Does This Phylum Make Me Look Fat?
The relationship between the types of microbes in our gut and belly fat is turning out to be a lot more complicated than scientists first thought.
Science
It Took A Musician's Ear To Decode The Complex Song In Whale Calls
Male humpback whales create "songs" together, scientists say. Katy Payne was the first to hear the shifts in pitch and pattern in the collective calls as complex music — haunting, evolving tunes.
Listening To Whale Migration Reveals A Sea Of Noise Pollution, Too
Christopher Clark, an engineer turned whale biologist, wired the world's oceans with hydrophones. Whales sing as they migrate, he learned. And the ship sounds clouding the ocean can deeply interfere.
Medicare Says Doctors Should Get Paid To Discuss End-Of-Life Issues
After a six-year delay, Medicare proposes to reimburse doctors who hold end-of-life discussions with Medicare patients. The federal program is now soliciting public comments on the idea.
EPA Announces New Regulations On Methane Emissions
The Environmental Protection Agency is aiming to cut methane emissions by 40 to 45 percent over the next 10 years. The new regulations are expected to regulate emissions from the oil and gas industry.
Can You Teach A Computer To 'Feel' Suspense?
Scientists want to make computers into better storytellers, but to do that they have to teach the machines a tricky element: suspense. Now researchers believe they've taken a big step forward.
'Play This Video Game And Call Me In The Morning'
Developers at Akili are working on a game they hope might one day be prescribed to treat mental health conditions like ADHD and depression. But first, they must get past the FDA.
How Your Brain Remembers Where You Parked The Car
When people saw photos that linked a famous person with a famous place, it changed the behavior of certain neurons in their brains. And it changed their memories, too.
Papal Encyclical On Climate Change Puts Coal Country Catholics In Tough Spot
Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment is getting a thorough reading in Wyoming, which is the country's top coal-producing state. The letter presents a moral framework for approaching issues such as global climate change, but it's a difficult subject for Catholics in coal country.
U.S. Grants Patent For Free-Standing Space Elevator Tower
A Canadian company called Thoth Technology has patented a space elevator. The tower would rise some 12 miles into the sky, with a runway or launch pad on top.