Science

To Resolve Feud Over Fracking, Colo. Democrats Turn To Plan C

8:51pm August 11, 2014

by Dan Boyce

Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper has declared a compromise to avert a fight over oil and gas drilling. It's meant to solve fracking-related disputes, but it also serves Democrats' political interests.

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UC Santa Barbara's Jay Lunden and Andrew Brinkman, a summer intern for NOAA, prepare to deploy an instrument that measures temperature and salinity throughout the water column, and collects water samples.

Underwater Meadows Might Serve As Antacid For Acid Seas

8:14am August 11, 2014

by Christopher Joyce

Marine biologists worry that certain species won't survive the shifts in sea acidity that climate change brings. But research on sea grasses along California's coast suggest marine preserves can help.

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Paul Herringshaw says farmers like him have been taking steps to reduce crop runoff for years.

Lake Erie's Toxic Bloom Has Ohio Farmers On The Defensive

7:15pm August 08, 2014

by Sarah Jane Tribble

Ohio farmers say they are not the only ones to blame for Toledo's polluted drinking water. They say they are using only as much fertilizer as they need to grow their crops.

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Science

Are Terminal Illness Decisions Affected By Negative Stereotypes?

8:09am August 07, 2014

by Shankar Vedantam

Millions of people around the world face difficult choices at the end of their lives. Researchers delved into whether stereotypes affect medical decisions when it comes to terminal illness.

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Science

Employers Forced To Judge Job Candidates' Career Trajectory

7:45am August 06, 2014

by Shankar Vedantam

Analysis of freelance jobs suggests employers are conservative when it comes to hiring, and dislike candidates who have done a lot of different things.

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This young male, buried at a prehistoric site in Central Sudan, probably munched on the roots of a plant called purple nutsedge.

This Dirty Little Weed May Have Cleaned Up Ancient Teeth

8:19am August 03, 2014

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Turns out that for 7,000 years, snacking on nutsedge may have helped people avoid tooth decay. But at some point, the root it lost its charm. By the 1970s, it was branded "the world's worst weed."

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Sounds Intriguing: The World's Most Interesting Noises

8:53am August 01, 2014

by NPR Staff

As an acoustic engineer, Trevor Cox has spent most of his career getting rid of bizarre, unwanted sounds. But in The Sound Book, Cox turns up the volume on those sonic oddities. The book explores weird echoes and unexpected noises from around the globe — including "whisper galleries" and a chirping pyramid.

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Science

If Dogs Feel Jealousy, It May Run Deeper In Us Than We'd Thought

7:43am July 31, 2014

Dr. Christine Harris co-authored a study that examined whether dogs exhibit jealous behavior, hoping to see if jealousy is an emotion unique to humans. Audie Cornish asks Harris: Does it take complex cognitions to trigger the emotion?

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Scientists previously underestimated the ability of the lionfish to live in less salty water.

Science

Sixth-Grader's Science Project Catches Ecologists' Attention

1:28pm July 28, 2014

by NPR Staff

Florida native Lauren Arrington studied how invasive lionfish, which usually live in the ocean, can survive in nearly fresh water.

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Science

Rosetta Spacecraft Readies For Rendezvous With Comet

8:58am July 28, 2014

by Joe Palca

The Rosetta spacecraft hibernated for 31 months while its orbit took it too far away from the sun for its solar arrays to keep it operational. It's ready for a rendezvous with a comet Aug. 6.

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