to halve that number in February.

Insurers Hire Social Workers To Tackle The Opioid Epidemic

6:33pm January 25, 2016

by Deborah Becker

Some health plans in Massachusetts are putting tighter limits on painkiller prescriptions. Others are hiring their own social workers to help customers who struggle with opioid abuse quit for good.

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