NPR News: Whatever happened to the new no-patent COVID vaccine touted as a global game changer?

Whatever happened to the new no-patent COVID vaccine touted as a global game changer?
The inventors of Corbevax said it was cheap, easy to make, effective and safe. They hoped it could bring vaccine equity to countries that can't access costlier shots. Has it lived up to its promise?

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Science - September 1, 2022 at 02:36AM - Whatever happened to the new no-patent COVID vaccine touted as a global game changer?

NPR News: Nuclear plant inspections, normally routine, become harrowing in a war zone in Ukraine

Nuclear plant inspections, normally routine, become harrowing in a war zone in Ukraine
The international atomic watchdog has been to some of the world's toughest locations, but nothing quite like Europe's largest nuclear power plant in an active war zone.

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Science - August 31, 2022 at 10:25PM - Nuclear plant inspections, normally routine, become harrowing in a war zone in Ukraine

NPR News: An astronomer thinks alien tech could be on the ocean floor. Not everyone agrees

An astronomer thinks alien tech could be on the ocean floor. Not everyone agrees
Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb thinks alien technology could be on the ocean floor. And if he finds anything with buttons on it, he would very much like to press those buttons.

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Science - August 31, 2022 at 05:16PM - An astronomer thinks alien tech could be on the ocean floor. Not everyone agrees

NPR News: Life expectancy in the U.S. continues to drop, driven by COVID-19

Life expectancy in the U.S. continues to drop, driven by COVID-19
Americans' life expectancy dropped for the second year in a row and is now the lowest it's been since the 1920s. COVID-19 is driving the downward trend, according to CDC data.

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Science - August 31, 2022 at 12:37PM - Life expectancy in the U.S. continues to drop, driven by COVID-19

NPR News: NASA is launching its most powerful rocket ever to the moon, with sights on Mars

NASA is launching its most powerful rocket ever to the moon, with sights on Mars
The space agency's long-awaited Artemis I mission is set for liftoff Monday. It is the first of three missions set to culminate with landing astronauts on the lunar south pole as early as 2025.

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Science - August 29, 2022 at 04:00PM - NASA is launching its most powerful rocket ever to the moon, with sights on Mars

NPR News: NASA'S pricey new moon rocket — is it worth the cost?

NASA'S pricey new moon rocket — is it worth the cost?
NASA plans to test launch its newest rocket — one it hopes will eventually take astronauts back to the moon. But the rocket's big price tag has some critics skeptical about its future.

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Science - August 29, 2022 at 04:21AM - NASA'S pricey new moon rocket — is it worth the cost?

NPR News: Lightning strikes aren't stopping the planned Artemis I launch — yet

Lightning strikes aren't stopping the planned Artemis I launch — yet
NASA is sending an uncrewed spacecraft to circle the moon and return to Earth. It's set to launch Monday, despite thunderstorms over the weekend.

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Science - August 29, 2022 at 12:20AM - Lightning strikes aren't stopping the planned Artemis I launch — yet

NPR News: NASA is set to return to the moon. Here are 4 reasons to go back

NASA is set to return to the moon. Here are 4 reasons to go back
NASA's Apollo missions already sent astronauts to the moon from 1969 to 1972. But scientists say there's still lots of good science to do there. The moon also could be an ideal stepping stone to Mars.

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Science - August 28, 2022 at 06:01PM - NASA is set to return to the moon. Here are 4 reasons to go back

NPR News: Why manikins and Snoopy will make up the crew of NASA's Artemis I mission

Why manikins and Snoopy will make up the crew of NASA's Artemis I mission
The Artemis I mission is uncrewed, but that doesn't mean the spacecraft is empty. Lots of mementos are making the trip, along with manikins that will help NASA prepare to send humans back to the moon.

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Science - August 28, 2022 at 04:21AM - Why manikins and Snoopy will make up the crew of NASA's Artemis I mission

NPR News: An ice-age bison was discovered! Then soon eaten — once the foul taste was smothered

An ice-age bison was discovered! Then soon eaten — once the foul taste was smothered
Shortly after researchers unearthed the mummified body of a 55,000-year-old Steppe bison in the Alaskan tundra, they sliced off a piece of its neck. To eat!

