Science

A bald eagle takes flight from a sandbar with its meal in its talons off of Brunswick, Maine, along the New Meadows River, on Aug. 22, 2011.

The bald eagle population slowly recovers, but lead ammo hampers their resilience

3:18pm January 14, 2022

by Rina Torchinsky

Bald eagles, hailed an "American success story" were removed from the endangered species list in 2007. Now, researchers have found that lead ammunition has reduced their population growth.

A phlebotomist tends to a blood donor during the Starts, Stripes, and Pints blood drive event in Louisville, Ky., in July. Rising numbers of organ transplants, trauma cases, and elective surgeries postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic have caused an increase

Doctors and patients are facing tough choices because of the national blood crisis

8:56pm January 13, 2022

by Jonathan Franklin

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to a 62% drop in blood drives at schools and colleges, according to the American Red Cross.

Scientists determine age of some of the oldest human bones

5:22pm January 13, 2022

Some of the oldest human remains ever unearthed are the Omo One bones found in Ethiopia. For decades, their precise age has been debated, but a new study argues they're around 233,000 years old.

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A lunar eclipse viewed from California's Trona Pinnacles Desert National Conservation Area. Scientists believe there may be more moons in the galaxy than planets.

Science

Scientists think they've found a big, weird moon in a far-off star system

5:22pm January 13, 2022

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Scientists have found many planets orbiting distant stars, but so far no proof that any have moons. Now, researchers have detected signs of a large exomoon orbiting a Jupiter-like world.

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A volunteer receives daily necessities on behalf of residents under home quarantine in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 12, 2022.

China is doubling down on its 'zero-tolerance' COVID policy ahead of the Olympics

3:13am January 13, 2022

by The Associated Press

China is battling coronavirus outbreaks in six cities. More than 20 million people are in some form of lockdown.

A COVID-19 home test in the U.S. comes with a swab to swirl in the nostrils. But some users say they're swabbing the throat too — even though that's not what the instructions say to do. "They may stab themselves," cautions Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting hea

Coronavirus FAQ: Why are some folks hacking home COVID tests by swabbing their throat?

9:45pm January 12, 2022

by Sheila Mulrooney Eldred

The FDA-authorized tests call for a nasal swab. Some doctors are tweeting that they're doing a throat swab too — though they don't recommend this step to the public. Here's a look at the swab debate.

Why omicron may cause less harm — and what it means for the future of the pandemic

4:55pm January 12, 2022

by Michaeleen Doucleff

There's growing evidence that omicron causes less severe disease than previous variants. Does that mean SARS-CoV-2 is evolving into a more mild virus? Will future surges be less deadly and disruptive?

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Defending men's champion Novak Djokovic practices ahead of the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, on Wednesday.

Djokovic admits a mistake on his Australia travel form and outlines COVID test timing

1:32pm January 12, 2022

by Bill Chappell

Djokovic moved to clarify the timeline about the period when he was infectious last month and about errors on the travel document he used to enter Australia to defend his Australian Open tennis title.

The cooling towers at the Stanton Energy Center, a coal-fired power plant, are seen behind a home in Orlando.

In Orlando, a mountain of coal ash evades EPA rules. It's not the only one.

9:43am January 12, 2022

Environmentalists want Biden's Environmental Protection Agency to aggressively regulate huge piles of toxic coal ash across the nation. The waste has polluted groundwater in 39 states.

A medical worker takes swab samples on residents in central China's Henan province. The northern city of Tianjin ordered a second round of testing on all 14 million residents Wednesday.

China's Tianjin orders more testing on 14 million after omicron reaches city

4:59am January 12, 2022

by The Associated Press

The city of Tianjin ordered a second round of COVID-19 testing on Wednesday in the city about an hour from Beijing, which is set to host the Winter Olympics from February 4th.