How A Tilt Toward Safety Stopped A Scientist's Virus Research
The U.S. government has stopped some experiments with dangerous viruses, saying the risks need to be reconsidered. Key work in one scientist's lab has been halted.
Research News
Study Shows Long-Term Benefits Of Welfare Program
Data from the Mothers Pension Program, launched at the turn of the 20th century, finds benefits on education, income and longevity. It's the first to document benefits over the span of a century.
WATCH: The Robotic Baby Penguin That Spies For Scientists
The emperor penguins of Antarctica are adorable. They're also pretty skittish when humans come around to collect data. Researchers at the University of Strasbourg have a solution: a penguin rover.
Study: Detergent Pods Can Harm Children Who Play With Them
A study by an association of poison control centers warns that new laundry detergent pods pose a serious risk to kids who think they are candy.
How Boy Bits First Came To Be
Certain birth defects in male children are on the rise, and nobody knows why. Scientists say basic research into how external genitalia evolved in reptiles and rodents might offer a few clues.
Weekly Innovation: Harness Could Allow Dogs, Humans To Communicate
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a dog harness, equipped with speakers and vibrating motors, that could be used in search and rescue or to improve dog training.
How Much Is That MRI, Really? Massachusetts Shines A Light
A state law now requires insurers to reveal prices of their medical tests, and the variation is amazing, bargain hunters say. An MRI of the back is $614 at one place, $1,800 at another.
Why Your Brain Wants To Help One Child In Need — But Not Millions
Donations to fight Ebola are lower than expected. One psychologist thinks the reason may be the impact of hopelessness. A really big problem makes people less likely to give.
Researchers Tap Web Chatter To Figure Out Who's Sick
With the help of online data, doctors and public health officials are tracking the spread of illnesses and predicting where they might strike next. The analyses also provide clues for prevention.
Let's Clear This Up — In New York City, There's Only 1 Rat For Every 4 People
Audie Cornish speaks with Jonathan Auerbach, a PhD student in statistics at Columbia University who endeavored to get a better estimate of the New York City rat population.