Science

DOD: Climate Change Is A Volatile Factor In International Security

11:43am October 20, 2014

The Department of Defense says climate change is an "immediate risk" to the nation. Adm. David Titley talks with NPR's Rachel Martin about how the military must respond.

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An artist's rendering of the flyby with Mars orbiters taking cover. Note that the image says "spacecraft not to scale."

Mars Probes Give Scientists Box Seats For Rare Comet Flyby

12:41am October 20, 2014

by Scott Neuman

A "mountain-sized" comet known as Siding Spring will pass very close to the red planet, where orbiters from the U.S., Europe and India, hope to get close — but not too close — to the action.

Science

Our Skulls Might Have Evolved To Withstand Blows To The Face

12:21pm October 19, 2014

by Melissa Pandika

Many scientists believe that a diet of nuts, seeds and other tough, brittle foods shaped our faces, but a June study in Biological Reviews suggests that violence had a heavier hand in its evolution.

Workers drill for oil in the Bakken shale formation outside Watford City, N.D., an area experiencing an oil boom.

Predictions Of 'Peak Oil' Production Prove Slippery

12:52pm October 18, 2014

by Marilyn Geewax

Just a few years ago, authors were predicting production would soon hit a peak and then decline. But since then, supplies have surged. So are the forecasters now slapping themselves in the head?

Science

NASA To Replace Iconic Countdown Clock After Maintenance Skyrockets

6:26pm October 17, 2014

NASA says it plans to replace the digital countdown timer that's featured prominently in broadcasts and images of Kennedy Space Center launches ever since the second moon landing mission 45 years ago.

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Avian influenza, or bird flu, causes an infectious and contagious respiratory disease. In the lab, several scientists have made the H5N1 strain more contagious, a controversial line of research.

U.S. To Temporarily Halt Funding For Controversial Virus Research

6:07pm October 17, 2014

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The federal government will suspend funding while it reviews the potential risks and benefits of certain experiments with three viruses: SARS, MERS and influenza.

One rationale for extending Medicaid coverage to more people is to help them get to a doctor or clinic before a minor illness becomes a medical emergency.

Spike In ER, Hospital Use Short-Lived After Calif. Medicaid Expansion

2:02pm October 17, 2014

by Lisa Aliferis

Previous research found that going on Medicaid increased a poor person's use of costly emergency room visits. Now an analysis suggests that initial spike in ER visits quickly tapers off.

New Jersey cities and towns are planning for future storms and counting on federal dollars to jump start massive flood defense projects.

N.J. Braces For Future Disasters By Fleeing, And Fortifying, The Coast

12:58pm October 17, 2014

by Franklyn Cater

Federal funds are supporting two different disaster-prevention approaches — coastal retreat, or people leaving flood zones, and coastal defense, or building infrastructure to protect at-risk areas.

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Isabella Beukes, of Santa Rosa, Calif., has been legally blind for more than 40 years. An experimental treatment derived from embryonic stem cells seems to have enabled her now to see not just color but also some shapes.

Embryonic Stem Cells Restore Vision In Preliminary Human Test

11:39am October 17, 2014

by Rob Stein

Cells derived from embryos appear to have improved vision in more than half of the 18 patients who had become legally blind because of two progressive, currently incurable eye diseases.

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An Indian groundnut vendor waits for customers.

A Balanced Diet For World Food Day: Bugs, Groundnuts And Grains

9:47am October 17, 2014

Termites and mung beans are among the ingredients that can bring better nutrition to the 800 million undernourished people in the lower-income world.