Science

How A Lack Of Data On COVID-19 Vaccines Affects Pregnant People

4:18pm January 27, 2021

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Judette Louis, president of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, about the lack of data on how COVID-19 vaccines affect pregnant people.

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Mount Merapi, Indonesia's most active volcano, spews rocks and gas into Wednesday's morning sky.

Indonesia's Most Active Volcano Erupts

11:36am January 27, 2021

by Jaclyn Diaz

Indonesia, an archipelago of 270 million people, sits along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," which leaves the country prone to earthquakes, tsunamis and eruptions.

The simplest of sentences requires a complex set of the vocal "gymnastics" of the tongue and throat that relies on timing and gives rise to a sort of music that is human speech.

A Writer Lost His Singing Voice, Then Discovered The 'Gymnastics' Of Speech

7:00pm January 26, 2021

by Dave Davies

New Yorker writer John Colapinto developed a vocal polyp when he began "wailing" with a rock group without proper warmup. His new book explores the human voice's physicality, frailty and feats .

Vials of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are seen this week at the Covenant Place facility in Sumter, S.C.

The Biden Administration Is Working To Buy 200 Million More COVID-19 Vaccine Doses

6:21pm January 26, 2021

by Benjamin Swasey

The Biden administration says it plans to buy an additional 100 million doses from both Moderna and Pfizer and pledges greater transparency with state and local leaders about supply expectations.

A new variant of the coronavirus first discovered in Brazil was detected in Minneapolis, Minn. The variant is believed to be more transmissible and could possibly infect those who previously contracted the virus.

A New Coronavirus Variant From Brazil, Is Found In Minnesota

11:42pm January 25, 2021

by Dustin Jones

A Twin Cities resident contracted a new variant of the coronavirus after traveling to Brazil. The new strain is believed to be more transmissible.

One of the eight gorillas in the troop at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in California. Some of the gorillas contracted the coronavirus this month. One of the older gorillas received monoclonal antibody therapy as part of his treatment.

Gorilla Gets Monoclonal Antibody Therapy For COVID-19

8:26pm January 25, 2021

by Dustin Jones

An older silverback gorilla in Escondido, Calif., received an array of treatments after it and others in its troop contracted the coronavirus. The therapy came from a supply meant for nonhumans.

Pharmaceutical company Merck says it is shelving its two COVID-19 vaccine candidates, saying that the results of clinical trials fell short of its goals.

Merck Stops Developing Both Of Its COVID-19 Vaccine Candidates

10:21am January 25, 2021

by Bill Chappell

Merck, which previously made an Ebola vaccine, had been seen as a serious contender in the worldwide race to come up with an answer to the coronavirus.

According to a review published in 2018, nearly 75% of the drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the 21st century had no data associated with their use during pregnancy.

Protect Pregnant Women 'Through Research,' Not 'From Research,' OB-GYNs Urge

5:00am January 25, 2021

by Maggie Mertens

As COVID-19 vaccines roll out, doctors say it's long past time to address the exclusion of pregnant women from research on drugs and vaccines. They say better study design is the answer.

Science

How Does Catnip Make Cats High? New Study Offers Answers

3:45pm January 22, 2021

Cats act high when they're given catnip because, well, they are. Researchers say that catnip and another plant, silver vine, produce a chemical that activates their opioid reward systems.

Activists in New York City show their support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which took effect on Friday.

U.N. Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Takes Effect, Without The U.S. And Other Powers

1:43pm January 22, 2021

by Bill Chappell

"For the first time in history, nuclear weapons are going to be illegal in international law," says Elayne Whyte, who oversaw the treaty's creation.