Science

Why Climate Change Threats Don't Trigger An Immediate Response From Human Brains

5:12pm December 12, 2019

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert about why the human brain doesn't respond to threats posed by climate change as quickly or proactively as seems warranted.

Queue Listen Now

The scene found in Indonesia shows, among other things, hunters confronting a wild buffalo with ropes and spears.

Science
Arts

44,000-Year-Old Indonesian Cave Painting Is Rewriting The History Of Art

6:31pm December 11, 2019

by Merrit Kennedy

In a cave in Indonesia, archaeologists have uncovered a stunning ancient painting of a hunting party that is thousands of years older than similar works found in Europe.

Queue Listen Now

Salamao Mausse stands inside the dome of a radar station that stopped running in 2012. He still cleans it every few days, just in case it's ever repaired.

Meteorologists Can't Keep Up With Climate Change In Mozambique

2:23pm December 11, 2019

by Rebecca Hersher

As world leaders gather for a climate summit in Madrid, some of the countries most vulnerable to climate change say they need improved forecasting tools.

Queue Listen Now

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was named Time magazine's person of the year for showing "what it might look like when a new generation leads." She's seen here at the COP25 Climate Conference in Madrid on Wednesday.

Greta Thunberg Is The 'Time' Person Of The Year For 2019

11:36am December 11, 2019

by Bill Chappell

She burst onto the world stage after organizing school strikes and protests to call attention to the climate crisis. The Swedish activist, 16, is the youngest person to earn the title.

Nearly 30 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, planes still lag behind many buses and trains. Regulations prohibit passengers from sitting in their own wheelchairs on commercial flights.

Wheelchairs On Planes: Why Can't Passengers Use Their Own Onboard?

7:06pm December 10, 2019

by Michael Schulson

Many buses and vans can safely accommodate and restrain a passenger's wheelchair, but airline passengers are required to transfer to the plane's standard seat. A grassroots group hopes to change that.

Science

Gene Therapy May Aid In Sickle Cell Disease Treatment

6:57am December 10, 2019

by Rob Stein

Scientists report progress using gene therapy to treat sickle cell disease, a common and devastating genetic blood disorder.

Queue Listen Now

Smoke billows from White Island after a volcanic eruption on Monday. Officials say some people remain unaccounted for and it remains too dangerous for emergency services to access the island.

At Least 5 Dead After Volcano Erupts Off New Zealand's Coast

7:27pm December 09, 2019

by Brakkton Booker

Fewer than 50 people are believed to have been on or near White Island. Officials say some are still unaccounted for and it remains too dangerous for emergency services to access the island.

Science

Cookies In Space, For Science

8:03am December 08, 2019

by Emily Kwong

A delicious experiment is set to take place in space. Astronauts will bake cookies on the International Space Station as part of a long line of food innovations fueling space travel.

Queue Listen Now

Biologists pile recently dead mussel shells on the edge of the Clinch River after documenting the species' number and type. The smell can get "real bad," says biologist Rose Agbalog.

Nature's 'Brita Filter' Is Dying And Nobody Knows Why

2:27pm December 06, 2019

by Nathan Rott

A mysterious die-off of freshwater mussels has scientists scrambling to find a cause. Freshwater mussels clean water and provide habitat to countless other species.

Queue Listen Now

Activists demonstrated against virginity tests in New Delhi in 2009.

Why Virginity Tests Are Making News — In The U.S. And Afghanistan

1:33pm December 06, 2019

by Malaka Gharib

When the rapper T.I. said he has his teenage daughter undergo an annual virginity test, protests arose in the U.S. In fact, the virginity test is a global issue.