NPR News: That giant extinct shark, Megalodon? Maybe it wasn't so mega

That giant extinct shark, Megalodon? Maybe it wasn't so mega
The ancient extinct shark that starred in the film The Meg is thought to be the largest shark that ever swam the Earth. But there's debate over what it really looked like.

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Science - January 26, 2024 at 05:20PM - That giant extinct shark, Megalodon? Maybe it wasn't so mega

NPR News: This week in science: Invasive ants, ancient chewing gum, and return of the cicadas

This week in science: Invasive ants, ancient chewing gum, and return of the cicadas
NPR's Juana Summers talks with Regina Barber and Pien Huang of Short Wave about a double emergence of cicadas this spring, invasive ants in Kenya, and the secrets in an ancient wad of chewing gum.

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Science - January 26, 2024 at 04:21AM - This week in science: Invasive ants, ancient chewing gum, and return of the cicadas

NPR News: JN.1 takes over as the most prevalent COVID-19 variant. Here's what you need to know

JN.1 takes over as the most prevalent COVID-19 variant. Here's what you need to know
The CDC estimates that up to 86% of new COVID-19 cases stem from the latest mutation. The virus continues to evolve so rapidly that "our immune systems have not been able to keep up," an expert says.

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Science - January 26, 2024 at 03:00AM - JN.1 takes over as the most prevalent COVID-19 variant. Here's what you need to know

NPR News: Texas cold leaves alligators frozen underwater, but still alive. Here's how

Texas cold leaves alligators frozen underwater, but still alive. Here's how
Alligators rely on external sources to regulate their body temperatures — so during winter, they will go into brumation. A viral video captured the phenomenon during the Texas winter freeze.

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Science - January 25, 2024 at 05:00PM - Texas cold leaves alligators frozen underwater, but still alive. Here's how

NPR News: Arno Penzias, co-discoverer of the Big Bang's afterglow, dies at age 90

Arno Penzias, co-discoverer of the Big Bang's afterglow, dies at age 90
Penzias, with his colleague Robert Woodrow Wilson, discovered the cosmic microwave background while working at Bell Labs in the 1960s. The finding was the smoking gun evidence for the Big Bang.

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Science - January 25, 2024 at 03:59AM - Arno Penzias, co-discoverer of the Big Bang's afterglow, dies at age 90

NPR News: Amateur archaeologists uncover a mysterious ancient Roman artifact in England

Amateur archaeologists uncover a mysterious ancient Roman artifact in England
More than 100 of these artifacts have been found across Europe, but no one knows what they were used for. This dodecahedron was discovered fully intact and in excellent condition.

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Science - January 25, 2024 at 12:01AM - Amateur archaeologists uncover a mysterious ancient Roman artifact in England

NPR News: The megalodon maybe wasn't so mega, research suggests

The megalodon maybe wasn't so mega, research suggests
The megalodon went extinct 3.6 million years ago, and is thought to be the largest shark that ever swam the Earth. But the megalodon may not have been as big as once thought, some researchers suggest.

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Science - January 24, 2024 at 04:42AM - The megalodon maybe wasn't so mega, research suggests

NPR News: New fossils suggest kelp forests have swayed in the seas for at least 32 million years

New fossils suggest kelp forests have swayed in the seas for at least 32 million years
A new study of kelp forests from the coast of Washington state show that kelp forests, which host all manner of marine life, developed tens of millions of years ago.

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Science - January 23, 2024 at 05:00PM - New fossils suggest kelp forests have swayed in the seas for at least 32 million years

NPR News: New kelp fossils may help explain the Pacific Ocean's underwater jungles

New kelp fossils may help explain the Pacific Ocean's underwater jungles
Newly discovered kelp fossils peg their existence to 32 million years ago. These fossils may help explain how the Pacific Ocean's underwater 'forests' came to be.

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Science - January 23, 2024 at 04:39AM - New kelp fossils may help explain the Pacific Ocean's underwater jungles

NPR News: If you donate DNA, what should scientists give in return? A 'pathbreaking' new model

If you donate DNA, what should scientists give in return? A 'pathbreaking' new model
That's how a prominent medical ethicist describes a researcher's innovative plan to share study results with participants in Kenya.

