Science

Biden To Receive A Classified Report On The Origins Of COVID-19

7:20am August 24, 2021

It has been 90 days since President Biden ordered a review into the origins of COVID-19. Many scientists believe it likely came from nature, others say it may have leaked from a lab in China.

Debris could be seen piled up in Waverly, Tenn., on Sunday after heavy weekend rains caused deadly flash flooding. Climate change is driving more torrential rain around the world.

Science

The Floods In Tennessee Aren't Freak Accidents. They're A New Reality

2:43pm August 23, 2021

by Rebecca Hersher

At least 21 people died in floods in Tennessee over the weekend. Such dangerous flash flooding is a hallmark of climate change.

Scientists have studied the blood of people who were part of a large trial for the Moderna vaccine to measures antibodies that can help predict levels of immunity after getting a COVID-19 shot.

New Evidence Points To Antibodies As A Reliable Indicator Of Vaccine Protection

8:31am August 23, 2021

by Joe Palca

After vaccination, antibody levels can help predict how much protection a COVID-19 shot offers, scientists are learning. The finding could speed up the development of future vaccines.

Jason Forthofer, mechanical engineer at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, looks into a fire whirl he generated to demonstrate how fire whirls and fire tornadoes form in wildland fires.

Scientists Are Learning More About Fire Tornadoes, The Spinning Funnels Of Flame

5:00am August 23, 2021

by Nick Mott

Big wildfires create their own weather, and can even spawn tornadoes swirling with smoke and flame. Researchers are trying to determine how often they occur.

Many survivors don't report sexual assaults because they fear no one will believe them. Advocates say better training for police on the neuroscience of trauma could help survivors feel safe while talking with police, making it less likely they experience

How Rape Affects Memory And The Brain, And Why More Police Need To Know About This

7:00am August 22, 2021

by Sammy Caiola

How a sexual assault survivor is questioned by police can greatly influence the ability to access memories of that traumatic incident. Better interview techniques might help solve more cases.

The two NASA spacesuit prototypes, one for exploring the surface of the moon's South Pole (left) and one for launch and reentry aboard the agency's Orion spacecraft, won't become a reality in time for a planned 2024 mission.

NASA Wants To Return To The Moon By 2024, But The Spacesuits Won't Be Ready

4:15pm August 21, 2021

by James Doubek

Delays in multiple parts of the program — including holdups in developing new spacesuits — put the 2024 goal out of reach, NASA's inspector general says.

Patients with opioid addiction who show up in a hospital's ER face many barriers to recovery, and so do the doctors trying to help them. Easing those barriers on both sides helps patients get into good follow-up programs that lead to lasting change.

Many ERs Fail People Who Struggle With Addiction. These New Approaches Might Help

7:00am August 21, 2021

by Aneri Pattani

Starting treatment for addiction in the emergency room greatly improves the chances recovery will last, experts say. Cutting red tape, hiring advocates and Uber vouchers can all make a difference.

Students and staff exit Hollywood High School after the first day of school in Los Angeles.

A California School District Mandates Vaccines For Eligible Students

7:05pm August 20, 2021

by Sneha Dey

Local teachers' unions were in strong support of a vaccine mandate for students, a district spokesman told NPR.

A researcher looks at a canyon created by a meltwater stream on the glacial ice sheet in Greenland in 2013.

Rain Fell On The Peak Of Greenland's Ice Sheet For The First Time In Recorded History

11:49am August 20, 2021

by Joe Hernandez

According to scientists, rain fell for several hours on an area 10,551 feet in elevation on Aug. 14, an unprecedented occurrence for a location that rarely sees temperatures above freezing.

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch are helping to test the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine against coronavirus variants.

A Texas Lab Performs Crucial Testing For Pfizer's COVID Vaccine

5:07am August 20, 2021

by Joe Palca

The lab has access to a high-security facility that Pfizer needed to prove its COVID-19 vaccine was working. Now the scientists there are testing the vaccine's effectiveness against viral variants.