Science

People wait in line for Fiesta Mart to open after the store lost electricity in Austin, Texas on February 17, 2021.

How Giant Batteries Are Protecting The Most Vulnerable In Blackouts

12:55am March 09, 2021

by Lauren Sommer

Power outages are increasingly common, putting everything from clean drinking water to medical equipment at risk. Some communities are installing solar power and large batteries to protect themselves.

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Lady Mary Wortley Montagu learned of a way to stop smallpox from women in the Ottoman Empire in the early 18th century. Trying to persuade her country to do the same proved tricky.

A 300-Year-Old Tale Of One Woman's Quest To Stop A Deadly Virus

8:53pm March 08, 2021

by Geoff Brumfiel

In 1721, London was in the grips of a deadly smallpox epidemic. One woman learned how to stop it, but her solution sowed political division.

The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race, Walter Isaacson

Walter Isaacson's 'Code Breaker' Spotlights The Woman At The Forefront Of CRISPR

3:25pm March 08, 2021

by Jackie Northam

The gene-editing technology is at the center of an ethical debate. Isaacson examines it through the life of Jennifer Doudna, co-recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in chemistry for CRISPR's discovery.

Biochemist Jennifer Doudna, the subject of Walter Isaacson's new biography The Code Breaker, shared a Nobel prize in chemistry in 2020 for the part she played in developing the CRISPR gene editing technology.

CRISPR Scientist's Biography Explores Ethics Of Rewriting The Code Of Life

1:48pm March 08, 2021

by Terry Gross

The Code Breaker profiles Jennifer Doudna, a Nobel Prize-winning biochemist key to the development of CRISPR, and examines the technology's exciting possibilities and need for oversight.

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How The Pandemic Has Changed The Way We Communicate

9:31am March 07, 2021

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with Amelia Aldao, a clinical psychologist in New York City, about how the pandemic has impacted the ways we communicate with one another.

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A cuttlefish swims in an aquarium at the Scientific Center of Kuwait in 2016. Cuttlefish showed impressive self-control in an adaptation of the classic "marshmallow test."

Science

Why Cuttlefish Are Smarter Than We Thought

8:33am March 07, 2021

by James Doubek

Cuttlefish, the squishy sea creatures, showed impressive self-control in an experiment. It means they have something in common with primates.

Science

Scientists Observe First Ever 'Space Hurricane'

8:33am March 07, 2021

A storm of electrons created the first known "space hurricane" over the North Pole. Professor Mike Lockwood from the University of Reading in the U.K. talks about the newly-published findings.

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At work every day, Agnes Boisvert attends to ICU patients "gasping for air" and dying from COVID-19. But communicating that harsh reality to her skeptical community has been a challenge.

COMIC: How One COVID-19 Nurse Navigates Anti-Mask Sentiment

9:11am March 06, 2021

At work every day, Agnes Boisvert attends to ICU patients "gasping for air" and dying from COVID-19. But communicating that harsh reality to her skeptical community has been a challenge.

Disneyland, Anaheim, Calif., September 2020. California announced theme parks, sports arenas and stadiums will be allowed to open on April 1 if they meet health requirements at the county level.

California Set To Open Ballparks, Arenas And Theme Parks In April

9:52pm March 05, 2021

by Dustin Jones

Attendance for sporting events, live music and theme parks will vary at the county level based on COVID-19 infection rates. Only in-state residents will be allowed to attend.

In early September 2020, Seattle, Wash., had some of the worst air quality in the world because of wildfire smoke. The city was among the first to create smoke shelters for the most vulnerable.

Study Finds Wildfire Smoke More Harmful To Humans Than Pollution From Cars

5:05pm March 05, 2021

by Nathan Rott

In Southern California, pollutants from wildfire smoke caused up to a 10% increase in hospital admissions. Researchers say there's a need for better air monitoring and public health programs.