Science

Prescription Drug Use Increased Over The Last Decade, Study Says

9:06am November 09, 2015

by Alison Kodjak

Americans are taking more prescription drugs than ever before. And many are taking five drugs or more a day. We examine a new report that has some surprising information about prescription drugs.

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Extravehicular crewmember 2 (EV2) Terry Virts is reflected in the helmet visor of EV1 Barry Wilmore during Extravehicular Activity 29 (EVA 29). Earth is in the background.

Science

What It's Really Like To 'Walk' In Space

9:57am November 08, 2015

by NPR Staff

The International Space Station conducted a spacewalk this week to mark 15 years in space. Three people who've walked in space share their miraculous — and miserable — experiences.

Freshly cooked Dungeness crab sits on a pot of boiling water at Nick's Lighthouse Restaurant in San Francisco, Nov. 5, 2015.

Why A Neurotoxin Is Closing Crab Season In California

9:39am November 07, 2015

by Lauren Sommer

State officials have closed recreational and commercial fishing for Dungeness and rock crab on the California coast, due to a large algae bloom that's making the crab unsafe for consumption.

Physical exercise, diet and supportive counseling are the first steps of any weight-loss program. But sometimes that's not enough to take large amounts of weight off, and keep it off, doctors say.

Surgery Helps Some Obese Teens In Battle To Get Fit

8:18pm November 06, 2015

by Patti Neighmond

Three years after bariatric surgery, more than 200 severely obese teens studied had dropped about a third of their weight and improved their metabolism, heart health and self-esteem.

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Environmentalists Cheer Keystone XL Pipeline Decision As 'Decisive Moment'

8:16pm November 06, 2015

NPR's Kelly McEvers interviews environmentalist Bill McKibben, who founded 350.org, about why he's celebrating Obama's veto of the Keystone XL pipeline, even though the next president can reverse it.

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Obama Rejects Plans To Build Keystone XL Pipeline

8:16pm November 06, 2015

by Scott Horsley

After seven years of study, the Obama administration has rejected plans for the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline. The move comes on the eve of an international climate summit.

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Science

W.Va. City Battles Rising Substance Abuse Among Middle-Aged Whites

6:38pm November 06, 2015

Huntington Mayor Steven Williams tells Renee Montagne they have been coping with many of the issues researchers say contribute to the reported increase in death rates for middle-aged white Americans.

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Human stem cells, in this case made from adult skin cells, can give rise to any sort of human cell. Some scientists would like to insert such cells into nonhuman, animal embryos, in hopes of one day growing human organs for transplantation.

Should Human Stem Cells Be Used To Make Partly Human Chimeras?

6:37pm November 06, 2015

by Rob Stein

The National Institutes of Health has issued a moratorium on funding work that puts human stem cells into nonhuman embryos. The concern is that hybrids might develop human brain cells, sperm or eggs.

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A vowel sound like "e" can still sound clear through the dense vegetation in Hawaii.

Did The Language You Speak Evolve Because Of The Heat?

5:27pm November 06, 2015

by Angus Chen

People speak very differently depending on where they live, and the climate and environment might have something to do with that. Crisp English consonants don't carry well in the rain forest.

Some Texans Puzzled By Keystone XL Pipeline Rejection

4:56pm November 06, 2015

by Mose Buchele

President Obama's rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline provoked cheers from environmental groups and a little bit of head scratching in the state of Texas.