Science

The New Shepard, seen here taking off with its capsule in place, returned to its launch site in a vertical landing after reaching an altitude of 100 kilometers.

Used Rocket Is A New Breakthrough For Blue Origin's Space Plan

2:25pm November 24, 2015

by Bill Chappell

Blue Origin, the space company founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, has sent a craft past the edge of space and then landed its rocket safely – and vertically — in Texas.

The holidays are all about generousity, gratitude, and spending time with the people we love. But we all know the whole "spending time with the people we love" part has its challenges. Hidden Brain is here to help.

Science

How To Survive (And Maybe Even Enjoy) Thanksgiving Dinner

12:44pm November 24, 2015

by NPR Staff

The holidays are a time to give thanks and be with the people we love. But sometimes those gatherings can be a bit challenging. This week, social-science based tips for having the best holiday season.

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A biologist holds a slide prepared for testing in a micro array for biological hazards at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif.

U.S. Bioterrorism-Detection Program Is Unreliable, Report Finds

7:39pm November 23, 2015

by Brian Naylor

The Government Accountability Office says that Homeland Security's BioWatch system, deployed in 30 U.S. cities, has issued dozens of false alarms since its introduction in 2003.

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Brain imaging experiments found patterns associated with attention span.

A Peek At Brain Connections May Reveal Attention Deficits

7:19pm November 23, 2015

by Jon Hamilton

By assessing the strength of certain connections in the brain with an MRI test, researchers were often able to tell whether children and adolescents had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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One Of Last 4 White Rhinos Euthanized At San Diego Zoo

6:58pm November 23, 2015

One of the last four northern white rhinos was euthanized at the San Diego Zoo Sunday. NPR's Kelly McEvers talks to Rick Schwartz, the zoo's global ambassador, about how the species was so decimated and what might be done to save it.

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Police In Colorado Crack Down On Diesel Truck Owners For 'Rolling Coal'

6:57pm November 23, 2015

by Stephanie Paige Ogburn

Diesel trucks used to be known for belching black, polluting exhaust. Manufacturers have worked to shed that image with cleaner engines. A small group of diesel owners goes in the opposite direction.

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U.N. Chief: Paris Convention Represents 'Turning Point' In Climate Policy

5:17pm November 23, 2015

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, about why she's optimistic about the climate convention in Paris.

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Science

How We React To Threats Post World Tragedy – And Why

7:37am November 22, 2015

After the Paris attacks, some schools were quick to cancel trips to major cities. Rachel Martin spoke with NPR's Shankar Vedantam about the psychology of group fear.

Bryan Bashin, CEO of the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, in San Francisco, started losing his sight in his teens. "Don't just hide," he advises others. "This is not some kind of deep loss. This is just another side of being human."

When A Stranger Leaves You $125 Million

8:02am November 21, 2015

by Amy Standen

A Seattle businessman left most of his fortune to a blindness organization he never contacted in life. Why the gift? Maybe, the evidence hints, to help others take the psychological leap he couldn't.

The giant roundworm, Ascaris lumbricoides, shows its three serrated lips.

Can A Parasitic Worm Make It Easier (Or Harder) For A Woman To Conceive?

2:36am November 21, 2015

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Maybe. A nine-year study in Bolivia found an unexpected association between the parasitic worms in a woman's guts and her fertility.