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Science - January 22, 2024 at 05:00PM - If you donate DNA, what should scientists give in return? A 'pathbreaking' new model

NPR News: Scientists map world's largest known deep-sea coral habitat

Scientists map world's largest known deep-sea coral habitat
NPR's Scott Detrow talks with Temple University biology professor Erik Cordes about the discovery of the world's largest known deep-sea coral habitat.

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Science - January 22, 2024 at 05:45AM - Scientists map world's largest known deep-sea coral habitat

NPR News: Billions of cicadas will buzz this spring as two broods emerge at the same time

Billions of cicadas will buzz this spring as two broods emerge at the same time
Billions of cicadas will emerge this spring across eastern and southern states as two broods arrive simultaneously for the first time in more than 200 years.

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Science - January 22, 2024 at 02:23AM - Billions of cicadas will buzz this spring as two broods emerge at the same time

NPR News: NASA is looking for Ingenuity after losing contact with the Mars helicopter

NASA is looking for Ingenuity after losing contact with the Mars helicopter
The helicopter stopped communicating with the Perseverance rover during a test flight. Trouble for the overachieving rotorcraft would cut short its new phase of otherworldly flight exploration.

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Science - January 21, 2024 at 03:03AM - NASA is looking for Ingenuity after losing contact with the Mars helicopter

NPR News: Global buzzwords for 2024: Gender apartheid. Climate mobility. Mega-election year

Global buzzwords for 2024: Gender apartheid. Climate mobility. Mega-election year
2024 will be awash in new (and sometimes familiar) buzzwords that point up the polycrises (another buzzword) around the planet. Here's a guide for the perplexed.

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Science - January 20, 2024 at 12:32AM - Global buzzwords for 2024: Gender apartheid. Climate mobility. Mega-election year

NPR News: A transforming robot is about to land on the moon, where it will die

A transforming robot is about to land on the moon, where it will die
A Japanese space agency manager calls it "a breathless, numbing 20 minutes of terror!" The process includes ejecting a robot onto the lunar surface, to take photos of the moon lander.

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Science - January 19, 2024 at 04:34AM - A transforming robot is about to land on the moon, where it will die

NPR News: Kids of color get worse health care across the board in the U.S., research finds

Kids of color get worse health care across the board in the U.S., research finds
From neonatal and primary care to emergency medicine, kids got lower quality care than their white peers, researchers find. Disparities include longer waits and less pain medication after surgery.

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Science - January 19, 2024 at 01:04AM - Kids of color get worse health care across the board in the U.S., research finds

NPR News: James Webb Telescope detects earliest known black hole — it's really big for its age

James Webb Telescope detects earliest known black hole — it's really big for its age
Data from the James Webb Space Telescope indicate that a galaxy known as GN-z11 has a supermassive black hole at its center — one that's far more massive than astronomers expected.

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Science - January 17, 2024 at 11:15PM - James Webb Telescope detects earliest known black hole — it's really big for its age

NPR News: An old relative of the T. rex sparks new questions about the dinosaur's origins

An old relative of the T. rex sparks new questions about the dinosaur's origins
Researchers say they've identified the oldest known Tyrannosaurus, shaking up the ongoing debate over how and when the dinosaurs arrived in North America.

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Science - January 15, 2024 at 05:00PM - An old relative of the T. rex sparks new questions about the dinosaur's origins

NPR News: Peregrine moon lander heads back toward Earth and should burn up in the atmosphere

Peregrine moon lander heads back toward Earth and should burn up in the atmosphere
The mission was to be the first time an American company sent a spacecraft to the moon — and the first time the U.S. returned to the lunar surface in more than 50 years.

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Science - January 15, 2024 at 02:06AM - Peregrine moon lander heads back toward Earth and should burn up in the atmosphere

NPR News: Coronavirus FAQ: Are we in a surge? How do you cope if your whole family catches it?

Coronavirus FAQ: Are we in a surge? How do you cope if your whole family catches it?
Are we in a surge? How would we know? Is winter now "COVID season?" And what do you do if your whole family got the coronavirus over the holidays? We tackle readers' coronavirus questions.

