NPR News: Scientists dig up biologist Gregor Mendel's body and sequence his DNA

Scientists dig up biologist Gregor Mendel's body and sequence his DNA
To commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Gregor Mendel, the father of genetics, a group of scientists decided to dig up his body and sequence his DNA.

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Science - December 31, 2022 at 04:47AM - Scientists dig up biologist Gregor Mendel's body and sequence his DNA

NPR News: China's COVID vaccines: Do the jabs do the job?

China's COVID vaccines: Do the jabs do the job?
As case counts surge in China, rumors circulate about the effectiveness and safety of the made-in-China vaccines in use there. Here's what we know about CoronaVac and Sinopharm.

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Science - December 31, 2022 at 01:51AM - China's COVID vaccines: Do the jabs do the job?

NPR News: Why scientists dug up the father of genetics, Gregor Mendel, and analyzed his DNA

Why scientists dug up the father of genetics, Gregor Mendel, and analyzed his DNA
The year 2022 was the 200th anniversary of the birth of Gregor Mendel. He's known as the father of genetics, so scientists exhumed Mendel's body and examined his DNA.

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Science - December 30, 2022 at 05:01PM - Why scientists dug up the father of genetics, Gregor Mendel, and analyzed his DNA

NPR News: To peer into Earth's deep time, meet a hardy mineral known as the Time Lord

To peer into Earth's deep time, meet a hardy mineral known as the Time Lord
Geologists rely on tiny crystals of the mineral zircon to understand the timing of key events in Earth's early days, like the rising of continents and the emergence of oceans.

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Science - December 29, 2022 at 05:00PM - To peer into Earth's deep time, meet a hardy mineral known as the Time Lord

NPR News: How a scrappy African start-up could forever change the world of vaccines

How a scrappy African start-up could forever change the world of vaccines
Afrigen is the linchpin of global project to use mRNA technology to empower low-resource countries to make their own vaccines against killer diseases from TB to HIV. What will it take to succeed?

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Science - December 29, 2022 at 05:09AM - How a scrappy African start-up could forever change the world of vaccines

NPR News: Meet the mineral known as the time lord

Meet the mineral known as the time lord
Zircon is the "time-lords" of the earth. They are indestructible and take up radioactive materials, so they're used to track events in deep time that would otherwise be lost to us.

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Science - December 29, 2022 at 03:59AM - Meet the mineral known as the time lord

NPR News: It's not too late to get a COVID booster — especially for older adults

It's not too late to get a COVID booster — especially for older adults
Public health officials want more Americans to get the latest COVID vaccine booster. Only 35% of people over 65 have gotten the shot, though 75% of COVID deaths are among people in this age group.

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Science - December 28, 2022 at 05:01PM - It's not too late to get a COVID booster — especially for older adults

NPR News: Psychedelic drugs may launch a new era in psychiatric treatment, brain scientists say

Psychedelic drugs may launch a new era in psychiatric treatment, brain scientists say
Psychedelic drugs were a hot topic at this year's Society for Neuroscience meeting. Researchers hope the drugs can help people with disorders like depression and PTSD.

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Science - December 27, 2022 at 05:00PM - Psychedelic drugs may launch a new era in psychiatric treatment, brain scientists say

NPR News: Encore: Researchers in Brazil credit scientific discoveries to the power of sound

Encore: Researchers in Brazil credit scientific discoveries to the power of sound
The Amazon rainforest is the most biodiverse ecosystem on the planet. Scientists there say the best way to experience it may be with your ears.

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Science - December 27, 2022 at 04:10AM - Encore: Researchers in Brazil credit scientific discoveries to the power of sound

NPR News: The astonishing vanishing act of the glassfrog, revealed

The astonishing vanishing act of the glassfrog, revealed
A kind of transparent frog achieves near invisibility by hiding its red blood cells during the day, scientists found. "I had never seen anything like that," researcher Carlos Taboada says.

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Science - December 27, 2022 at 12:57AM - The astonishing vanishing act of the glassfrog, revealed

NPR News: I usually wake up just ahead of my alarm. What's up with that?

