Science

About 90 percent of America's soybeans are genetically modified.

White House: We Have A Beef With GMO Regulations

6:13pm July 02, 2015

by Dan Charles

The White House has ordered a review of the government's system for regulating products of biotechnology, including genetically modified crops. That system has been controversial from the start.

"Who Gets Kissed" corn is a variety bred in Wisconsin specifically for organic farmers. It's named for an old game. At corn husking time, a lucky person who found a rare ear of corn with red kernels had the right to kiss anyone that he or she chose.

Science

Do Organic Farmers Need Special Seeds And Money To Breed Them?

3:16pm July 02, 2015

by Dan Charles

Organic farmers say they need crop varieties that were bred specifically for conditions on their farms. Clif Bar & Company decided to back their cause with up to $10 million in grants.

Don't Get Your Kids' Genes Sequenced Just To Keep Up

3:10pm July 02, 2015

by Nancy Shute

Just because you can get your children's genome sequenced doesn't mean it's going to do their health any good, a report finds. Most benefits from genetic medicine come from a tight focus.

Science

Not All Online Restaurant Reviews Are Created Equal

7:32am July 02, 2015

by Shankar Vedantam

Reviews on TripAdvisor or Yelp by tourists tend to be significantly more lenient than reviews by locals. Reviews written a long time after the reviewer visits the restaurant are similarly lenient.

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NOAA scientists estimate they saw about 10 billion sea scallops off Delaware and southern New Jersey this spring as part of an annual survey.

The Scallop Scoop: Survey Forecasts A Banner Year In Atlantic

7:08pm July 01, 2015

by Annie Ropeik

Federal fisheries researchers says their survey found about 10 billion scallops in waters off Delaware and southern New Jersey. They're predicting a boom for the nation's most valuable fishery.

Marking novice drivers' cars doesn't help reduce crash rates when it comes to learner's permit holders, study finds.

Branding Teen Drivers As Newbies Doesn't Prevent Crashes

4:44pm July 01, 2015

by Ina Yang

Graduated driver's licenses that impose restrictions like no driving at night have reduced crashes and deaths. But it looks like putting a learner sticker on teens' license plates doesn't help.

Bite into that bread before your main meal, and you'll spike your blood sugar and amp up your appetite. Waiting until the end of your dinner to nosh on bread can blunt those effects.

Curb Your Appetite: Save Bread For The End Of The Meal

3:56pm July 01, 2015

by Allison Aubrey

A hot bread basket is a tasty way to start off dinner. But all those carbs before the main fare can amp up appetite and spike blood sugar. Saving the carbs for the end of the meal can help avert that.

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Science

To Keep Up With Earth's Rotation, Clocks Will Tick An Extra Second Tonight

3:40pm July 01, 2015

by Geoff Brumfiel

There is an extra "leap" second in Tuesday's clock. The second is designed to keep the clocks in synch with earth's rotation, but some people would like to take it away.

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Clocks around the world, like Big Ben, will have an extra second added tonight.

11:59:60 — Look For An Extra Tick Of The Clock Tonight

7:38pm June 30, 2015

by Lucy Perkins

"Leap seconds" are added from time to time to keep atomic clocks in sync with a time standard tied to the rotation of the Earth. This will be the 26th time it's been done.

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A NASA projection shows the path of Venus and Jupiter; the two planets will converge in the Earth's sky Tuesday night.

Venus And Jupiter Set For A Close Encounter Tuesday Night

4:31pm June 30, 2015

by Bill Chappell

NASA says the two bright planets will be "a jaw-dropping one-third of a degree apart" around sunset. It's the closest they'll come in their current 24-year cycle.