Science

A burial team in Barkedu, Liberia, buries their protective clothing alongside the body of an Ebola victim. It's possible to catch the virus from clothing soiled by infected blood or other bodily fluids.

How Do You Catch Ebola: By Air, Sweat Or Water?

6:49pm September 12, 2014

by Linda Poon

Americans have many questions — and misconceptions — about the deadly virus that's rapidly spreading in West Africa. We asked two scientists to explain more about how Ebola is transmitted.

What Makes A Star Starry? Is It Me?

5:55pm September 12, 2014

by Robert Krulwich

Draw a planet (a circle, right?). Now draw a star (a pointy thing, yes?). Now ask yourself, aren't stars all round? Our sun is. So why do we make them pointy? Come learn the answer.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft captures Wednesday's solar flare eruption.

Solar Flare Could Trigger Auroras Tonight For Northern U.S.

1:23pm September 12, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The X-class Coronal Mass Ejection, or CME, that erupted on the sun on Wednesday is not expected to cause major disruptions to the electrical grid or communications.

Visitors watch an orca performance at SeaWorld in San Diego this year. The company has seen attendance slip in the year since the release of a documentary film critical of the company's captive whale program.

SeaWorld Hopes New Orca Habitats Will Stem A Tide Of Criticism

9:00am September 12, 2014

by Greg Allen

The theme park says a 2013 documentary critical of its captive orca attraction has hurt its bottom line. Now, it's pushing back with a social media campaign and plans for new habitats for its whales.

Queue Listen Now

Workers at the National Geographic Museum in Washington grind the rough edges off a life-size replica of a spinosaurus skeleton.

Crocodile Meets Godzilla — A Swimming Dino Bigger Than T. Rex

9:00am September 12, 2014

by Christopher Joyce

It roamed land and sea and snacked on giant fish. The first few spinosaurus bones were discovered a century ago, but destroyed in WWII. A more complete, second specimen reveals a terrifying predator.

Queue Listen Now

To refrigerate or not to refrigerate? It boils down to bacteria, aesthetics and how much energy you're willing to use.

Why The U.S. Chills Its Eggs And Most Of The World Doesn't

8:13am September 12, 2014

by Rae Ellen Bichell

In many countries, eggs aren't refrigerated and they're still considered safe to eat. But in the U.S., we have to chill them, because we've washed away the cuticle that protects them from bacteria.

Mountains of "little blue pills" and their chemical kin have transformed the way many people think about sex and aging.

Love And Sex In The Time Of Viagra — 16 Years On

5:37pm September 11, 2014

by Ina Jaffe

Longer lives means more decades of intimacy. Drugs that help male physiology match desire have affected more than just the body, men who take these pills say.

Queue Listen Now

Birds fly through the Sept. 11 memorial, "Tribute in Light."

Souls Tumbling In The Light

12:58pm September 11, 2014

by Robert Krulwich

Every fall, birds head south and, around Sept. 11, New York sends two beams into the sky. When birds and lights collide, that could mean trouble — but New York is surprisingly gentle.

Ozone Levels Bounce Back, Showing First Increase In 35 Years

12:22pm September 11, 2014

by Scott Neuman

NASA says that a ban on CFCs enacted in the 1980s has contributed to a 4 percent rebound since 2000 in atmospheric ozone in mid-northern latitudes.

Science

In 'Um' Or 'Uh,' A Few Clues To What We're Saying — And Who's Saying It

11:11am September 11, 2014

by Robert Siegel

Linguist Mark Liberman, who works at the University of Pennsylvania, says the use of "um" or "uh" can provide signs about the speaker's gender, language skills and life experience.

Queue Listen Now