I usually wake up just ahead of my alarm. What's up with that?
Call it "precision waking" — the alleged ability to decide when you want to wake up and then doing so, without an alarm. If you think you can do it, you're not alone, though how is still mysterious.

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Science - December 26, 2022 at 05:00PM - I usually wake up just ahead of my alarm. What's up with that?

NPR News: Turns out dinosaurs probably didn't roar quite like we think

Turns out dinosaurs probably didn't roar quite like we think
BBC science journalist Richard Gray tells NPR's Daniel Estrin that dinosaurs may not have roared in the manner we commonly imagine.

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Science - December 25, 2022 at 09:03PM - Turns out dinosaurs probably didn't roar quite like we think

NPR News: How the James Webb Space Telescope transformed astronomy this year

How the James Webb Space Telescope transformed astronomy this year
One year ago, on Christmas Day, the James Webb Space Telescope was launched. Since it began collecting data, it has captured - in stunning detail - previously unobservable stars, planets and galaxies.

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Science - December 25, 2022 at 05:00PM - How the James Webb Space Telescope transformed astronomy this year

NPR News: A new kind of blood test can screen for many cancers — as some pregnant people learn

A new kind of blood test can screen for many cancers — as some pregnant people learn
Testing pregnant people's blood to look at free-floating DNA can tell doctors about the health of the fetus. But these tests sometime turn up DNA that might be shed by cancerous cells.

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Science - December 23, 2022 at 05:01PM - A new kind of blood test can screen for many cancers — as some pregnant people learn

NPR News: Can dogs smell time? Just ask Donut the dog

Can dogs smell time? Just ask Donut the dog
After decades of wondering, an NPR reporter finally figures out how her husband's family dog knew when the school bus would arrive everyday. She did some digging — and now it all makes scents.

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Science - December 22, 2022 at 05:05PM - Can dogs smell time? Just ask Donut the dog

NPR News: Henrietta Lacks' hometown will build statue of her to replace Robert E. Lee monument

Henrietta Lacks' hometown will build statue of her to replace Robert E. Lee monument
A statue of the woman, whose cells were taken without her consent and became integral in several major medical breakthroughs, will be built in Roanoke, Va.

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Science - December 22, 2022 at 05:00PM - Henrietta Lacks' hometown will build statue of her to replace Robert E. Lee monument

NPR News: "是奥密克戎变异了，还是专家变异了？"：中国放弃"清零"，困惑与假消息蔓延

"是奥密克戎变异了，还是专家变异了？"：中国放弃"清零"，困惑与假消息蔓延
中国持续三年的"清零"政策突然转变之际，官方宣传让百姓困惑，虚假消息也在此间蔓延。

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Science - December 21, 2022 at 06:59AM - "是奥密克戎变异了，还是专家变异了？"：中国放弃"清零"，困惑与假消息蔓延

NPR News: Goodnight, sweet spacecraft: NASA's InSight lander may have just signed off from Mars

Goodnight, sweet spacecraft: NASA's InSight lander may have just signed off from Mars
InSight's end has long been in sight, with NASA warning that it would likely be inoperative by the end of the year. The lander went quiet this weekend and shared a tweet it said might be its last.

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Science - December 21, 2022 at 01:39AM - Goodnight, sweet spacecraft: NASA's InSight lander may have just signed off from Mars

NPR News: Popular COVID FAQs in 2022: Outdoor risks, boosters, 1-way masking, faint test lines

Popular COVID FAQs in 2022: Outdoor risks, boosters, 1-way masking, faint test lines
Let's revisit some of 2022's still relevant queries. Like: Does one-way masking help? What's the risk of outdoor transmission? What's up with faint lines on tests?

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Science - December 20, 2022 at 09:19PM - Popular COVID FAQs in 2022: Outdoor risks, boosters, 1-way masking, faint test lines

NPR News: Confusion and falsehoods spread as China reverses its 'zero-COVID' policy

Confusion and falsehoods spread as China reverses its 'zero-COVID' policy
As China lifts its stringent zero-COVID policy, public health messaging has taken a U-turn. People are grappling with the whiplash, trying to find a way to protect themselves and loved ones.

