Science

U.N. Dreams Big: 17 Huge New Goals To Build A Better World

2:14pm September 25, 2015

by Jason Beaubien

And there are just 15 years to accomplish them. Here's a rundown of the 17 aims, which include ending poverty, hunger and AIDS, fixing the environment and giving everyone access to green space.

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FDA Advisers Call For More Safety Data On Essure Sterilization Device

10:08am September 25, 2015

by Rob Stein

The Food and Drug Administration approved Essure for sale in 2002. But with health complaints on the rise from women using the device, the agency's expert panel now urges more study on complications.

Science

A World Without Humans Looks A Lot Like A Rat Race

6:09pm September 24, 2015

by Flora Lichtman

In this scientific "thought experiment" from the podcast The Adaptors, humans have gone extinct and rats take over. What makes rodents so well-positioned to take over the world?

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Mike Lester, CEO of Taxi 2000, sits in the SkyWeb Express in the company's warehouse in Fridley, Minn. The company has been working on SkyWeb Express system, a point-to-point personal rapid transit system.

Why Nonstop Travel In Personal Pods Has Yet To Take Off

4:09pm September 24, 2015

by Joe Palca

Personal rapid transit was supposed to be the future of public transport: lightweight pods on elevated tracks, on-demand destinations. But funding issues make cities reluctant to change course.

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The Svalbard Global Seed Vault was opened on Feb. 26, 2008. Carved into the Arctic permafrost and filled with samples of the world's most important seeds, it's a Noah's Ark of food crops to be used in the event of a global catastrophe.

Syrian Civil War Prompts First Withdrawal From Doomsday Seed Vault In The Arctic

4:03pm September 24, 2015

by Laura Wagner

Researchers in the Middle East have requested the first-ever withdrawal from the "final backup" seed bank because of destruction caused by the Syrian civil war.

Volkswagen CEO Resigns Amid Emissions Cheating Scandal

2:19pm September 24, 2015

by Chris Arnold

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn abruptly resigned Wednesday, a few days after the company admitted it had rigged its diesel engine cars to pass emissions tests. The company faces multiple investigations and possibly billions of dollars in fines.

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Science

Hidden Brain: How Miscommunications Happen

8:03am September 24, 2015

by David Greene

Most people assume they will be better understood by close friends or their partners than by strangers. Most people are wrong.

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Hidden Brain: What's The Source Of Success In Sports?

8:03am September 24, 2015

by Shankar Vedantam

When the same athletes succeed over and over at a sport, is it because they are simply more talented than everyone else, or is it because "nothing succeeds like success"?

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Most fruits and vegetables — particularly after being cut — store better in an airtight container, Gunders says. And it's best to store them in see-through containers so we don't forget about them.

Don't Toss That Sour Milk! And Other Tips To Cut Kitchen Food Waste

10:57pm September 23, 2015

by Allison Aubrey

The typical American family tosses out some $1,500 of food yearly. From smarter fridge packing to sauteing soggy lettuce, a new book is full of tips to rescue edibles from landing in the trash.

Seattle Otter Treated For Asthma After Exposure To Wildfire Smoke

2:25pm September 23, 2015

It's not just humans that have been affected by wildfires this year. An otter called Mishka is being treated for asthma after being exposed to smoke by fires near Seattle.

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