Science

A map shows earthquake faults in part of Southern California. Scientists using hundreds of graphics processors found that the region experienced 1.81 million temblors over a decade-long span — 10 times more than what had previously been detected.

Science

Tiny Earthquakes Happen Every Few Minutes In Southern California, Study Finds

5:00pm April 18, 2019

by Rebecca Hersher

A new catalog of Southern California earthquakes is 10 times larger than its predecessor list. The details of frequent, small quakes help scientists study what triggers large, destructive ones.

David Vetter, pictured in September 1982 inside part of the bubble environment that was his protective home until he died in 1984. Today most kids born with severe combined immunodeficiency are successfully treated with bone marrow transplants, but resear

Gene Therapy Advances To Better Treat 'Bubble Boy' Disease

9:59pm April 17, 2019

by Richard Harris

The latest advance is not only encouraging news for patients with severe combined immunodeficiency. It's a test case for all those scientists working to develop better gene therapy techniques.

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The image on the left shows the brains of pigs that were untreated for 10 hours after death, with neurons appearing as green, astrocytes as red and cell nuclei as blue. The image on the right shows cells in the same area of brains that, four hours after d

Scientists Restore Some Function In The Brains Of Dead Pigs

7:49pm April 17, 2019

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The cells regained a startling amount of function, but the brains didn't have activity linked with consciousness. Ethicists see challenges to assumptions about the irreversible nature of brain death.

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Floodwaters inundated Cataño, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 28, 2017, days after it was hit by Hurricane Maria.

Climate Change Was The Engine That Powered Hurricane Maria's Devastating Rains

11:41am April 17, 2019

by Rebecca Hersher

Maria was the rainiest storm known to have hit Puerto Rico. Scientists say a storm of such severity is nearly five times more likely to occur today, with warmer air and ocean water, than in the '50s.

CRISPR gene-editing technology allows scientists to make highly precise modifications to DNA. The technology is now starting to be used in human trials to treat several diseases in the U.S.

First U.S. Patients Treated With CRISPR As Human Gene-Editing Trials Get Underway

7:27pm April 16, 2019

by Rob Stein

This could be a crucial year for the powerful gene-editing technique CRISPR as researchers start testing it in patients to treat diseases such as cancer, blindness and sickle cell disease.

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Climate Change Is 'Greatest Challenge Humans Have Ever Faced,' Author Says

1:59pm April 16, 2019

by Dave Davies

Bill McKibben, who first warned of climate change 30 years ago, says its effects are now upon us: "The idea that anybody's going to be immune from this anywhere is untrue." His new book is Falter.

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Gentoo penguins sit on an Antarctic iceberg in a scene from the new Netflix nature documentary series Our Planet.

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Arts

'Our Planet' Nature Documentary Addresses The 800-Pound Gorilla — Human Impact

9:28pm April 15, 2019

by Ari Shapiro

The new Netflix series takes a hard look at the effects of our behavior on the natural world. Series producer Alastair Fothergill says that this is a different, more urgent type of show.

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A team of researchers found a surprisingly large amount of microplastic in the air in the Pyrenees mountains in southern France.

Microplastic Found Even In The Air In France's Pyrenees Mountains

6:05pm April 15, 2019

by Christopher Joyce

Tiny fragments broken down from larger pieces of plastic have already been found in rivers, lakes, oceans and in agricultural soil. But very few studies of wind-borne microplastic have ever been done.

The trick, of course, is to find moments of deep relaxation wherever you are, not just on vacation. Laughing with friends can be another way to start breaking the cycle of chronic stress, and help keep your heart healthy, too.

High Stress Drives Up Your Risk Of A Heart Attack. Here's How To Chill Out

9:28pm April 14, 2019

by Allison Aubrey

A study of siblings finds those who have a stress-related disorder have a 60 percent higher risk of heart attack or other cardiovascular event, compared to their less-stressed brothers and sisters.

Do You Love Lying In Bed? Get Paid By NASA To Do It For Space Research

8:33pm April 14, 2019

Researchers are currently looking for candidates who will stay in bed 24 hours a day, seven days a week for 60 straight days for a study on how the body adapts to weightlessness.