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Science - December 20, 2022 at 07:00PM - Confusion and falsehoods spread as China reverses its 'zero-COVID' policy

NPR News: Fewer abortions, more vasectomies: Why the procedure may be getting more popular

Fewer abortions, more vasectomies: Why the procedure may be getting more popular
In response to growing abortion restrictions, many health care providers report a rising number of patients seeking vasectomy care.

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Science - December 20, 2022 at 05:00PM - Fewer abortions, more vasectomies: Why the procedure may be getting more popular

NPR News: Why snow is turning pink at high altitudes

Why snow is turning pink at high altitudes
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks Western Washington University environmental science professor Robin Kodner about algea that is turning snow pink at high altitudes.

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Science - December 18, 2022 at 07:56PM - Why snow is turning pink at high altitudes

NPR News: P-22, Hollywood's famous mountain lion, is euthanized after suffering injuries

P-22, Hollywood's famous mountain lion, is euthanized after suffering injuries
For years, the wild mountain lion's presence in LA captured the adoration of the city's residents. Wildlife officials said they "compassionately euthanized" the ailing animal on Saturday.

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Science - December 18, 2022 at 02:58AM - P-22, Hollywood's famous mountain lion, is euthanized after suffering injuries

NPR News: Perceiving without seeing: How light resets your internal clock

Perceiving without seeing: How light resets your internal clock
We mark our days by sunlight, with special receptors in our eyes that respond to light and help reset our body clocks each day. This man can't see, but is still a circadian wiz. Here's how.

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Science - December 17, 2022 at 07:00PM - Perceiving without seeing: How light resets your internal clock

NPR News: The Keystone pipeline leaked in Kansas. What makes this spill so bad?

The Keystone pipeline leaked in Kansas. What makes this spill so bad?
The cause for the spill is still unclear. What's known is the type of oil that was piped: tar sands oil, also called diluted bitumen. It's a lot harder to clean up than conventional oil.

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Science - December 17, 2022 at 05:00PM - The Keystone pipeline leaked in Kansas. What makes this spill so bad?

NPR News: Researchers say time isn't real. So why are we all obsessed with it?

Researchers say time isn't real. So why are we all obsessed with it?
Even guardians of America's atomic clocks say time doesn't work the way we think it does.

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Science - December 16, 2022 at 05:01PM - Researchers say time isn't real. So why are we all obsessed with it?

NPR News: Physicists are still trying to understand time

Physicists are still trying to understand time
Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology track time with atomic clocks. But what is time, really? Physicists are still trying to answer that question.

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Science - December 16, 2022 at 04:19AM - Physicists are still trying to understand time

NPR News: How close are we actually to fusion energy powering society?

How close are we actually to fusion energy powering society?
Fusion energy has remained a distant dream for decades, but scientists announced they got more energy back than they put in to create the reaction. How close are we to fusion energy powering society?

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Science - December 15, 2022 at 04:37AM - How close are we actually to fusion energy powering society?

NPR News: Tips to keep you and your family safe from the tripledemic during the holidays

Tips to keep you and your family safe from the tripledemic during the holidays
NPR asked a handful of public health experts how to approach a holiday season with not one but three respiratory pathogens helping fill hospitals: COVID, the flu and RSV.

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Science - December 14, 2022 at 05:00PM - Tips to keep you and your family safe from the tripledemic during the holidays

NPR News: Tips to keep you and your family safe from the tripledemic during the holidays

Tips to keep you and your family safe from the tripledemic during the holidays
NPR asked a handful of public health experts how to approach a holiday season with not one but three respiratory pathogens helping fill hospitals: COVID, the flu and RSV.

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Science - December 14, 2022 at 05:00PM - Tips to keep you and your family safe from the tripledemic during the holidays

NPR News: China reduces COVID-19 case number reporting as virus surges

China reduces COVID-19 case number reporting as virus surges
China's National Health Commission is scaling down its daily COVID-19 report starting Wednesday after a sharp decline in PCR testing even though daily cases are hitting record highs.

