Research News

Victoria Ruiz (left), a postdoctoral fellow in immunology, works with Brianna Delgado, a high school student that she mentors, at the Blaser Lab, inside NYU's Langone Medical Center in New York, NY.

Too Few University Jobs For America's Young Scientists

8:21pm September 30, 2014

by Richard Harris

So, you want to be a science professor? Good luck. Highly educated, relatively low-paid postdoctoral fellows may drive U.S. biomedical research, but they're training for jobs that don't exist.

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For Single Women, An 'Infinite Variety Of Paths'

1:46pm September 30, 2014

Getting married used to mark the start of a woman's adult life. But the average age women get married has gone from about 22 to about 27. The shift, says writer Rebecca Traister, has been profound.

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Science

Certain English Errors May Decipher Clues To Dying Languages

1:46pm September 30, 2014

by Shankar Vedantam

Linguists try to understand the nuances of languages, and how they relate to one another. A computer scientist says the English mistakes of non-native speakers can reveal something about languages.

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New York City police officers stand guard in Times Square earlier this month after a blog affiliated with the so-called Islamic State militants mentioned the area as a target for bombing.

For Police, A Debate Over Force, Cop Culture And Confrontation

5:00pm September 29, 2014

by Martin Kaste

When it comes to police using force, what is acceptable and when? And are police too aggressive? Cops say they're trying to survive, but reformers say aggressive cop culture is making things worse.

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This grocery store packet of porcini mushrooms contained a surprise: three species of fungi never before named or described.

Before You Take A Bite Of That Mushroom, Consider This

6:03pm September 26, 2014

by Alison Bruzek

Guess what scientists found lurking inside a common-looking packet of supermarket porcini? Three entirely new species of fungi. That's what happens when you sequence the DNA of your dinner.

After The NIH Funding 'Euphoria' Comes The 'Hangover'

11:02am September 26, 2014

by Richard Harris

The way the National Institutes of Health doles out research grants accentuates booms and busts in the financing of scientific research. More variety in the length of grants could help.

Biohazard suits used to handle dangerous microbes hang in a laboratory at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Fort Detrick, Md.

Research Institutions Will Have To Identify 'Dual-Use' Pathogens

4:53pm September 24, 2014

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Scientists are deeply divided on whether lab-made flu viruses are legitimate medical research or national security threats. A new federal policy asks institutions to evaluate those risks early on.

Why Some Federal Agencies Panic This Time Of Year

1:31pm September 24, 2014

by Shankar Vedantam

Analysis finds that federal agencies green-light projects in late September to fund them before the fiscal year expires. And quality suffers, compared with projects approved at other times of year.

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The French enjoy horse meat — here's a horse meat butcher in Paris. But even the French were angry that they had been paying beef prices for it last year.

Scientists Step Up Food Fraud Efforts Following Horse Meat Scandal

11:35am September 24, 2014

by Maanvi Singh

The latest report in response to the horse meat scandal of 2013 reminds us that the potential for fraud in the food supply is high. But scientists are working to predict and prevent the next incident.

No amount of training can undo the violence someone experienced at home as a child, but it can help break the cycle.

NFL Looks To Training To Prevent Domestic Violence By Players

9:14am September 24, 2014

by Laura Starecheski

It's not violence on the job that makes some pro football players beat their wives or children, psychologists say. It's often childhood experience, fanned by a culture that accepts such behavior.

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