Science

The image of Pope Francis ended up on these slices of toast thanks to a special toaster with metal stencillike inserts. But in most cases where people report seeing faces in their food, their brain is behind the illusion.

See The Pope On A Slice Of Toast? It's Perfectly Normal, Really

7:03am September 26, 2015

by Juan Vidal

From Jesus on a fish stick to the Virgin Mary on a grilled cheese, lots of people report seeing the faces of religious figures in their food. It turns out, our brains may be wired to work this way.

Some 15 percent of the seafood that's wasted in the U.S. is lost en route from sea to consumer, often because it spoils or is discarded as scraps.

We Leave Half Of All Our Seafood On The Table (And In The Trash)

7:55pm September 25, 2015

by Alastair Bland

Each year American consumers buy and then never eat 1.3 billion pounds of fish and shellfish, according to a new study. Fishermen, retailers and processors waste a lot of fish, too.

Science

An Accurate "Log-ing" of Time

7:30pm September 25, 2015

by Shawn Fitzmaurice

SciWorks Radio is a production of 88.5 WFDD and SciWorks, the Science Center and Environmental Park of Forsyth County, located in Winston-Salem. Follow Shawn on Twitter @SCIFitz.

Scientists use many tools to put a date on events of the past. A geologist can use relative dating, comparing rock layer ages against one another. Archeologists may use carbon 14 for an absolute date. Climatologists can access over a million years of climate data using ice cores. If you want to know when a historical log cabin in the mountains was built, you use dendrochronology.

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An Oct. 8, 2014, photo shows the blood moon, created by the full moon passing into the shadow of Earth during a total lunar eclipse, as seen from Monterey Park, Calif. Sky-watchers will get a chance to see another

Sunday's Lunar Eclipse Has Got It All

5:06pm September 25, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The total lunar eclipse, visible in the U.S. Sunday night, is the first since 1982 that's also a supermoon as well as a blood moon.

#NPRreads: Lying About Sept. 11, And California's Drought-Stricken Levees

3:39pm September 25, 2015

by Kirk Siegler

Also this week: What Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath teach us about the true nature of America.

Michael Doucleff Sr. (right) talks to a longtime customer at Duke Bakery in Alton, Ill.

Could Delaying Retirement Be Great For Your Health?

3:34pm September 25, 2015

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Scientists have found that working in one's 60s and 70s is associated with better physical and mental health. Even part-time work may be enough to reap the benefits.

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Tough Words From Pope Francis: 8 Great Quotes From His U.N. Speech

2:28pm September 25, 2015

by Jason Beaubien

When it comes to global health and development, the pontiff made it plain as day: We are all to blame for earth's problems.

In Campaign To Prevent Ebola, A Vaccine For Apes Could Save Humans, Too

2:19pm September 25, 2015

After the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, University of Cambridge researcher Peter Walsh has been developing an Ebola vaccine for wild apes, hoping to stop transmission of the deadly virus to humans.

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U.N. Dreams Big: 17 Huge New Goals To Build A Better World

2:14pm September 25, 2015

by Jason Beaubien

And there are just 15 years to accomplish them. Here's a rundown of the 17 aims, which include ending poverty, hunger and AIDS, fixing the environment and giving everyone access to green space.

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Science

Sunday's Lunar Eclipse Has Got It All

2:04pm September 25, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The total lunar eclipse, visible in the U.S. Sunday night, is the first since 1982 that's also a supermoon as well as a blood moon.