Get Paid To Stay In Bed, For Space Science
NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with Jennifer Ngo-Anh of the European Space Agency about their planned study during which subjects will stay in bed for two months.
Science
Can This Breakfast Cereal Help Save The Planet?
Some environmentalists say food production needs a fundamental reboot, with crops that stay rooted in the soil for years, like Kernza, a prairie grass. Even General Mills says it likes the idea.
Ketamine May Relieve Depression By Repairing Damaged Brain Circuits
Scientists are learning how the party drug ketamine relieves depression so quickly — and why its effects fade over time.
Israeli Robotic Moon Landing Fails In Final Descent
Israeli scientists are studying what caused an engine failure in the closing minutes of what they hoped would be a historic lunar landing.
As Weeds Outsmart The Latest Weedkillers, Farmers Are Running Out Of Easy Options
In the long-running war between farmers and weeds, it's advantage, weeds. Scientists in Kansas have found examples of the dreaded pigweed that are immune to the newest weed-killing technologies.
Ancient Bones And Teeth Found In A Philippine Cave May Rewrite Human History
Islands in Southeast Asia were clearly important in the evolution of early humans, say scientists who have turned up 50,000-year-old remains of what they suspect is a previously unknown human species.
Earth Sees First Image Of A Black Hole
Every image you've ever seen of a black hole has been a simulation. Until now. "We have seen what we thought was unseeable," said Event Horizon Telescope Director Shep Doeleman.
Are Plastic Bag Bans Garbage?
A national movement to ban plastic bags is gaining steam, but these restrictions may actually hurt the environment more than help it. Human nature, hard truths, and what kind of bag to use anyway?
Porcupine Barbs For Better Wound Healing
Surgeons would love to find a replacement for surgical staples — one that doesn't aggravate wounds on the way in and out. Bioengineers think they've found the right model — a porcupine's quill.
'Losing Earth' Explores How Oil Industry Played Politics With The Planet's Fate
Journalist Nathaniel Rich says the oil industry helped create a partisan debate around climate change in the 1980s by paying scientists to write op-eds questioning climate science.