Science

National Institutes Of Health To Retire Last 50 Research Chimps

6:37pm November 20, 2015

The National Institutes of Health announced their 50 remaining chimps will be going into retirement. NPR's Ari Shapiro spoke with Cathy Willis Spraetz, president and chief executive of Chimp Haven, where the chimps will ultimately be housed.

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Reporter Christopher McDougall explains why humans are born to run.

Science

How Did Endurance Help Early Humans Survive?

2:10pm November 20, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Christopher McDougall explores the mysteries of the human instinct to run. How did endurance help early humans survive — and what urges from our ancient ancestors spur us on today?

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Science
Arts

How Can You See Without Seeing?

2:10pm November 20, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Daniel Kish has been blind since he was 13 months old, but has learned to "see" using a form of echolocation.

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AquaBounty's salmon (rear) have been genetically modified to grow to market size in about half the time as a normal salmon — 16 to 18 months, rather than three years.

Genetically Modified Salmon Is Safe To Eat, FDA Says

6:51pm November 19, 2015

by Dan Charles

In a long-awaited ruling, the agency said that a salmon created to grow faster is fit for human consumption. Environmental and food safety groups vow to fight the decision.

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Science

Vocal Cord Tissue Grown In Lab For First Time

12:23pm November 19, 2015

by Camila Domonoske

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have engineered lab-grown vocal cord tissue that appears to be functional, although it hasn't yet been tested inside of a body.

NIH Retires The Last Of Its Research Chimps

11:15pm November 18, 2015

by Laura Wagner

After retiring hundreds of research chimpanzees in 2013, the National Institute of Health said that 50 remaining chimps would no longer be used for medical studies.

A group at MIT built this tiny package of sensors to collect vital signs as it travels through the digestive system.

A Tiny Pill Monitors Vital Signs From Deep Inside The Body

3:34pm November 18, 2015

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Sensors that work inside the body are gaining new skills. The latest version can track heart rate and respiratory rate, as well as temperature, as it travels through the digestive system.

A Butterball turkey for sale in November 2014, in Centreville, Va. Terms like "premium" and "raised without hormones" tell you little about the quality of the turkey or how it was raised.

Premium, Young And Natural: The Turkey Labels We Cluck-Cluck Over

2:58pm November 18, 2015

by Anders Kelto

Turkeys these days are often plastered with an array of terms that can confuse and even mislead consumers. Here's a glossary of jargon for the wannabe informed Thanksgiving turkey buyer.

Modeled after Manhattan, Conch Bay is a massive development project in northern China. But at least for now, it's more ghost town than bustling metropolis.

We Know China Has Ghost Cities, But Where Are They Hiding?

2:07pm November 18, 2015

by Maanvi Singh

The locations of the infamous empty housing complexes have been secret, but ghost city hunters are now using smartphones and GPS receivers to track them down.

Was it good for you? Yes, as long as we're doing it at least once a week.

Is Sex Once A Week Enough For A Happy Relationship?

12:37pm November 18, 2015

by Nancy Shute

A study of thousands of people, most in committed relationships, finds that having sex about once a week correlates best with happiness and well-being. More didn't turn out to be better.