Science

Researchers have detected water molecules in Clavius crater, in the moon's southern hemisphere. The large crater is visible from Earth.

Science

Water On The Moon: NASA Confirms Water Molecules On Our Neighbor's Sunny Surface

4:16pm October 26, 2020

by Bill Chappell

The breakthrough suggests that water, vital to life on Earth, could be distributed across more parts of the lunar surface than the ice that has previously been found in cold and dark places.

Miroslav Kummel passes off a wastewater sample from the tunnels under South Hall at Colorado College.

Colleges Turn To Wastewater Testing In An Effort To Flush Out The Coronavirus

11:54am October 26, 2020

by Elissa Nadworny

Wastewater offers an ideal testing opportunity for colleges: People often poop where they live; colleges know who lives in each dorm; and testing wastewater is a cheaper way to monitor virus spread.

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Science

U.S. Finds 1st 'Murder Hornet' Nest In Washington State

7:51am October 24, 2020

Entomologists in Washington State have located the first ever nest of the Asian giant hornet in the U.S. They tracked the "murder hornet" to its nest by attaching it with a miniature radio tracker.

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An artist's rendering shows NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft descending toward the asteroid Bennu to collect a sample of the asteroid's surface.

Science

A NASA Probe Is So Full of Asteroid Material That It Now Has A Problem

8:11pm October 23, 2020

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

A NASA spacecraft sent out to collect rocks from an asteroid seems to have nabbed a lot of material, but there's now an unexpected problem — a flap isn't closing because some rocks are stuck.

'Fresh Air' Reflects On The Psychedelic Movement

1:35pm October 23, 2020

by Terry Gross

We listen to a 1983 interview with psychologist Timothy Leary, a 1990 interview with spiritual leader Ram Dass and a 2018 interview with How to Change Your Mind author Michael Pollan.

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The remnants of Hurricane Sandy churn up Lake Michigan in Chicago in 2012. Flood risk in the city is increasing as climate change drives more extreme rain, and renters face greater financial peril than homeowners. More than half of Chicagoans are renters,

Most Tenants Get No Information About Flooding. It Can Cost Them Dearly

7:06pm October 22, 2020

by Rebecca Hersher

Most landlords are not required to disclose if a property is in a flood plain or has flooded before. That's a big problem in cities where climate change is driving more frequent and severe floods.

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Ishana Kumar, 12, a 7th grader from Chappaqua, N.Y., on Wednesday won a top science award for a project on perception of imaginary colors.

Education

Ishana Kumar, 12, Wins Top Award For Research Into 'Imaginary Colors'

3:39pm October 22, 2020

by Reena Advani

There is a winner in one of the country's biggest middle school science competitions: the Broadcom MASTERS. Ishana Kumar looked into how retinal fatigue may play a role in seeing "imaginary colors."

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Rural communities across the country, places largely spared during the early days of the pandemic, are now seeing spikes in infections and hospitalizations.

COVID-19 Surges In Rural Communities, Overwhelming Some Local Hospitals

12:31pm October 22, 2020

by Will Stone

As COVID-19 cases increase, many rural communities, places which were largely spared during the early months of the pandemic, are now contending with a spike in infections and hospitalizations.

A California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection airplane drops fire retardant along a burning hill during the Glass Fire in Calistoga, Calif., in September. California is one of two states to require wildfire risk be disclosed to new homebuyers.

Millions Of Homes Are At Risk Of Wildfires, But It's Rarely Disclosed

7:12pm October 21, 2020

by Lauren Sommer

Many homeowners who lost everything in a wildfire had no idea they were at risk. Only two states require disclosing wildfire risk to buyers in the house hunting process.

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Science

Study Of Diabolical Ironclad Beetle's Exoskeleton Could Help Improve Aircraft

5:52pm October 21, 2020

The diabolical ironclad beetle can withstand being run over by a car. Now scientists have figured out what makes its exoskeleton so tough — and that insight could help people build tougher aircraft.

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