Science

3 Scientists Win Nobel In Physics For Development Of Blue LED

12:49pm October 07, 2014

by Scott Neuman

American Shuji Nakamura, and Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano of Japan, will share the prize for co-developing a blue light-emitting diode that triggered a revolution in lighting technology.

Science

Dolphins: Adorable, Playful, Not As Smart As You Might Think

9:27am October 07, 2014

by NPR Staff

Dolphins are often considered the geniuses of the ocean. But some researchers have begun to challenge that notion, saying many mammals have similar skills and dolphins might not be that special.

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3 Win Nobel In Physics For New Light Source

7:33am October 07, 2014

by Geoff Brumfiel

Scientists — 2 from Japan and 1 from the U.S. — have won the Nobel Prize in physics for the invention of blue light-emitting diodes — a new energy efficient and environment-friendly light source.

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3 Neuroscientists To Share Nobel Prize In Physiology Or Medicine

6:30pm October 06, 2014

by Rob Stein

The $1.1 million prize will be split between John O'Keefe of University College in London and a husband-and-wife team, May-Britt and Edvard Moser of the Norwegian University in Trondheim.

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A screen presents the winners of the Nobel Prize in Medicine, U.S.-British scientist John O'Keefe and Norwegian husband and wife Edvard Moser and May-Britt Moser, for their discoveries of cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain.

3 Win Nobel Prize In Medicine For Discovering Brain's 'Inner GPS'

5:00pm October 06, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The scientists, one working in Britain and a husband-and-wife team from Norway, will share the award for work that began in the 1970s and spanned decades.

Is That A Lark I Hear? A Nightingale? Surprise! It's A Bat

2:19pm October 06, 2014

by Robert Krulwich

There are animals famous for their songs. Whales sing. Birds sing. We humans have Aretha, Elvis, Ray Charles, Pavarotti. But bats — who knew?

Science

The World's Largest Cave Chamber Rises 1,000 Feet

1:51pm October 05, 2014

Newly measured, the world's largest chamber is as tall as the Eiffel Tower. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to long-time caver, Andy Eavis, who has explored the ethereally beautiful underground cave.

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Dancer Needed To Move To Think

1:50pm October 04, 2014

From the TED Radio Hour, an idea worth spreading: When she was 7, Dame Gillian Lynne's mother took her to a doctor, worried she had a learning disorder. The diagnosis? She was just born to dance.

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The Erebus and the Terror among icebergs, as illustrated in The Polar World by G. Hartwig in 1874. Sir John Franklin, British naval officer and arctic explorer, commanded the 1845 expedition of the ships to search for the Northwest Passage. All members of

Canada Identifies Ship Found From 1846 Arctic Expedition

10:46am October 03, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The announcement that a vessel from the doomed Franklin team had been found came last month, but now archaeologists say they've determined that it's the HMS Erebus.

In one study, people who were in a buffet line served themselves a lot more of an unhealthful pasta dish if they were next to or behind a person perceived to be overweight.

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Your Fellow Diners' Size May Affect How Much You Eat

4:20pm October 02, 2014

by Alison Bruzek

In one study, people who ate near a heavier dining companion served themselves lots more food. Researchers say a fellow diner's weight is just one of many subconscious cues influencing what we eat.