Science

Weather Technology Falters Amid Communication Breakdown

5:23pm May 31, 2016

by Jacob McCleland

Springtime is severe weather time in many parts of the United States. Strong storms and tornadoes can be a daily occurrence. Technology has improved to warn people days in advance, but effectively communicating severe weather remains elusive.

Loveland, Colo., resident Mary Pullen (left) and her son Nick Balla plant milkweed near the Big Thompson River as part of a community campaign to restore milkweed in the area.

Can Planting More Milkweed Save Monarch Butterflies? It's Complicated

5:10pm May 31, 2016

by Luke Runyon

Conservationists have long blamed farmers' use of pesticides for decimating the milkweed that monarch caterpillars like to eat. But scientists say simply planting more milkweed isn't the answer.

From Medical Maggots To Stench Soup, 'Grunt' Explores The Science Of Warfare

4:14pm May 31, 2016

When it comes to curiosity, science writer Mary Roach describes herself as someone who is "very out there." Her new book, Grunt, looks at some scientific developments that help keep soldiers safe.

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Food For Thought: The Subtle Forces That Affect Your Appetite

1:12pm May 31, 2016

by NPR Staff

What do large tables, large breakfasts and large servers have in common? They all affect how much you eat. This week on Hidden Brain, we look at the hidden forces that drive our diets.

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Rwanda is known as "le pays des milles collines" â the land of a thousand hills. Weather varies by altitude; for farmers, detailed forecasts can make a huge difference.

Turns Out You Do Need A Weatherman To Know Which Way The Wind Blew

5:03pm May 30, 2016

by Nurith Aizenman

Rwanda is missing 15 years of weather data. Getting it back would be a boon for farmers. But can it be done?

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Scientists say bumblebees can sense flowers' electric fields through the bees' fuzzy hairs.

Science

Bumblebees' Little Hairs Can Sense Flowers' Electric Fields

3:00pm May 30, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The fields bend the hairs and that generates a nerve signal, scientists say.

A contractor prepares to cut off the top of a coal bed methane well near Gillette, Wyo., in 2015. It's one of thousands of abandoned, plugged wells sprinkled throughout Wyoming and Colorado.

Danger Below? New Properties Hide Abandoned Oil And Gas Wells

1:53pm May 30, 2016

by Stephanie Joyce

Around the country, houses, schools and shopping centers are being built on old oil and gas fields — and hidden underground are millions of abandoned wells that are not monitored for leaks.

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U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz takes part in a press conference at the end of the 2015 meeting of the International Energy Agency Governing Board on Nov. 18, 2015 in Paris.

Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz Says Government Can Help Clean Energy Innovation

5:27pm May 29, 2016

As he prepares for a conference on implementing clean energy to combat climate change, energy secretary Ernest Moniz says he's confident the Obama administration's commitments will remain in place.

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Scientists in California are turning to big data to help save the red-legged frog, which is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

Using Algorithms To Catch The Sounds Of Endangered Frogs

5:16pm May 29, 2016

by Sam Harnett

Scientists are turning to big data to try to save California's state amphibian. They're using software to comb through hours of recordings to find the red-legged frogs that remain.

A chalkboard "bucket list" stirred imaginations and got people talking at an Indianapolis festival designed to help make conversations about death easier.

Death Talk Is Cool At This Festival

9:54am May 29, 2016

by Jake Harper

How to make thinking about death less somber? Hold a festival! Indianapolis did. Through art, film and book talks, residents explored everything from bucket lists to advance directives and cremation.

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