LA Rolls Out Water-Saving 'Shade Balls'
In an effort to meet EPA regulations, conserve water and prevent algae growth in the Los Angeles Reservoir, officials are using 96 million plastic balls to cover the water's surface.
Science
FDA Approves First Drug To Boost Women's Sexual Desire
The daily pill, called Addyi, modestly increased women's interest in sex in clinical tests. The approval was praised by some women's advocates as a milestone and condemned by others as irresponsible.
Scientists Develop App To Turn Smartphones Into Cosmic Ray Detectors
If scientists can convince people to use the app, they hope it will help them solve a cosmic mystery. This story originally aired on March 27, 2015 on All Things Considered.
To Decode Elephant Conversation, You Must Feel The Jungle Rumble
The trumpeting roar of an elephant is loud. But scientists living with herds in the forests of central Africa say the deep rumbles that humans can't hear, but can feel, carry crucial messages, too.
Does This Phylum Make Me Look Fat?
The relationship between the types of microbes in our gut and belly fat is turning out to be a lot more complicated than scientists first thought.
It Took A Musician's Ear To Decode The Complex Song In Whale Calls
Male humpback whales create "songs" together, scientists say. Katy Payne was the first to hear the shifts in pitch and pattern in the collective calls as complex music — haunting, evolving tunes.
Listening To Whale Migration Reveals A Sea Of Noise Pollution, Too
Christopher Clark, an engineer turned whale biologist, wired the world's oceans with hydrophones. Whales sing as they migrate, he learned. And the ship sounds clouding the ocean can deeply interfere.
Medicare Says Doctors Should Get Paid To Discuss End-Of-Life Issues
After a six-year delay, Medicare proposes to reimburse doctors who hold end-of-life discussions with Medicare patients. The federal program is now soliciting public comments on the idea.
EPA Announces New Regulations On Methane Emissions
The Environmental Protection Agency is aiming to cut methane emissions by 40 to 45 percent over the next 10 years. The new regulations are expected to regulate emissions from the oil and gas industry.
Can You Teach A Computer To 'Feel' Suspense?
Scientists want to make computers into better storytellers, but to do that they have to teach the machines a tricky element: suspense. Now researchers believe they've taken a big step forward.