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Science - December 14, 2022 at 12:29PM - China reduces COVID-19 case number reporting as virus surges

NPR News: Scientists announce nuclear fusion breakthrough

Scientists announce nuclear fusion breakthrough
Scientists announced a major breakthrough in nuclear fusion. They were able to coax more power out of an experiment than they put in.

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Science - December 14, 2022 at 04:33AM - Scientists announce nuclear fusion breakthrough

NPR News: What is the significance of the fusion breakthrough?

What is the significance of the fusion breakthrough?
Department of Energy scientists announced a breakthrough in nuclear fusion. NPR's Rob Schmitz speaks with Scott Hsu, lead fusion coordinator at DOE, about what this means for the future.

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Science - December 14, 2022 at 03:41AM - What is the significance of the fusion breakthrough?

NPR News: A spectacular meteor shower called the Geminids will peak on Tuesday evening

A spectacular meteor shower called the Geminids will peak on Tuesday evening
The Geminids meteor shower, one of the best and most reliable of the year, will peak on Tuesday night.

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Science - December 13, 2022 at 10:41PM - A spectacular meteor shower called the Geminids will peak on Tuesday evening

NPR News: What does the nuclear fusion breakthrough mean for the future?

What does the nuclear fusion breakthrough mean for the future?
NPR's Rob Schmitz talks to Dennis Whyte of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center at MIT, about what the expected announcement about fusion energy means for climate and energy sustainability on Earth.

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Science - December 13, 2022 at 07:14PM - What does the nuclear fusion breakthrough mean for the future?

NPR News: CRISPR gene-editing may boost cancer immunotherapy, new study finds

CRISPR gene-editing may boost cancer immunotherapy, new study finds
Using CRISPR to modify certain immune cells could make cancer-fighting immunotherapy more potent for a broader set of patients. Two people who went through the treatment share their stories.

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Science - December 13, 2022 at 05:00PM - CRISPR gene-editing may boost cancer immunotherapy, new study finds

NPR News: How Medicare Advantage plans dodged auditors and overcharged taxpayers by millions

How Medicare Advantage plans dodged auditors and overcharged taxpayers by millions
A KHN investigation found when some Medicare Advantage plans got a rare federal audit, they couldn't produce billing records for care they said they'd provided. Some blamed fire, flood — or doctors.

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Science - December 12, 2022 at 05:00PM - How Medicare Advantage plans dodged auditors and overcharged taxpayers by millions

NPR News: More than 60 ancient Roman-era graves were discovered in Gaza

More than 60 ancient Roman-era graves were discovered in Gaza
Hamas authorities in the Gaza Strip announced the discovery of over 60 tombs in an ancient burial site dating back to the Roman era.

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Science - December 12, 2022 at 07:19AM - More than 60 ancient Roman-era graves were discovered in Gaza

NPR News: From COVID to mpox to polio: Our 9 most-read 'viral' stories in 2022

From COVID to mpox to polio: Our 9 most-read 'viral' stories in 2022
It was a big year for viruses, which simply refused to be ignored. And unlike the previous two years, COVID had to share the spotlight.

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Science - December 10, 2022 at 12:30AM - From COVID to mpox to polio: Our 9 most-read 'viral' stories in 2022

NPR News: What it's like to remember nearly every face

What it's like to remember nearly every face
Yenny Seo remembers nearly every face — that's because she is a super recognizer. She describes what it's like to live with this extraordinary ability.

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Science - December 9, 2022 at 08:39PM - What it's like to remember nearly every face

NPR News: Is lecanemab the Alzheimer's drug that will finally make a difference?

Is lecanemab the Alzheimer's drug that will finally make a difference?
The experimental drug lecanemab was able to slow down Alzheimer's in a large study. Many researchers think the drug will become the first to help large numbers of patients.

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Science - December 8, 2022 at 06:00PM - Is lecanemab the Alzheimer's drug that will finally make a difference?

