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Study: Judges Treat Juveniles Of The Same Race As Themselves More Harshly

2:59pm June 01, 2016

by Shankar Vedantam

Researchers studying racial bias examined juvenile court cases between 1996 and 2012 and found judges are more likely to send juveniles of their own race to jail and for longer sentences.

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Food For Thought: The Subtle Forces That Affect Your Appetite

1:12pm May 31, 2016

by NPR Staff

What do large tables, large breakfasts and large servers have in common? They all affect how much you eat. This week on Hidden Brain, we look at the hidden forces that drive our diets.

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Lack Of Evidence Shows Sunscreens Are Safe For Humans With Normal Use

8:16am May 28, 2016

All summer long, parents will struggle with how to protect their children from the sun, and whether or not the protection itself is safe. Reporter Tara Haelle talks to NPR's Scott Simon.

Elderly women dance in a zumba dance during the global climate change awareness campaign Earth Hour at a park in Manila in 2015.

#NPRreads: 4 Reads To Keep You Young This Weekend

8:03am May 28, 2016

Correspondents, editors and producers from our newsroom share the pieces that have kept them reading, using the #NPRreads hashtag. Each weekend, we highlight some of the best stories.

"Danger, Will Robinson!" The danger-sensing abilities of the newly developed robot system far exceed those of the Robot in the classic TV series Lost in Space.

AI? More Like Aieeee!! For The First Time, A Robot Can Feel Pain

7:26pm May 27, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The German researchers say this will keep robots safer, because "pain is a system that protects us." Added bonus: They say the humans who work alongside them are likely to be safer, too.

A Pennsylvania woman developed a urinary tract infection cased by Escherichia coli bacteria that were found to be resistant to colistin, an antibiotic that is seen as the last line of defense.

Germ Resistant To Antibiotic Of Last Resort Appears In U.S.

6:11pm May 26, 2016

by Joe Neel

The germs caused a urinary tract infection in a Pennsylvania woman that was difficult to treat. The bacteria were resistant to the drug often used as the last-ditch treatment, but another one worked.

A sponge the size of a minivan, the largest on record, was found in summer 2015 during a deep-sea expedition in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument off Hawaii.

Deep Sea Explorers Discover A Sponge The Size Of A Minivan

4:51pm May 26, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The deep-sea researchers were surveying an ocean ridge near Hawaii. "Where did this guy come from? Holy cow!" said one researcher when he saw the huge sponge. They say it's the largest ever recorded.

Female Drosophila bifurca flies have an organ to store sperm (right) that male flies compete to fill, crowding out rivals.

For Female Fruit Flies, Mr. Right Has The Biggest Sperm

8:25pm May 25, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

It's not unusual for males to try to impress females with big body parts. Consider antlers on deer, or elaborate tails on peacocks. Some male fruit flies take a different approach: giant sperm.

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A view from the Shark Valley Visitors Center in Everglades National Park. Much of the freshwater that used to replenish South Florida's saw grass prairie has been diverted to agriculture, researchers say.

Rising Seas Push Too Much Salt Into The Florida Everglades

2:02pm May 25, 2016

by Christopher Joyce

Rising sea levels put extra pressure on coastal bedrock in South Florida. Eventually, as seawater moves in, it could contaminate plants on the surface and the region's stores of freshwater beneath.

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Science

Gig Economy Reduces Lower Quality Entrepreneurial Activity, Study Shows

3:45pm May 24, 2016

The gig economy might allow entrepreneurs more freedom to earn a living working hours that suit start-up activities, but it also discourages lower quality ventures — the type that fail on Kickstarter.

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