Science

UVA Study Links Disparities In Pain Management To Racial Bias

5:53pm April 05, 2016

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks to Kelly Hoffman, a doctoral student in social psychology at the University of Virginia. Hoffman recently published a paper that links disparities in pain management to racial bias.

At the Heartland Biogas Project, millions of tons of food waste are collected and converted into usable methane gas.

How Colorado Is Turning Food Waste Into Electricity

1:28pm April 05, 2016

by Luke Runyon

At the Heartland Biogas Project, spoiled milk, old pet food and vats of grease combine with helpful bacteria in massive tanks to generate gas. It's all thanks to anaerobic digestion.

Victoria Thomas' backyard was overrun with rats a few years ago. She tried everything from trenching and underground fencing to poison traps but nothing worked — until she got three feral cats.

Science

Facing A Growing Rat Problem, A Neighborhood Sets Off The Cat Patrol

8:16pm April 04, 2016

by David Schaper

Chicago has a bad rat problem, and it gets worse when old buildings are demolished. Residents of a Chicago neighborhood decided to counter the rat invasion with natural enemies — feral cats.

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As Renewables Boom, Companies Explore Energy Storage Technology

4:28pm April 04, 2016

Renewable energy has a problem — the wind doesn't always blow and the sun doesn't always shine when we use electricity the most. Batteries can store energy for later, but companies are looking for cheaper alternatives. Three reporters examine technologies that employ air, salt and ice.

Human sacrifice helped solidify systems of social hierarchy, according to a new study of traditional cultures in the Pacific Ocean. Here, an engraving shows English explorer James Cook witnessing a human sacrifice ritual in Taihiti in the 1770s. The image

Human Sacrifice Is Linked To Social Hierarchies In New Study

4:25pm April 04, 2016

by Bill Chappell

Scientists say, "our results suggest that ritual killing helped humans transition from the small egalitarian groups of our ancestors, to the large stratified societies we live in today."

Kids' Grades Can Suffer When Mom Or Dad Is Depressed

7:29am April 04, 2016

by Patti Neighmond

Children with a depressed parent do worse in school than peers, a study finds. But other research shows that early diagnosis and treatment can help turn that around for the whole family.

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Food fraud is a common issue all over the world. Inspectors of veterinary services and fraud inspect seafood products at the Rungis international market, located near Paris.

Is There Wood Pulp In That Parmesan? How Scientists Sniff Out Food Fraud

11:08am April 03, 2016

by NPR Staff

Whether it's olive oil that's not so extra-virgin or burgers with a hint of horse meat — Chris Elliott, founder of the Institute for Global Food Security, explains how his laboratory uncovers fraud.

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Create Prosthetics' 3-D printers give anyone in the world access to a design operation in Lake Placid, N.Y., that, for $500, creates a personalized cover for a prosthetic device.

Fashionable Prosthetics Trade Realistic Color For Personal Pizzazz

9:16am April 02, 2016

by David Sommerstein

A firm in New York is making brightly colored, personalized covers for prosthetic legs that each wearer helps design — sort of like a tattoo.

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How Cacti Can Clean Drinking Water

8:15am April 02, 2016

NPR's Scott Simon asks engineering professor Norma Alcantar about how the innards of a cactus can filter water. She got the idea from her grandmother, who knew about its unique cleansing properties.

'Earthquake Lady' Says We Need Better Buildings

8:15am April 02, 2016

Lucy Jones is ending her career as noted seismologist, but says her retirement won't be dormant. NPR's Scott Simon asks Jones about her career and what she plans to do next.