Science

California's New Clean Energy Goal Could Be Difficult To Reach

4:35pm September 11, 2018

by Lauren Sommer

A new California law mandates that the state move to 100 percent clean energy for electricity in the state by 2045. But getting rid of fossil fuel power will be a challenge.

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A satellite image from Monday shows Hurricane Florence as it travels west and gains strength in the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricanes Isaac and Helene have also formed off the coast of West Africa.

Climate Change Drives Bigger, Wetter Storms — Storms Like Florence

12:31pm September 11, 2018

by Rebecca Hersher

Hurricane Florence — large, slow and full of moisture — is threatening to inundate the Southeast. It's a type of storm that's getting more likely to form.

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Solar panels are mounted on the roof of the Los Angeles Convention Center on September 5. The state's governor has signed a landmark bill setting a goal of 100 percent clean energy for the state's electrical needs, by the year 2045.

California Sets Goal Of 100 Percent Clean Electric Power By 2045

9:14pm September 10, 2018

by Camila Domonoske

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill mandating that ambitious goal on Monday. He also issued an executive order calling for statewide carbon neutrality by the same year.

East Coast Scientists Win Patent Case Over Medical Research Technology

5:59pm September 10, 2018

by Richard Harris

Scientists affiliated with Harvard and MIT have been battling with colleagues at University of California, Berkeley over who deserves patents for a revolutionary technology used in medical research. On Monday, the east coast scientists won their case in a federal appeals court.

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NRC To Inspect San Onofre Nuclear Plant After Waste Canister Incident

7:37am September 10, 2018

by Alison St. John

The transfer of nuclear waste to storage canisters at the San Onofre nuclear power plant in southern California has been put on hold, after a near accident last month. The plant closed in 2013.

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Science

Astrophysicist Awarded $3 Million Prize

8:29am September 09, 2018

Jocelyn Bell Burnell may not have won a Nobel Prize, but she has received another major science prize. She tells NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro she plans to help others in the field.

The search for the cause of Alzheimer's has so far come up dry. Some researchers are now asking if germs play a role.

Infectious Theory of Alzheimer's Disease Draws Fresh Interest

7:30am September 09, 2018

by Bret Stetka

Money has poured into Alzheimer's research, but until very recently not much of it went toward investigating infection in causing dementia. A million dollar prize may lead more scientists to try.

The Sahara desert creeps up on a palm field.

A Scientist Dreams Up A Plan To Stop The Sahara From Expanding

7:00am September 09, 2018

by Dan Charles

It involves a super solar farm the size of the United States.

Mary Horman (left), a registered nurse for Clackamas County, and Liz Baca, a disease intervention specialist for the county, search for the right address in an Oregon neighborhood. Part of their job is to get information to people who may have a serious,

Discreetly Tracking Down Sex Partners To Stop A Surge In STDs

10:50am September 08, 2018

by Kristian Foden-Vencil

In response to a spike in syphilis and gonorrhea cases, one Oregon county is sending medical sleuths to break the bad news in-person. Some people have no idea they've been exposed to an infection.

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While many Americans only know one kind of pomegranate — the ruby red Wonderful — there are actually dozens of varieties with different flavor and heartiness profiles.

Biologist Wants Americans To Taste A Rainbow Of Pomegranates

9:01am September 08, 2018

by April Fulton

As a child, John Chater remembers trying different kinds of pomegranates in his grandfather's yard. It spurred him to pursue a dream of diversifying America's crop beyond the red Wonderful variety.