Science

Stonehenge at dawn, December 2014, in Wiltshire, England.

Party Like It's 2,500 B.C.: Feasts At Stonehenge Were Epic Barbecues

8:21pm December 08, 2015

by Angus Chen

Researchers analyzing pottery fragments and bones at a neolithic settlement near Stonehenge believe roast pork and beef stew were likely main courses for people visiting the famous English monument.

A "speedball" mix of heroin and cocaine has caused overdose deaths for decades. Today, high-risk blends may alternatively include heroin or opioid pain pills plus Klonopin, Clonidine, or Fentanyl.

Drug Cocktails Fuel Massachusetts' Overdose Crisis

7:28pm December 08, 2015

by Martha Bebinger

A state analysis reveals that the majority of overdose deaths in 2014 came from heroin or prescription opioids taken in combination with cocaine, anti-anxiety medications or alcohol.

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While serving in Congress, Jay Dickey sponsored legislation that effectively restricts spending for research on firearms deaths.

Congress Still Limits Health Research On Gun Violence

6:48pm December 08, 2015

by Alison Kodjak

The wave of mass shootings in the U.S. is renewing a debate over treating gun violence as a public health issue. Congress has stood in the way of federal funding for studying injuries and deaths.

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Secretary Moniz Emphasizes 'Innovation Agenda' To Stop Climate Change

4:09pm December 08, 2015

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz about the U.N. climate summit in Paris.

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Young boys in Beijing check a smartphone in front of their home near a coal-fired power plant. As China's economy slowed in 2015, its industrial use of coal likely dropped, too, researchers say. That may be behind the slight drop in global CO2 emissions.

Small, Surprising Dip In World's Carbon Emissions Traced To China

3:46pm December 08, 2015

by Christopher Joyce

Climate scientists say global emissions of carbon dioxide seem to have dipped a bit in 2015, though the world economy is still growing. China's reduced use of coal may be the main reason.

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Science
Arts

How What Makes You Laugh (And Cringe) Reveals Your Hidden Biases

12:04am December 08, 2015

by NPR Staff

This week on Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam looks at what we find funny and what, well, crosses the line. Comedian Bill Burr joins us to talk about why race, gender and Caitlin Jenner can be so funny.

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Is This Congressman's 'Oversight' An Effort To Hobble Climate Science?

5:43pm December 07, 2015

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas is formally investigating a recent study on global warming. Smith calls the timing of the study's publication "suspicious," but many scientists call his tactics "bullying."

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Arthur Radebaugh imagined gigantic crops in his syndicated Sunday comic strip Closer Than We Think, which ran from 1958 until 1963.

Science
Arts

The Past Is Littered With Foods Of The Future

5:42pm December 07, 2015

by Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft

For as long as humans have eaten, they've entertained grand visions of the future of food. But the shiny objects of food futurism rarely pan out in the way the visionaries intended.

Las Cañadas is an ecological cooperative in Veracruz, Mexico that's working to sequester carbon and mitigate climate change while producing food, materials, chemicals and energy.

Carbon Farming Gets A Nod At Paris Climate Conference

1:33pm December 07, 2015

by Alastair Bland

Using farmland to capture carbon rather than release it into the atmosphere is called carbon farming. The idea is taking off and countries and institutions have endorsed a new agenda promoting it.

Sleepless Nights And Lighter Wallets: The Link Between Poverty And Sleep

11:25am December 06, 2015

by Nurith Aizenman

What if you could never get a good night's rest? Some low-income people around the world face that challenge. A team of researchers is investigating whether sleep deprivation keeps some in poverty.

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