Science

Dr. Pierre Chanoine administers a COVID-19 swab test on a person outside the Pinn Memorial Baptist Church in Philadelphia in April. The group Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium offers testing at various locations to help address heath disparities in Africa

'Racial Inequality May Be As Deadly As COVID-19,' Analysis Finds

5:48pm August 27, 2020

by Maria Godoy

A century of U.S. statistics finds mortality rates and life expectancy were much worse for Black Americans during pre-pandemic years than they have been for white people during the COVID-19 crisis.

The Pacific Ocean from space. In both liquid and frozen form, water covers most of the Earth's surface, and there's been a debate among scientists about where all the water originated.

Water, Water, Every Where — And Now Scientists Know Where It Came From

5:41pm August 27, 2020

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Some unusual meteorites suggest that Earth got its water at its start, rather than forming dry and being watered by comets later on.

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Where Did Earth's Water Come From?

4:19pm August 27, 2020

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Scientists have long debated whether the Earth's water was here when the planet formed or whether it arrived later. A study suggests much of the water originated in rocks from which Earth is built.

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn (left), Vice President Mike Pence, and Dr. Ella Grach, CEO of Wake Research, at the NC Biotechnology Center in July, where Phase 3 trials for a coronavirus vaccine candidate are underway.

COVID-19 Vaccine May Pit Science Against Politics

3:58pm August 27, 2020

by Joe Palca

New vaccines usually take years to get the approval of the Food and Drug Administration. But the Trump administration suggests the FDA may greenlight a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year.

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Hurricane Laura approaches the Gulf Coast of the U.S. on Wednesday. The storm rapidly intensified before it made landfall.

Hurricanes Like Laura Are More Likely Because Of Climate Change

11:52am August 27, 2020

by Rebecca Hersher

Hurricane Laura rapidly intensified before it made landfall. Abnormally hot water in the Gulf of Mexico helped it gain power.

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Why Many People Are Drawn To Conspiracy Theories

6:14pm August 26, 2020

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Eugenia Cheng, a British mathematician and a concert pianist, about why people are drawn to conspiracy theories and why it is hard for them to change their minds.

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Researchers Develop A Trap To Control Population Of Invasive Lionfish

5:39pm August 26, 2020

by Greg Allen

Invasive lionfish, native to the Indian Ocean, have had a big impact on reef ecosystems in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. A new inexpensive trap may help control these voracious predators.

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Floodwaters surround a newly constructed house for sale in Maine in 2018. Realtor.com added flood risk information to the more than 100 million listings on its site.

Major Real Estate Website Now Shows Flood Risk. Should They All?

11:02am August 26, 2020

Millions of home listings on Realtor.com now include information about climate change-driven flood risk. Other real estate sites are holding off.

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Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn drew a hailstorm of criticism from scientists this week for mischaracterizing a study's findings in a way that hyped the benefits of convalescent plasma. He later apologized, but critics say the damag

FDA's Hahn Apologizes For Overselling Plasma's Benefits As A COVID-19 Treatment

7:15pm August 25, 2020

by Richard Harris

The Food and Drug Administration's chief said Sunday the therapy reduces deaths among COVID-19 patients by 35%. On Monday he apologized, acknowledging that statistic greatly exaggerates any benefit.

Goode looks on as sourberry bushes burn. After the bushes are burned in the winter, they sprout again in the spring.

To Manage Wildfire, California Looks To What Tribes Have Known All Along

7:52pm August 24, 2020

by Lauren Sommer

Native American tribes are restoring traditional burning in California, which could help the state reduce the risk of extreme wildfires.