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Science - August 26, 2022 at 04:30PM - An ice-age bison was discovered! Then soon eaten — once the foul taste was smothered

NPR News: Why stinky sweat is good for you

Why stinky sweat is good for you
So sweat doesn't really smell bad at all. But when bacteria eat the sweat — nostrils, look out! Only it turns out that these sweat-eating critters are responsible for a big health benefit.

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Science - August 26, 2022 at 04:03AM - Why stinky sweat is good for you

NPR News: When did human bodies evolve to sweat? We don't know exactly when

When did human bodies evolve to sweat? We don't know exactly when
All summer, NPR's Science Desk has been looking at sweat. Humans are covered with millions of sweat glands, but it wasn't always that way. When did humans start to sweat?

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Science - August 25, 2022 at 04:07PM - When did human bodies evolve to sweat? We don't know exactly when

NPR News: NASA's James Webb telescope has taken new images of Jupiter's moons, rings and more

NASA's James Webb telescope has taken new images of Jupiter's moons, rings and more
The telescope uses a camera with filters that can make a color map out of infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye.

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Science - August 23, 2022 at 04:27PM - NASA's James Webb telescope has taken new images of Jupiter's moons, rings and more

NPR News: Spiders show signs of REM-like activity, raising the question: Do they dream?

Spiders show signs of REM-like activity, raising the question: Do they dream?
A team of researchers filmed jumping spiders overnight and observed behaviors that mirror rapid eye movement sleep in other species. It helps that baby jumping spiders have translucent exoskeletons.

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Science - August 23, 2022 at 04:01PM - Spiders show signs of REM-like activity, raising the question: Do they dream?

NPR News: What you should know about Rett syndrome, the condition that Richard Engel's son had

What you should know about Rett syndrome, the condition that Richard Engel's son had
NBC correspondent Richard Engel announced that his son Henry, who had been diagnosed with Rett syndrome as an infant, died on August 9. Here's what to know about the disorder.

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Science - August 23, 2022 at 04:00PM - What you should know about Rett syndrome, the condition that Richard Engel's son had

NPR News: What happens to sweat in outer space (Hint: There's no gravity to help it drip away)

What happens to sweat in outer space (Hint: There's no gravity to help it drip away)
Humans' ability to sweat is useful on Earth — but when people go up into space, they find that perspiring in zero gravity presents some unique challenges.

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Science - August 23, 2022 at 03:45AM - What happens to sweat in outer space (Hint: There's no gravity to help it drip away)

NPR News: China plans to use chemicals to generate rain to protect its grain harvest

China plans to use chemicals to generate rain to protect its grain harvest
The hottest, driest summer since the government began recording rainfall and temperature 61 years ago has wilted crops and left reservoirs at half their normal water level.

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Science - August 21, 2022 at 10:57PM - China plans to use chemicals to generate rain to protect its grain harvest

NPR News: Late-stage cervical cancer cases are on the rise

Late-stage cervical cancer cases are on the rise
Researchers found an overall 1.3% increase per year in advanced stages of the disease, with the greatest increase taking place among white women in the South aged 40 to 44.

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Science - August 21, 2022 at 07:25AM - Late-stage cervical cancer cases are on the rise

NPR News: Killer whales are 'attacking' sailboats near Europe's coast. Scientists don't know why

Killer whales are 'attacking' sailboats near Europe's coast. Scientists don't know why
In recent years, orcas have been damaging the rudders of pleasure yachts, mostly along the coasts of Portugal and Spain. Scientists and sailors are struggling to understand the encounters.

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Science - August 20, 2022 at 07:49PM - Killer whales are 'attacking' sailboats near Europe's coast. Scientists don't know why

NPR News: A plan to bring the Tasmanian tiger back from extinction raises questions

A plan to bring the Tasmanian tiger back from extinction raises questions
The thylacine had trademark stripes and, rare in the animal world, abdominal pouches in both females and males. The last known specimen died in a zoo in 1936.

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Science - August 20, 2022 at 04:00PM - A plan to bring the Tasmanian tiger back from extinction raises questions

NPR News: This technology makes data accessible to blind and visually impaired people

This technology makes data accessible to blind and visually impaired people
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Mona Minkara, a professor of bioengineering at Northeastern University who is also blind, about a new way to present science data to blind and sighted people alike.