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Science - January 13, 2024 at 07:39PM - Coronavirus FAQ: Are we in a surge? How do you cope if your whole family catches it?

NPR News: This week in science: A moon mission, galaxy radio waves and tracking fishing boats

This week in science: A moon mission, galaxy radio waves and tracking fishing boats
NPR's TKTKTK talks to Regina Barber and Geoff Brumfiel of Short Wave about a new moon mission, a global map of fishing ships, and mysterious rings of radio waves surrounding some galaxies.

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Science - January 12, 2024 at 05:48AM - This week in science: A moon mission, galaxy radio waves and tracking fishing boats

NPR News: Blood tests can help diagnose Alzheimer's — if they're accurate enough. Not all are

Blood tests can help diagnose Alzheimer's — if they're accurate enough. Not all are
A new generation of blood tests can help doctors diagnose Alzheimer's without a brain scan or spinal tap. But only a few perform as well as traditional tests.

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Science - January 11, 2024 at 05:00PM - Blood tests can help diagnose Alzheimer's — if they're accurate enough. Not all are

NPR News: U.S. cut climate pollution in 2023, but not fast enough to limit global warming

U.S. cut climate pollution in 2023, but not fast enough to limit global warming
Climate-warming greenhouse gasses in the U.S. declined 1.9% last year, but that's only a third of what's needed to meet Paris climate change goals.

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Science - January 10, 2024 at 05:00PM - U.S. cut climate pollution in 2023, but not fast enough to limit global warming

NPR News: Don't let your resolutions wash away. Tips to turn a slow start into progress

Don't let your resolutions wash away. Tips to turn a slow start into progress
If you made a New Year's resolution but are struggling to get started or are already wavering, you may need to refine your goal and nail down a plan to get there. Try this evidence-based approach.

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Science - January 8, 2024 at 05:00PM - Don't let your resolutions wash away. Tips to turn a slow start into progress

NPR News: Monarch butterflies' migration patterns are changing. Scientists want you to help

Monarch butterflies' migration patterns are changing. Scientists want you to help
Researchers in the South want people to report Monarch butterfly sightings this winter as more butterflies seem to skip the long migration to breeding grounds in Mexico.

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Science - January 6, 2024 at 08:02PM - Monarch butterflies' migration patterns are changing. Scientists want you to help

NPR News: Cities with soda taxes saw sales of sugary drinks fall as prices rose, study finds

Cities with soda taxes saw sales of sugary drinks fall as prices rose, study finds
Soda taxes are meant to discourage people from drinking too much sugar, which is linked to a host of bad health outcomes. Cities that imposed the taxes saw a 33% decrease in the sale of sugary drinks.

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Science - January 6, 2024 at 07:00PM - Cities with soda taxes saw sales of sugary drinks fall as prices rose, study finds

NPR News: Don't look so blue, Neptune: Now astronomers know this planet's true color

Don't look so blue, Neptune: Now astronomers know this planet's true color
Neptune has long been depicted as a deeper, darker blue than its fellow ice giant Uranus, but a new study shows that both are a similar shade of light greenish blue.

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Science - January 5, 2024 at 10:07PM - Don't look so blue, Neptune: Now astronomers know this planet's true color

NPR News: Global wishes for 2024: Pay for family leave. Empower Black men. Respect rural voices

Global wishes for 2024: Pay for family leave. Empower Black men. Respect rural voices
We asked leaders in global health and development to share their wishes for the new year. Here's what they hope will happen in the year ahead.

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Science - January 4, 2024 at 11:51PM - Global wishes for 2024: Pay for family leave. Empower Black men. Respect rural voices

NPR News: Hearing aids may boost longevity, study finds. But only if used regularly

Hearing aids may boost longevity, study finds. But only if used regularly
Roughly 40 million adults in the U.S. have hearing loss, but most don't use hearing aids. This increases the risk of social isolation, physical and cognitive decline and may lead to premature death.

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Science - January 4, 2024 at 05:00PM - Hearing aids may boost longevity, study finds. But only if used regularly