Science

Laura Spinney: What Does The 1918 Flu Teach Us About Our Response To Pandemics?

10:24am April 10, 2020

by NPR/TED Staff

A century after the 1918 flu, we see similar patterns in the ways we're responding to COVID-19. Laura Spinney reflects on the Spanish flu and how societies learn to move forward after pandemics.

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Anupam Jena: What Are Some Less Obvious Ways COVID-19 Could Change Our Lives?

9:43am April 10, 2020

by NPR/TED Staff

Anupam Jena has made a practice of looking at big data and natural experiments to ask questions others overlook. He describes how the COVID-19 pandemic could have several unexpected consequences.

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Heidi Larson: Why Is Trust In Vaccines Just As Important As Vaccines Themselves?

9:43am April 10, 2020

by NPR/TED Staff

In 2003, polio reemerged in twenty countries that had long been declared polio-free. Anthropologist Heidi Larson says to stop the spread of disease, we need to first build trust in vaccines.

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Daniel Streicker: What If We Could Stop A Virus At Its Animal Source?

9:43am April 10, 2020

by NPR/TED Staff

MERS, Ebola, and COVID-19—the viruses that cause these diseases likely have the same patient zero: bats. For researcher Daniel Streicker, the key to preventing an outbreak is the bats themselves.

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Close-up of modern flax cordage showing twisted fiber construction.

Science

The Oldest String Ever Found May Have Been Made By Neanderthals

9:29am April 10, 2020

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Bits of twisted plant fibers found on a stone tool show that Neanderthals used sophisticated yarns and cords. It pushes the date of the earliest-known fiber technology way back in time.

What Happened Today: Record Unemployment, Task Force Briefing News

9:24pm April 09, 2020

NPR economics and science correspondents answer questions about the staggering unemployment numbers announced Thursday, and convey the latest updates from Thursday's White House briefing.

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In self-isolation, facial hair is a growing trend.

Should You Shave Your 'Quarantine Beard'?

8:27pm April 09, 2020

An infectious disease specialist says there's no evidence that people with facial hair carry a higher risk of infection or transmission of the coronavirus, as long as they practice diligent hygiene.

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Science

Not So Angry Birds: The Ornithology-Inspired Board Game 'Wingspan'

7:33pm April 09, 2020

by Emily Kwong

Imagine a board game inspired by the natural lives of birds. That's the premise of Wingspan, an award-winning game designed by Elizabeth Hargrave. It's been lauded for its scientific accuracy.

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An ICU bed at a makeshift, temporary hospital in Manhattan's Central Park East. Throughout New York City, many doctors who usually do plastic surgery or treat children are learning how to monitor people who need to be on ventilators to breathe.

Improvisation And Retraining May Be Key To Saving Patients In New York's ICUs

3:11pm April 09, 2020

by Rebecca Hersher

Pulmonologists in New York hospitals are now supervising doctors from other specialties as they try to keep ICUs staffed, and are deploying equipment in new ways. But COVID-19 is a demoralizing foe.

What Happened Today: White House Briefing, More Social Distancing Specifics

9:25pm April 08, 2020

NPR politics and science correspondents answer questions about the latest efforts to end the coronavirus pandemic and how people can practice social distancing.

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