Science

Sporadic dengue fever outbreaks in Florida in 2009 and 2010 spurred mosquito control efforts in Key West and Miami Beach, shown here. The same mosquito that carries dengue, Aedes aegypti, can transmit Zika.

Florida Governor Ramps Up Mosquito Fight To Stay Ahead Of Zika

12:33pm February 05, 2016

by Greg Allen

It's only a matter of time, Gov. Rick Scott figures, before the Zika virus shows up in Florida mosquitoes. He's called for increased spraying and other moves to keep Zika and other diseases in check.

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'This Is Your Brain On Sports' Gets Inside Minds Of Players, Coaches And Fans

6:59pm February 04, 2016

The new book, This is Your Brain on Sports, gets inside the minds of the players on the field, the fans in the stands, and the coaches on the sidelines. NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Tufts psychologist Sam Sommers and Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated about what sports tell us about how we think.

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Science

Research Explores Consequences Of Revealing Embarrassing Details

6:53pm February 04, 2016

by Shankar Vedantam

Confessing embarrassing information is often better than withholding it. Research finds that people distrust withholders of details more than they dislike revealers of unsavory information.

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The Noor I Concentrated Solar Power plant, shown on Thursday, is the first phase of a large solar thermal power plant that is intended to supply more than a million Moroccans with electricity.

Morocco Unveils A Massive Solar Power Plant In The Sahara

4:11pm February 04, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

The Noor I solar thermal power plant is the first phase of a project that's projected to provide more than a million Moroccans with electricity — even once the sun has gone down.

Food writer Bee Wilson says that babies are most open to trying new flavors between the ages of 4 and 7 months.

In Baby's 'First Bite,' A Chance To Shape A Child's Taste

3:01pm February 04, 2016

Bee Wilson's new book, First Bite, examines how genetics, culture, memory and early feeding patterns influence the palate. She says babies are most open to new flavors between ages 4 and 7 months.

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Amelia Westerdale works with physics students during a tutorial session at the University of Colorado Boulder. Westerdale is part of the Learning Assistant Program, tasked with helping to coach and tutor students.

Making Science Teaching More Than 'A Backup Plan'

2:09pm February 04, 2016

by Anya Kamenetz

The Learning Assistant Program at the University of Colorado Boulder is producing better science learning from kindergarten through college.

When so-called senescent cells were removed from mice, they were healthier and lived longer than mice that still had the cells.

Boosting Life Span By Clearing Out Cellular Clutter

6:44pm February 03, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

So-called senescent cells no longer divide, but they secrete a mixture of chemicals that can trigger inflammation, which is involved in many age-related disorders. What if the cells were removed?

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Sexual transmission of Zika virus has happened, scientists say, but it appears to be rare.

What We Know So Far About Sexual Transmission Of Zika Virus

11:48am February 03, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

The CDC reported the first case of sexually transmitted Zika virus in the U.S. related to the current outbreak. It's happened before. Here's what we know about how the virus could move between people.

The Science Of Getting Kids Organized

10:04pm February 02, 2016

by Karen Brown

Can teaching kids impulse control, self-evaluation and focus actually help them do better in school? Parents are paying top dollar for executive function coaches.

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This San Francisco home collapsed in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which also claimed dozens of lives.

U.S. Quake Warning System Could Save Lives When Seconds Count

7:14pm February 02, 2016

by Christopher Joyce

Before it does damage, an earthquake sends out a "P wave" that scientists use to find location and size. The U.S. quake warning system under development on the West Coast is built around the P wave.

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