Science

A window into dreams may now be opening.

Researchers Use Brain Scans To Reveal Hidden Dreamscape

2:57pm April 05, 2013

by Rob Stein

Philosophers, poets and psychologists have long shared a fascination with dreams. Now Japanese scientists have scanned the brains of dreaming volunteers to create a lexicon of imagery that can be used to detect and decode dreams while a person sleeps.

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This bacterium-like microbe, Archaeoglobus fulgidus, seen here in a false-color image, can live in the high temperatures found near deep-sea vents. They can also survive by consuming perchlorate, a chemical used in rocket fuel.

Science

Some Deep-Sea Microbes Are Hungry For Rocket Fuel

9:36am April 05, 2013

by Geoff Brumfiel

Some of the tiniest critters inside the harsh, otherwordly vents at the bottom of sea are unlike almost anything on Earth. They don't need oxygen to thrive — they can use rocket fuel. The discovery is a hint that our planet's first microbes probably sucked up whatever chemicals they could to survive.

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A decal advertising E85 ethanol is displayed on a pump at a gas station in Johnston, Iowa.

EPA's Push For More Ethanol Could Be Too Little, Too Late

8:50am April 05, 2013

by Tracy Samilton

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could soon issue a final ruling that aims to force oil companies to replace E10, gasoline mixed with 10 percent ethanol, with E15. This move could come just as widespread support for ethanol, which is made from corn, appears to be eroding.

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Spilled crude oil is seen in a drainage ditch near evacuated homes near Starlite Road in Mayflower, Ark., on March 31. An Exxon Mobil pipeline carrying Canadian crude oil was shut off after it ruptured March 29, causing an evacuation of 22 homes.

Arkansas Oil Spill Sheds Light On Aging Pipeline System

10:45am April 04, 2013

by Elizabeth Shogren

More than half of the nation's pipelines were built before 1970. In fact, ExxonMobil's Pegasus pipeline, which burst Friday in Mayflower, Ark., is 65 years old. According to federal statistics, pipelines have on average 280 significant spills a year. Most aren't big enough to make headlines.

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Science

The Remarkable Biodiversity Of Belly Buttons

10:42am April 04, 2013

Scientists at the Belly Button Biodiversity Project wanted to engage the public. They started to culture the bacteria in people's navels as a way to remind them about the life living on their bodies. In the process, they discovered diverse organisms, some of them completely new to science.

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Astronauts work to install the alpha magnetic spectrometer on the International Space Station on May 26, 2011.

Science

Sensor On Space Station May Have Seen Hints Of Elusive Dark Matter

8:50pm April 03, 2013

by Geoffrey Brumfiel

The finding could be a milestone in the decades-long search for the universe's missing material. But some scientists urge caution, saying it's possible the particles seen by the sensor on the International Space Station could have come from somewhere else.

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The Buzz On Bees: Why Many Colonies Are Collapsing

2:57pm April 02, 2013

Bees have been dying off in increasing numbers over the past few years. Experts say that habitat loss and disease are the biggest culprits, and some believe that pesticides are to blame. NPR science correspondent Dan Charles explains the possible causes and what is being done to stop this trend.

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A worker stands on top of a storage bin on July 27, 2011, at a drilling operation in Claysville, Pa. The dust is from powder mixed with water for hydraulic fracturing.

Sand From Fracking Could Pose Lung Disease Risk To Workers

1:50pm April 01, 2013

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The sand is pumped underground along with water and other chemicals to extract oil and natural gas trapped deep in rock. But researchers found that air samples taken at some drilling sites contained high enough levels of very fine silica particles to be dangerous to workers.

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More than 100 years ago, Golgi staining on nerve cells opened the gates to modern neuroscience. Scientists recently developed the Technicolor version of Golgi staining, Brainbow, allowing more detailed reconstructions of brain circuits.

Science

Somewhere Over The Brainbow: The Journey To Map the Human Brain

9:55pm March 31, 2013

by NPR Staff

The government-funded plan could cost $3 billion, take 10 years and involve hundreds of scientists. The hope is the project can unlock the secrets of conditions such as Alzheimer's, schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease. But progress will likely be slow, and in the end, will it be worth the cost?

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The Secret Life Of the Sonoran Desert

9:26am March 30, 2013

The Sonoran Desert, which spans some 100,000 square miles in southwestern North America, is one of the most diverse desert ecosystems in the world. Host Ira Flatow and guests discuss some lesser known desert creatures, and explore the secret life of that American southwest icon, the saguaro cactus.

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