Research News

The three winners of the 2014 Nobel Prize for chemistry: Americans Eric Betzig and William Moerner, and German scientist Stefan Hell.

Scientists Share Chemistry Nobel For Breakthrough In Microscopy

8:18am October 08, 2014

by Scott Neuman

Two Americans and a German get the prestigious prize for pushing back the limits of what was long thought of as an insurmountable barrier to viewing individual molecules.

Science

Dolphins: Adorable, Playful, Not As Smart As You Might Think

9:27am October 07, 2014

by NPR Staff

Dolphins are often considered the geniuses of the ocean. But some researchers have begun to challenge that notion, saying many mammals have similar skills and dolphins might not be that special.

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Study: Voice-Command Systems Contribute To Distracted Driving

9:26am October 07, 2014

Carmakers would like you to think that voice-command systems keep you focused on the road. Recent research indicates that voice commands, like Siri, more than likely cause distracted driving.

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3 Win Nobel In Physics For New Light Source

7:33am October 07, 2014

by Geoff Brumfiel

Scientists — 2 from Japan and 1 from the U.S. — have won the Nobel Prize in physics for the invention of blue light-emitting diodes — a new energy efficient and environment-friendly light source.

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Is That A Lark I Hear? A Nightingale? Surprise! It's A Bat

2:19pm October 06, 2014

by Robert Krulwich

There are animals famous for their songs. Whales sing. Birds sing. We humans have Aretha, Elvis, Ray Charles, Pavarotti. But bats — who knew?

Science

'Inner GPS' Discovery Wins Nobel Prize In Medicine

12:32pm October 06, 2014

by Rob Stein

U.S.-British scientist John O'Keefe and Norwegian husband and wife Edvard Moser and May-Britt Moser have won for discoveries of cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain.

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A First: Uterus Transplant Gives Parents A Healthy Baby

1:34pm October 04, 2014

by Bill Chappell

The new mother, 36, had been born without a uterus, so another woman, 61, donated her womb several years after she had gone through menopause.

Science

Study: Standing Desks Are More Beneficial To Students

7:36am October 03, 2014

Old school teachers used to punish students by making them stand at their desks. Now, researchers are prescribing it for every student in the school.

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In one study, people who were in a buffet line served themselves a lot more of an unhealthful pasta dish if they were next to or behind a person perceived to be overweight.

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Your Fellow Diners' Size May Affect How Much You Eat

4:20pm October 02, 2014

by Alison Bruzek

In one study, people who ate near a heavier dining companion served themselves lots more food. Researchers say a fellow diner's weight is just one of many subconscious cues influencing what we eat.

Melbourne visitors and residents took to the waters of Australia's St. Kilda Beach in January 2013 to escape a fierce heat wave.

When Can A Big Storm Or Drought Be Blamed On Climate Change?

8:52pm October 01, 2014

by Christopher Joyce

Scientists wince when people blame every big tropical cyclone, heat wave or drought on a shifting climate. But now some are trying to figure out just what the evidence for such a link would be.

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