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Science - August 20, 2022 at 04:08AM - This technology makes data accessible to blind and visually impaired people

NPR News: Mosquitoes surprise researcher with their 'weird' sense of smell

Mosquitoes surprise researcher with their 'weird' sense of smell
That's how neuroscientist Meg Younger describes her team's findings about how skeeters hone in on human aromas. And that could lead to better ways to keep us bite-free.

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Science - August 18, 2022 at 10:13PM - Mosquitoes surprise researcher with their 'weird' sense of smell

NPR News: What's behind the FDA's controversial strategy for evaluating new COVID boosters

What's behind the FDA's controversial strategy for evaluating new COVID boosters
Some scientists are alarmed that the agency plans to evaluate the next generation of boosters by reviewing mouse studies alone. Others say there's no time to waste waiting for human trials.

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Science - August 18, 2022 at 04:04PM - What's behind the FDA's controversial strategy for evaluating new COVID boosters

NPR News: Talking about monkeypox? Then you should be talking about sex

Talking about monkeypox? Then you should be talking about sex
Despite the possibility of stigmatizing queer sex, experts say it's important to keep sex at the center of the conversation around monkeypox.

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Science - August 18, 2022 at 04:00PM - Talking about monkeypox? Then you should be talking about sex

NPR News: The Northern Lights may move farther south into the mainland U.S. this week

The Northern Lights may move farther south into the mainland U.S. this week
The Northern Lights, known scientifically as auroras borealis, are triggered by geomagnetic activity from the Sun. They typically occur closer to the North Pole, near Alaska and Canada.

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Science - August 18, 2022 at 03:55PM - The Northern Lights may move farther south into the mainland U.S. this week

NPR News: Some spiders might experience REM sleep and even dream

Some spiders might experience REM sleep and even dream
Jumping spiders appear to move their eyes during sleep, similar to the way humans do during REM sleep — raising the question of whether spiders might dream as well.

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Science - August 18, 2022 at 03:59AM - Some spiders might experience REM sleep and even dream

NPR News: It's summer and people are hot. We answer some questions about sweat

It's summer and people are hot. We answer some questions about sweat
As part of our summer series on sweat, we get answers to the questions: Do we need to sweat during sleep? And, why does a warm bath help you sleep, even if it makes you sweat?

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Science - August 17, 2022 at 04:03PM - It's summer and people are hot. We answer some questions about sweat

NPR News: An astronomer's plan to trawl the ocean floor for signs of extraterrestrial life

An astronomer's plan to trawl the ocean floor for signs of extraterrestrial life
NPR's Juana Summers talks with astrophysicist Avi Loeb about his plan to retrieve fragments of a potential interstellar meteor from the ocean floor.

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Science - August 17, 2022 at 03:44AM - An astronomer's plan to trawl the ocean floor for signs of extraterrestrial life

NPR News: Millions of Americans will soon be able to buy hearing aids without a prescription

Millions of Americans will soon be able to buy hearing aids without a prescription
A new FDA rule allows adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss to buy hearing aids over the counter. Efforts to make them more affordable and accessible have been in the works for years.

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Science - August 17, 2022 at 03:21AM - Millions of Americans will soon be able to buy hearing aids without a prescription

NPR News: How can we help humans thrive trillions of years from now? This philosopher has a plan

How can we help humans thrive trillions of years from now? This philosopher has a plan
William MacAskill's book, What We Owe the Future, urges today's humans to protect future humans — an idea he calls longtermism. Here are a few of his hardly modest proposals.

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Science - August 16, 2022 at 05:44PM - How can we help humans thrive trillions of years from now? This philosopher has a plan

NPR News: The U.K. approved omicron-specific booster shots. They're coming to the U.S. soon

The U.K. approved omicron-specific booster shots. They're coming to the U.S. soon
In the U.S., officials have asked vaccine makers to target BA.5, rather than the original omicron strain. That has delayed the boosters' development — but officials hope they will be more effective.

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Science - August 16, 2022 at 04:01PM - The U.K. approved omicron-specific booster shots. They're coming to the U.S. soon

NPR News: A python challenge hasn't done much to reduce impact of Florida's invasive species

A python challenge hasn't done much to reduce impact of Florida's invasive species
Florida's annual python challenge awards hunters who capture the invasive snakes from the wild. A decade later, it's done little to reduce the impact of the species on the Everglades ecosystem.