NPR News: 50 years since the last Apollo astronauts went to the moon, NASA is finally going back

50 years since the last Apollo astronauts went to the moon, NASA is finally going back
December 7, 1972 was the launch of the final mission in NASA's Apollo moon program. Fifty years later, NASA finally seems poised to return people to the lunar surface.

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Science - December 8, 2022 at 01:29AM - 50 years since the last Apollo astronauts went to the moon, NASA is finally going back

NPR News: 8 cups of water a day could be too much

8 cups of water a day could be too much
The guidance dates back to 1945 and actually said we were all supposed to consume 64 ounces of water a day from many sources, including our food, but it's often mis-interpreted as 8 cups of water.

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Science - December 7, 2022 at 07:04PM - 8 cups of water a day could be too much

NPR News: UN biodiversity convention aims to slow humanity's "war with nature." Here's what's at stake.

UN biodiversity convention aims to slow humanity's "war with nature." Here's what's at stake.
Delegates from nearly 200 countries are gathering in Canada to try to fix humanity's relationship with nature. The convention comes during an emerging extinction crisis.

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Science - December 7, 2022 at 05:00PM - UN biodiversity convention aims to slow humanity's "war with nature." Here's what's at stake.

NPR News: The long-lost remains of the last known Tasmanian tiger have been found in a cupboard

The long-lost remains of the last known Tasmanian tiger have been found in a cupboard
The skeleton and skin of what is believed to be the last Tasmanian tiger have been stashed away in a cupboard at a museum in Tasmania, where experts lost track of the bizarre looking creature.

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Science - December 6, 2022 at 05:00PM - The long-lost remains of the last known Tasmanian tiger have been found in a cupboard

NPR News: Death metal singers have a vocal counterpart ... in bats

Death metal singers have a vocal counterpart ... in bats
Bats and death metal singers have more in common than a love of the dark. A new study has found that some of bats' lower frequency calls appear to use a technique similar to death metal growling.

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Science - December 4, 2022 at 05:01PM - Death metal singers have a vocal counterpart ... in bats

NPR News: After record election year, some LGBTQ lawmakers face a new challenge: GOP majorities

After record election year, some LGBTQ lawmakers face a new challenge: GOP majorities
Montana state Rep.-elect Zooey Zephyr is the first openly trans woman elected to the state legislature. She and other lawmakers across the country are now faced with trying to curb anti-LGBTQ bills.

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Science - December 3, 2022 at 05:00PM - After record election year, some LGBTQ lawmakers face a new challenge: GOP majorities

NPR News: With one dose, new drug may cure sleeping sickness. Could it also wipe it out?

With one dose, new drug may cure sleeping sickness. Could it also wipe it out?
This often fatal disease found in many African countries is painful and lengthy to treat. But a single oral dose proved incredibly effective in a clinical trial, raising hopes of eradication.

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Science - December 3, 2022 at 03:37AM - With one dose, new drug may cure sleeping sickness. Could it also wipe it out?

NPR News: What we know about the deadliest U.S. bird flu outbreak in history

What we know about the deadliest U.S. bird flu outbreak in history
The U.S. is enduring its worst poultry health disaster, with some 52.7 million birds dead. Unlike another recent outbreaks, this one has lasted through the summer — and it's still going strong.

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Science - December 2, 2022 at 05:00PM - What we know about the deadliest U.S. bird flu outbreak in history

NPR News: The FDA considers easing restrictions on blood donations by gay and bisexual men

The FDA considers easing restrictions on blood donations by gay and bisexual men
The Food and Drug Administration is likely to propose easing restrictions on blood donations by gay and bisexual men.

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Science - December 2, 2022 at 04:33AM - The FDA considers easing restrictions on blood donations by gay and bisexual men

NPR News: 3 tribes dealing with the toll of climate change get $75 million to relocate

3 tribes dealing with the toll of climate change get $75 million to relocate
The Biden administration gave $75 million in aid to the three communities in Alaska and Washington. Eight other Tribal communities received an additional $40 million.

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Science - December 1, 2022 at 05:01PM - 3 tribes dealing with the toll of climate change get $75 million to relocate