Science

Is This Congressman's 'Oversight' An Effort To Hobble Climate Science?

5:43pm December 07, 2015

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas is formally investigating a recent study on global warming. Smith calls the timing of the study's publication "suspicious," but many scientists call his tactics "bullying."

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Arthur Radebaugh imagined gigantic crops in his syndicated Sunday comic strip Closer Than We Think, which ran from 1958 until 1963.

Science
Arts

The Past Is Littered With Foods Of The Future

5:42pm December 07, 2015

by Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft

For as long as humans have eaten, they've entertained grand visions of the future of food. But the shiny objects of food futurism rarely pan out in the way the visionaries intended.

Las Cañadas is an ecological cooperative in Veracruz, Mexico that's working to sequester carbon and mitigate climate change while producing food, materials, chemicals and energy.

Carbon Farming Gets A Nod At Paris Climate Conference

1:33pm December 07, 2015

by Alastair Bland

Using farmland to capture carbon rather than release it into the atmosphere is called carbon farming. The idea is taking off and countries and institutions have endorsed a new agenda promoting it.

Sleepless Nights And Lighter Wallets: The Link Between Poverty And Sleep

11:25am December 06, 2015

by Nurith Aizenman

What if you could never get a good night's rest? Some low-income people around the world face that challenge. A team of researchers is investigating whether sleep deprivation keeps some in poverty.

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Climate Talks Grow More Complex Over Greenhouse Emissions

7:54am December 06, 2015

NPR's Rachel Martin talks with Chris Joyce about the obstacles in reaching a climate deal. We hear from various countries and get a sense of the competing views and interests on reducing emissions.

The Local Goes Global, As Mayors Talk Climate Change In Paris

5:28pm December 05, 2015

by Eleanor Beardsley

With nations struggling to agree on how to reduce greenhouse emissions, many cities have stepped in to fill the gap. Some 1,000 mayors from around the world pledged new measures in Paris this week.

Pluto's shoreline of Sputnik Planum is seen in the highest-resolution images yet to come from New Horizons. John Spencer of the Southwest Research Institute says the details support the idea that the mountains "are huge ice blocks that have been jostled a

Science

NASA Releases New Video Showing Higher-Resolution Closeup Of Pluto

2:42pm December 05, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The best photos from the New Horizons spacecraft that buzzed Pluto earlier this year are now making their way back to Earth, providing resolutions of less than 100 yards per pixel.

A family wades through the waterlogged city on Wednesday after weeks of heavy rain.

PHOTOS: Rescue Teams Respond To Historic Flood In Chennai

12:57pm December 05, 2015

by Emma Bowman

A flood in India's fourth-largest city has claimed at least 280 people so far. During a brief lull in weeks of heavy rains, the Indian government boosts its rescue missions to help stranded residents.

Science

Scientists Strike Giant Archaeological 'Gold'

12:13pm December 05, 2015

by Joe Palca

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have found a field of dinosaur footprints on the Isle of Skye. The footprints were made by giant dinosaurs 50 feet long that weighed nearly 20 tons.

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Representatives of 195 nations have adopted a blueprint to address climate change at the COP21 conference. Last night, Leonardo DiCaprio spoke to mayors attending the talks in Paris about pushing for local actions to fight climate change.

Nearly 200 Nations Agree On Climate Change Draft Plan At Paris Summit

8:53am December 05, 2015

by Bill Chappell

"It always seems impossible until it's done," French Ecology Minister Segolene Royal told the conference Saturday, quoting Nelson Mandela.