Science

There's another shot doctors are advising you get this winter — the flu vaccine. We tackle questions about this flu season and why the vaccine is important as people head back into workplaces and kids return to school.

It's Time For A Flu Shot. Here's What You Need To Know

12:22pm September 07, 2021

by Fran Kritz

With all the talk about COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, it's easy to forget that there's another respiratory virus poised to strike. We tackle questions about why a flu vaccine matters now.

NASA Helicopter Has Been Zipping About On Mars, Paving The Way For Drone Exploration

5:44pm September 06, 2021

by Geoff Brumfiel

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter has spent the summer circling around on Mars. Its success has been called an "extra terrestrial Wright Brother's moment" and has opened the door to otherworldly aviation.

Satellite Images Show Oil Spill After Hurricane Ida

4:52pm September 06, 2021

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with scientist Dr. Oscar Garcia-Pineda about what he's learned from aerial and satellite imaging for oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico following Hurricane Ida.

ECMO is the highest level of life support — beyond a ventilator, which pumps oxygen via a tube through the windpipe into the lungs. Instead, the ECMO process basically functions as a heart and lungs outside of the body — routing the blood via tubing t

Across The COVID-Ravaged South, High-Level Life Support Is Difficult To Find

5:00am September 06, 2021

by Blake Farmer

ECMO, the highest level of mechanical life support, functions as a temporary heart and lungs for some of COVID-19's sickest patients. But the waitlist is too long for many patients who need it.

This image provided by NOAA taken Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021 and reviewed by The Associated Press shows oil slicks at the flooded Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery in Belle Chasse, La. It's just one of the oil spills being looked into in the Gulf region in the af

Divers Are Investigating The Source Of Oil Spill Off The Coast Of Louisiana

4:27pm September 05, 2021

by Deepa Shivaram

Coast Guard teams have been dispatched to help determine the extent of the damage from the spill, which is situated roughly two miles off the Louisiana coast. Officials say the source remains unclear.

One neuroscientist finds that simply savoring a cup of tea as a daily morning ritual has helped her quell anxious thoughts in pandemic times. "It felt like I finally had a great excuse to just be present and enjoy the breeze and warmth of the bowl of tea

6 Tips For Coping With COVID Anxiety This Fall And Winter

7:13am September 04, 2021

by April Fulton

It's clear the next couple of seasons won't be the "life as usual" we all hoped for. Rituals, deep breathing and reaching out to friends are just a few ways to manage anxiety when the days grow dark.

Members of the fire department in Lodi, N.J., perform water rescues Thursday on residents trapped after torrential rains from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.

Why Ida Hit The Northeast So Hard, 1,000 Miles Away From Its Landfall

7:38pm September 03, 2021

by Bill Chappell

The right mix of weather conditions combined to create extreme rainfall over New York and surrounding areas. Once extremely rare, such storms may become the norm as the climate warms.

The term "fetal heartbeat," as used in the new anti-abortion law from Texas, is misleading, and not based on science, say physicians who specialize in reproductive health. What the ultrasound machine detects in a 6-week-old embryo is actually just electri

The Texas Abortion Ban Hinges On 'Fetal Heartbeat.' Doctors Call That Misleading

3:51pm September 03, 2021

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

The new Texas law bans abortions after a 'fetal heartbeat' is detected, usually about six weeks into pregnancy. But doctors say that's not an actual medical term, and it's being used inaccurately.

HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 23: Students at the Xavier Academy, like many schools around Houston, are required to wear masks. Staff and faculty have been vaccinated and 90% of students in attendance have also been vaccinated.

6 Strategies To Make Classrooms Safer As The Delta Variant Spreads

11:31am September 03, 2021

by Maria Godoy

Research shows increasingly that layering one strategy on top of another can help minimize the spread of the coronavirus in classrooms.

Your Next Car May Be Built With Ocean Rocks. Scientists Can't Agree If That's Good

11:14am September 03, 2021

by Alexandra Gillespie

Deep sea mining could provide minerals essential for making electric vehicles. But regulations are incomplete, and questions persist about the impact on the ocean's ability to store carbon dioxide.