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Science - August 16, 2022 at 03:46AM - A python challenge hasn't done much to reduce impact of Florida's invasive species

NPR News: The importance of sweat: We need it to keep cool

The importance of sweat: We need it to keep cool
NPR begins a celebration of sweat — what it's made of, where it comes from and what it smells like. Spoiler alert: most of the time it doesn't have any smell at all.

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Science - August 15, 2022 at 04:13PM - The importance of sweat: We need it to keep cool

NPR News: Why scientists have pumped a potent greenhouse gas into streams on public lands

Why scientists have pumped a potent greenhouse gas into streams on public lands
A 30-year, nationwide study of ecological changes — including the effects of climate warming — has been releasing a powerful greenhouse gas, and critics want it to stop.

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Science - August 15, 2022 at 04:00PM - Why scientists have pumped a potent greenhouse gas into streams on public lands

NPR News: A sustainable seafood alternative: lab-grown fish sticks

A sustainable seafood alternative: lab-grown fish sticks
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with Bluu Seafood COO Chris Dammann about the company's new cultivated cell fish products - fish sticks and fish balls.

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Science - August 14, 2022 at 09:02PM - A sustainable seafood alternative: lab-grown fish sticks

NPR News: A cataclysmic flood is coming for California. Climate change makes it more likely.

A cataclysmic flood is coming for California. Climate change makes it more likely.
There's a long history of massive inland flooding in California. New research finds that climate change has already doubled the odds it happens again.

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Science - August 13, 2022 at 01:00AM - A cataclysmic flood is coming for California. Climate change makes it more likely.

NPR News: The last supermoon of the year lights up the night sky all over the world

The last supermoon of the year lights up the night sky all over the world
The Sturgeon Moon became visible Thursday night, appearing bigger and brighter than usual because of its proximity to Earth.

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Science - August 12, 2022 at 08:56PM - The last supermoon of the year lights up the night sky all over the world

NPR News: 3 ways the Inflation Reduction Act would pay you to help fight climate change

3 ways the Inflation Reduction Act would pay you to help fight climate change
Some of the Act's $369 billion in energy and climate spending aims to make it easier and cheaper for Americans to live more sustainably.

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Science - August 11, 2022 at 10:53PM - 3 ways the Inflation Reduction Act would pay you to help fight climate change

NPR News: A fossilized tooth may help solve the mystery of the Chincoteague ponies

A fossilized tooth may help solve the mystery of the Chincoteague ponies
After taking a second look at what was thought to be a cow tooth, one scientist has found evidence to help solve the mysterious origin story for these wild ponies.

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Science - August 11, 2022 at 04:01PM - A fossilized tooth may help solve the mystery of the Chincoteague ponies

NPR News: The last time to catch a supermoon this year is approaching

The last time to catch a supermoon this year is approaching
Supermoons in general appear 17% bigger and 30% brighter than when the moon is at its farthest point away from Earth, according to NASA.

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Science - August 11, 2022 at 03:48PM - The last time to catch a supermoon this year is approaching

NPR News: This Hudson Valley photographer takes mesmerizing pictures of fireflies every summer

This Hudson Valley photographer takes mesmerizing pictures of fireflies every summer
In the summer, from dusk until the moon rises, Mauney finds his photos' subjects along quiet stretches of farmstand highway, in abandoned fields, hidden pockets of woods and under power lines.

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Science - August 11, 2022 at 07:16AM - This Hudson Valley photographer takes mesmerizing pictures of fireflies every summer

NPR News: Here's just how close the war in Ukraine has come to Europe's largest nuclear plant

Here's just how close the war in Ukraine has come to Europe's largest nuclear plant
Satellite images and social media analyzed by NPR show attacks have hit structures around the plant, coming dangerously close to causing a nuclear accident.

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Science - August 11, 2022 at 02:00AM - Here's just how close the war in Ukraine has come to Europe's largest nuclear plant

NPR News: A fossilized tooth may determine the origin of the Chincoteague ponies

A fossilized tooth may determine the origin of the Chincoteague ponies
A fossilized horse tooth could finally provide an answer to the mystery of how the wild Chincoteague ponies ended up on Maryland and Virginia's Assateague Island.

