Science

A baby turtle is released into the ocean in Bali, Indonesia, Tuesday, June 9, 2020, part of a campaign to save the endangered Lekang sea turtles. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

The World Lost Two-Thirds Of Its Wildlife In 50 Years. We Are to Blame

5:13pm September 10, 2020

by Nathan Rott

Human activities are causing an "unprecedented" and alarming decline in wildlife populations around the world, a new report warns. It says the staggering loss ultimately threatens human life as well.

There are divides when it comes to who is doing well financially and who is struggling during this pandemic, a new poll finds.

Pandemic Financially Imperils Nearly Half Of American Households, Poll Finds

1:03pm September 10, 2020

by Yuki Noguchi

There are dividing lines when it comes to how families are weathering the pandemic: Those living in big cities, those making less than $100,000 a year, and Latino and Black families are faring worst.

China may have landed a new space plane on Sept. 6 at this secretive air base, located in China in the desert near an old nuclear testing ground.

New Chinese Space Plane Landed At Mysterious Air Base, Evidence Suggests

6:39pm September 09, 2020

by Geoff Brumfiel

The mission took place this past weekend, shrouded in secrecy, but some clues are emerging about what China sent into space, and why.

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Romanesco broccoli, as seen by a 3.2 billion pixel camera. Scientists chose to take a picture of the broccoli because of its fractal shape.

Science

California Scientists Build A Camera To Take Pictures Of Huge Swath Of Sky

7:54am September 09, 2020

by Joe Palca

Scientists and engineers in California are building a unique 3.2 billion pixel camera for a telescope under construction in Chile. The camera has taken its first test pictures — of broccoli.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Paused, Due To Illness In One Volunteer

9:43pm September 08, 2020

by Joe Palca

A large study of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate has been put on hold after one of the volunteers became ill.

The mouse on the right has been engineered to have four times the muscle mass of a normal lab mouse. A drug to achieve the same effect was recently tested in space.

Drug That Bulked Up Mice In Space Might Someday Help Astronauts Make Long Voyages

3:50pm September 08, 2020

by Jon Hamilton

An experiment involving some "mighty mice" on the International Space Station could someday help astronauts maintain muscle and bone strength on interplanetary journeys.

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An STS-125 crew member onboard the space shuttle Atlantis snaps a still photo of the Hubble Space Telescope following grapple of the giant observatory by the shuttle.

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The Hubble Space Telescope Still Works Great — Except When It Doesn't

1:39pm September 08, 2020

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

None of us is perfect, and sometimes the Hubble Space Telescope just flat-out points to the wrong spot in the sky. This has been happening more than ever in the last couple of years.

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A recent survey found 62% of people in the U.S. with anorexia experienced a worsening of symptoms after the pandemic hit. And nearly a third of Americans with binge-eating disorder, which is far more common, reported an increase in episodes.

Eating Disorders Thrive In Anxious Times, And Pose A Lethal Threat

10:06am September 08, 2020

by Yuki Noguchi

Eating disorders strike nearly 1 in 10 Americans, with the second-highest death rate of all psychiatric disorders. The pandemic's food insecurity, stockpiling and stress are triggering flare-ups.

Science

Researchers Find A Drug That Could Allow Astronauts Spend Years In Space

4:46pm September 07, 2020

by Jon Hamilton

An experimental drug let mice spend a month in the International Space Station's near-zero gravity without losing mass. It could help people spend years in space without major health consequences.

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Researchers Say Fresh Air Can Prevent Aerosol Transmission Of The Coronavirus

4:27pm September 07, 2020

by Pien Huang

There's increasing evidence that the coronavirus can linger and spread through the air in crowded indoor rooms. Researchers say infectious clouds can be dispersed with fresh air.