Research News

NET Power has built carbon capture technology into its power plant outside Houston, which will generate electricity by burning natural gas. The demonstration project should be fully operational later this year, according to NET Power.

Natural Gas Plant Makes A Play For Coal's Market, Using 'Clean' Technology

5:52pm April 10, 2017

by Christopher Joyce

The idea behind "clean coal" is technology that would capture for reuse most of the carbon dioxide emitted by coal-burning power plants. Entrepreneurs aim to use similar tech to clean natural gas.

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A diver near Australia's Orpheus Island surveys bleached Great Barrier Reef coral in March 2017.

Great Barrier Reef Hit By Bleaching For The Second Year In A Row

12:20pm April 10, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

Scientists say severe bleaching events have happened three other times in the past 20 years — but never in consecutive years. They fear that prolonged stress could kill the corals.

Most new drugs don't work when tested in people. One of the big reasons is the use of animals in research.

Drugs That Work In Mice Often Fail When Tried In People

10:50am April 10, 2017

by Richard Harris

Most potential new drugs don't work when tested in people. It's a major disappointment and it drives up the cost of developing new drugs. One big reason is the use of animals in medical research.

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A new study looked at whether playing the game Tetris within six hours of a car crash helped patients deal with intrusive bad memories.

How Playing Tetris Tames The Trauma Of A Car Crash

5:00am April 09, 2017

by Bret Stetka

Researchers were able to dial down painful recollections of a car crash by having people play the video game Tetris while in the emergency room. The technique makes use of the malleability of memory.

Mitochondrial diseases can be passed from mothers to their children in DNA.

A Baby With 3 Genetic Parents Seems Healthy, But Questions Remain

5:00am April 08, 2017

by Jill Neimark

A baby who was conceived through an experimental procedure designed to prevent a deadly disease appears to be healthy. But some potentially defective DNA remains. Will it affect his health long term?

James E. Hansen at TED2012 in Long Beach, CA.

James Hansen: What Makes A Scientist Take A Stand?

8:59am April 07, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

When James Hansen spoke up about climate change in the 1980s, he risked the loss of his job and reputation. But, he says, it was worth it — because he could not be silent about something so important.

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In 2003, Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus, also known as mimivirus, was the first giant virus to be described. It's larger than many bacteria, and was found in a water sample from a hospital cooling tower in England.

In Giant Virus Genes, Hints About Their Mysterious Origin

7:07pm April 06, 2017

by Rae Ellen Bichell

They're the Godzillas of the virus world, pushing the limit of what is considered alive. Researchers are trying to figure out where they came from. (And no, they aren't known to make people sick.)

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A fisherman in the Gulf of Mexico. Catch share programs allot fishermen a portion of the catch in advance, in hopes of keeping them from racing each other to sea, sometimes in risky weather. These programs are controversial. They also work, a new study fi

The Race To Fish Slows Down. Why That's Good For Fish, Fishermen And Diners

1:17pm April 05, 2017

by Clare Leschin-Hoar

Catch shares allot fishermen a portion of the catch in advance, in hopes of keeping them from racing each other to sea, sometimes in risky climes. They're controversial. They also work, a study finds.

Researchers have found a set of six simple questions are a reliable way for doctors to screen for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults.

Do You Zone Out? Procrastinate? Might Be Adult ADHD

12:06pm April 05, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Six questions like "How often do you procrastinate?" can help doctors identify adults with ADHD, researchers say. They estimate that the disorder impairs daily functions for about 8 percent of adults.

Coalition forces fire a Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle during a training exercise in Afghanistan's Helmand province in 2013.

Do U.S. Troops Risk Brain Injury When They Fire Heavy Weapons?

8:11am April 05, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

Some modern shoulder-fired weapons produce blast waves powerful enough to rattle the brain. A $30 million study aims to help the military figure out how much blast exposure, over time, is too much.

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