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Science - August 10, 2022 at 03:21AM - A fossilized tooth may determine the origin of the Chincoteague ponies

NPR News: How NASA's Webb telescope gets its packed schedule

How NASA's Webb telescope gets its packed schedule
NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Christine Chen of the Space Telescope Science Institute about choosing and scheduling research projects for NASA's James Webb Telescope.

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Science - August 9, 2022 at 03:27AM - How NASA's Webb telescope gets its packed schedule

NPR News: COVID sewage surveillance labs join the hunt for monkeypox

COVID sewage surveillance labs join the hunt for monkeypox
Wastewater testing has proved a reliable early alarm bell for COVID-19 outbreaks. U.S. researchers are now adapting the approach to track the explosive spread of monkeypox, and maybe other viruses.

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Science - August 8, 2022 at 04:01PM - COVID sewage surveillance labs join the hunt for monkeypox

NPR News: An island in the Galápagos reintroduced iguanas after nearly 200 years of extinction

An island in the Galápagos reintroduced iguanas after nearly 200 years of extinction
The Galápagos land iguana is back on Santiago Island. That's thanks to some help from a team of conservationists.

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Science - August 8, 2022 at 04:00PM - An island in the Galápagos reintroduced iguanas after nearly 200 years of extinction

NPR News: We lost 1.59 milliseconds June 29 when the Earth spun a little faster

We lost 1.59 milliseconds June 29 when the Earth spun a little faster
June 29, 2022, was 1.59 milliseconds shorter than average. But was it the "shortest day ever?" Not quite!

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Science - August 7, 2022 at 07:20PM - We lost 1.59 milliseconds June 29 when the Earth spun a little faster

NPR News: Former White House COVID adviser on how the pandemic might play out next

Former White House COVID adviser on how the pandemic might play out next
Despite vaccines and other precautions, COVID-19 is still here. NPR's Daniel Estrin asks former White House COVID adviser Andy Slavitt what he thinks could change the pandemic's trajectory.

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Science - August 7, 2022 at 04:16AM - Former White House COVID adviser on how the pandemic might play out next

NPR News: Get ready to look up in the night sky at all those meteor showers

Get ready to look up in the night sky at all those meteor showers
The Perseids, the most popular meteor shower, will soon reach its peak. For best visibility, make sure you find a dark location and avoid light pollution from cities.

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Science - August 5, 2022 at 04:00PM - Get ready to look up in the night sky at all those meteor showers

NPR News: What a decade of Curiosity has taught us about life on Mars

What a decade of Curiosity has taught us about life on Mars
Ten years ago today, NASA's Curiosity Mars rover successfully commenced its mission to explore the possibility of life on mars. Here's what it has discovered.

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Science - August 6, 2022 at 04:00PM - What a decade of Curiosity has taught us about life on Mars

NPR News: The Earth is spinning faster than ever and it's making our days shorter

The Earth is spinning faster than ever and it's making our days shorter
The shortest day ever recorded was June 29, and it was shorter than a typical 24 hours by 1.59 milliseconds. Some scientists say its climate change, others say maybe it's because of earthquakes.

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Science - August 4, 2022 at 04:54PM - The Earth is spinning faster than ever and it's making our days shorter

NPR News: 'How Fast Did T. rex Run?' and other questions about dinosaurs examined in new book

'How Fast Did T. rex Run?' and other questions about dinosaurs examined in new book
British paleontologist David Hone set out to write a book that stresses what isn't yet known about dinosaurs — as much as what is known.

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Science - August 4, 2022 at 02:42AM - 'How Fast Did T. rex Run?' and other questions about dinosaurs examined in new book

NPR News: An Arctic shark found in Belize has researchers pondering deep sea discoveries

An Arctic shark found in Belize has researchers pondering deep sea discoveries
The Greenland shark can live for centuries and is typically found in cold arctic waters. One found in the warmer waters of Belize has researchers rethinking how widespread the marine species could be.

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Science - August 3, 2022 at 03:58AM - An Arctic shark found in Belize has researchers pondering deep sea discoveries

NPR News: Why the American Dream is more attainable in some cities than others

Why the American Dream is more attainable in some cities than others
A blockbuster new study reveals a key factor explaining rates of upward mobility.

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Science - August 1, 2022 at 05:30PM - Why the American Dream is more attainable in some cities than others