Science

Helgoland: Making Sense of the Quantum Revolution, by Carlo Rovelli

'Helgoland' Offers A New Way To Understand The World, And Our Place In It

11:52am May 27, 2021

by Adam Frank

Carlo Rovelli writes that quantum mechanics tells us reality is a net of interactions where there are no things, only relationships; nothing has properties until it interacts with something else.

Scientists expect increasing marine heat waves to cause coral bleaching, which can result in reefs dying off.

Fearing Their Kids Will Inherit Dead Coral Reefs, Scientists Are Urging Bold Action

9:49am May 27, 2021

by Lauren Sommer

Hotter oceans are putting coral reefs in peril worldwide. Scientists are warning that to save them, heat-trapping emissions must fall, and reefs will need more protection and restoration.

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Firefighters battle a brush fire last week in Santa Barbara, Calif. Climate-driven droughts make large, destructive fires more likely around the world. Scientists warn that humans are on track to cause catastrophic global warming this century.

Science

Earth Is Barreling Toward 1.5 Degrees Celsius Of Warming, Scientists Warn

9:50pm May 26, 2021

by Rebecca Hersher

Scientists say humans must keep global temperatures from increasing more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. The World Meteorological Organization warns that number is looming.

The Science Behind Vaccine Incentives

5:33pm May 26, 2021

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Katy Milkman, professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, about which vaccine incentives work best and why.

Learning How To Smell Again After COVID-19

4:44pm May 26, 2021

by Will Stone

Loss of smell has become one of the defining symptoms of COVID-19. Scientists have ideas why, but aren't sure how to reverse the damage. Some are trying what's called 'olfactory training.'

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New guidance would ease restrictions on researching embryos in the lab.

Controversial New Guidelines Would Allow Experiments On More Mature Human Embryos

4:44pm May 26, 2021

by Rob Stein

An influential scientific society has recommended scrapping a long-standing taboo on studying human embryos in lab dishes beyond 14 days and greenlighted a long list of other sensitive research.

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Microneedles May Alleviate Shots' Pain, Help With Global Vaccine Distribution

7:21am May 26, 2021

by Joe Palca

Getting a shot is a pain. But scientists are working on a way to inject a vaccine without the ouch. The solution: a patch that applies an array of microscopic needles and feels like Velcro.

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Josh Pulliam and other researchers from Jake Socha's lab at Virginia Tech drove from Blacksburg, Va., to the northern part of the state and spent days collecting and studying Brood X cicadas.

Brood X Cicadas Are Busy And So Are The Scientists Who Study Them

6:43am May 26, 2021

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

When a critter spends 17 years underground, it's not easy to study. So as Brood X cicadas break out, they're followed closely by researchers who must cram a lot of work in about six weeks.

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The Biden administration is opening the West Coast to offshore wind. Companies have largely focused on the East Coast, such as this wind farm off Block Island, R.I.

Biden Administration Strikes A Deal To Bring Offshore Wind To California

5:21pm May 25, 2021

by Lauren Sommer

For years, the Navy has objected to offshore wind farms on the California coast. The Biden administration announced a deal for new projects, crucial to achieving its climate change policy.

Harold Harrington is a master plumber and is among the tens of thousands of residents of Flint, Mich., whose contaminated drinking water cast a spotlight on a threat faced by communities across the United States.

President Biden Wants To Replace All Lead Pipes. Flint Has Lessons To Share

11:55am May 25, 2021

by Steve Carmody

Flint has been synonymous with lead in drinking water. The city's experience replacing lead pipes shows the promise and challenges of the Biden proposal to get rid of all the country's lead pipes.