Science

Drones are displayed at an event with the Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Coalition, last month. The FAA's proposed new rules for their commercial use require certified pilots to fly them and limit their speed, altitude and area of operation.

Commercial Drone Rules To Limit Their Weight, Speed And Altitude

3:59pm February 17, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The long-awaiting Federal Aviation Administration proposal could be a boon to some companies hoping to use unmanned aircraft, but they might complicate the picture for Amazon.

Robert Davies (standing) and the quartet during a performance of "The Crossroads Project." Musicians include (left to right) Robert Waters, Rebecca McFaul, Anne Francis Bayless and Bradley Ottesen.

Climate Scientist Tries Arts To Stir Hearts Regarding Earth's Fate

12:45pm February 17, 2015

by Joe Palca

Physicist Robert Davies worked with a classical quartet and two visual artists to create a musical performance about climate change. The music and images, he says, help the information take hold.

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Science

Pity For Penguins: They Can't Taste Their Dinner

12:08pm February 17, 2015

by Poncie Rutsch

Savory fish are a staple for penguins, but the poor birds lack the ability to taste the umami flavor of their meals. One hypothesis? The genes at play got frozen out of commission.

Can A Computer Change The Essence Of Who You Are?

12:46pm February 16, 2015

by Lulu Miller

The latest episode of NPR's Invisibilia takes us online. Some people think interacting with these machines is changing us all — for better and worse.

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Science

Scientists Weigh In On What Can Mend A Broken Heart

7:57am February 16, 2015

by Maanvi Singh

Anyone who has suffered a break up knows it can take time to get over it. While wallowing in self pity isn't a great idea, reflecting on a recent break up can help speed up the healing process.

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View of the Sun from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.

Science

WATCH: The Sun Like You've Never Seen It

4:11pm February 15, 2015

by Scott Neuman

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has released a video composite of some of the imagery taken over the past five years by the Solar Dynamics Observatory. It's nothing short of breathtaking.

To put their probes into the Arctic Ice, researchers hitched a ride on a South Korean icebreaker.

Navy Funds A Small Robot Army To Study The Arctic

12:49pm February 15, 2015

by Geoff Brumfiel

The U.S. Navy has completed the largest robotic survey of the Arctic ever attempted. Warming waters are absorbing more sunlight and melting more ice there each summer, the gizmos and gliders suggest.

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Tobacco smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to die from infection, kidney disease and, maybe, breast cancer.

Smoking's Death Toll May Be Higher Than Anyone Knew

12:01pm February 15, 2015

by Richard Harris

Tobacco's link to lung cancer, stroke and heart attack is well-known. But smokers are also more likely to die from kidney failure, infections and breast cancer, a revised tally suggests.

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British cosmologist Stephen Hawking gives a talk to workers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, in April 2013.

Stephen Hawking Has A Guest Vocal On Pink Floyd's New Album

4:54pm February 14, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The famous cosmologist will appear on the track "Talkin' Hawkin' " on the upcoming album The Endless River, set for release next month. It's his second inclusion on one of the band's songs.

Science

Thanks To Technology, Toucan Gets A Second Beak On Life

10:15am February 14, 2015

NPR's Scott Simon takes a moment to note that a toucan in Costa Rica that had part of its beak destroyed is getting a new one made from a 3-D printer.

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