Science

A map of the Amazon shelf showing the newly discovered reef structures in yellow.

Reef Larger Than Delaware Found At The Mouth Of The Amazon River

3:37pm April 23, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The reef is unusual because it lies in muddy waters, and scientists had only seen hints of its existence until recent research expeditions. They say it's already in danger because of oil drilling.

A trip to Iceland wouldn't be complete without a dip in the Blue Lagoon, a man-made geothermal pool on Reykjanes peninsula.

#NPRreads: 3 Stories To Soak Up This Weekend

1:36pm April 23, 2016

The premise of #NPRreads is simple: Correspondents, editors and producers from our newsroom share the pieces that have kept them reading and each weekend, we highlight some of the best stories.

Science

How Do Ants Survive Floods? Rafts Of Course

9:36am April 23, 2016

Scott Simon talks with entomologist Jessica Purcell about her research into the ingenious strategy one kind of European ant uses to stay safe in floods: joining their bodies to form floating rafts.

Listeners Got Active About Our Active Learning Stories

6:55am April 23, 2016

by Eric Westervelt

Two recent reports on a Stanford Noble Laureate's efforts to change how undergraduate science education struck a nerve with many of you.

The World Resources Institute says you don't have to bid burgers bye-bye in order to reduce the environmental footprint of what you eat. For Americans, cutting back on beef (but not eliminating it altogether) could go a long way, it says.

For Earth Day, Report Has News To Ease A Meat-Lover's Conscience

10:21pm April 22, 2016

by Maria Godoy

The World Resources Institute says you don't have to bid burgers bye-bye in order to reduce the environmental footprint of what you eat. Americans cutting back on beef could go a long way, it says.

Key Haven, a Florida neighborhood about a mile east of Key West, is where a test of Oxitec's genetically engineered mosquitoes might take place later this year. Some neighbors have strongly dissented — at public meetings and via yard signs.

Florida Keys Weigh Options For Battling Mosquitoes And Zika

6:34pm April 22, 2016

by Nancy Klingener

Residents of these islands have waged many campaigns against disease-carrying mosquitoes. But there's still not much agreement at public meetings about how the mosquitoes should be controlled.

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U.S. Proposes Removing Yellowstone Grizzly Bears From Endangered Species List

6:19pm April 22, 2016

by Eric Whitney

Grizzly bears in Yellowstone may soon lose protection from the federal government. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed taking the bears off the endangered species list, saying the population has recovered to a self-sustaining number. Opponents dispute that, in part because they say federal biologists aren't sufficiently accounting for climate change threatening their food sources.

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Phan Sopheak, a rice farmer in Cambodia, rests shortly after a man wielding an axe attacked her. She had been patrolling the Prey Lang forest around her village with a volunteer group that is trying to stop illegal logging.

#EarthDay: The High Cost Of Eco-Activism

5:10pm April 22, 2016

by Nurith Aizenman

Why the world's poorest people are some of the most effective — and vulnerable — environmental activists.

Earlier this week, NIH temporarily halted work in the cell therapy lab of Dr. Steven Rosenberg, chief of surgery at the National Cancer Institute, pending a review of safety standards there.

Task Force Calls For More Safety Oversight At NIH Research Hospital

2:10pm April 22, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

NIH Director Francis Collins has stopped research at two leading labs for now. But an independent board of experts wants even more oversight to ensure that patient safety is the top priority.

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Secretary of State John Kerry holds his 2-year-old granddaughter, Isabel Dobbs-Higginson, as he signs a far-reaching climate accord at the United Nations, in a ceremony timed to coincide with Earth Day on Friday.

Earth Day Brings Celebrations, Signing Of Historic Climate Pact

1:31pm April 22, 2016

by Bill Chappell

Earth Day brings everything from special Google Doodles and beautiful views of our planet to the historic signing of an international climate agreement.