Animals

Cross-Country Runner Hit By Deer Mid-Race

9:29am November 20, 2016

Justin DeLuzio was running a cross-country race when he was knocked off his feet by a deer. He talks to NPR's Rachel Martin about how he finished the race, and doesn't hold a grudge against deer.

Young human brains need loads of stimulation to learn and grow, pediatricians have long known. But a mouse study shows overstimulation also rewires the brain in ways that can interfere with learning.

Heavy Screen Time Rewires Young Brains, For Better And Worse

8:12am November 19, 2016

by Jon Hamilton

Bombarding young mice with video and audio stimulation changes the way the brain develops. But some scientists think those sorts of brain changes could protect kids from stressing out in a busy world.

Pandas From Atlanta Zoo Have Trouble Adjusting To Chinese Ways

7:30am November 18, 2016

First, there's a language barrier. Apparently the pandas don't react to commands given in Chinese. Then there's food issues. Anything they eat or drink must be mixed with American biscuits.

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The skin of the golden poison dart frog, Phyllobates terribilis, secretes a deadly poison that might lead to a better understanding of how to treat malfunctions of the human nervous system.

Chemists Re-Create Deadly Frog Poison In The Lab

6:28pm November 17, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

The toxin comes from tiny frogs in Colombia — the ones that pack a punch on the tip of poison darts. In the past, research on toxins like this has led to some pretty amazing drug discoveries.

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A gray jay sits on the tips of skis in 2006 in Avon, Colo.

World News

Canada Is Agonizing About Choosing A National Bird

3:56pm November 17, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The humble, hardy gray jay is poised to become a national symbol, but that's definitely controversial among fans of the Canada goose and the common loon. Also the snowy owl and black-capped chickadee.

The mantis shrimp has "hexnocular vision" (as opposed to our binocular vision), thanks to its three "pseudopupils" in each eye.

WATCH: Mantis Shrimp's Incredible Eyesight Yields Clues For Detecting Cancer

4:10pm November 15, 2016

by Elliott Kennerson

Cancer cells, it turns out, reflect light in a particular, polarized way that mantis shrimp can see. A tiny camera based on the shrimp's eye might help doctors better visualize tumors during surgery.

Female Panther Crosses Florida River; Humans Applaud

3:05pm November 15, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

The endangered Florida panther has bred only south of the Caloosahatchee River since 1973. Now, a female has turned up on the north side, and it could be a good thing for the future of the species.

Social Media Outcry Helps To Get Stolen Cat Statue Returned

11:40am November 15, 2016

In Istanbul, a cat was known for sitting on a stoop, reclining backward as if nothing was wrong. When the cat died in August, it was memorialized with a statue. The stolen memento was brought back.

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Is Birdfeeding Just, Well, For The Birds?

8:42am November 12, 2016

What do birds like to chow down on anyway? And what to do with pesky squirrels? NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Talkin' Birds host Ray Brown about birdfeeding.

Chinese Construction Workers Set Off Dynamite And Uncover 'New' Dinosaur Species

4:13pm November 11, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Workmen building a high school in southern China were blasting through bedrock – and when the dust settled, they found they had uncovered a well-preserved dinosaur skeleton.