You might think a gathering a group of the smartest minds would make for the smartest team. But a new study says that might not always be right. Groups with more females and groups whose members each contributed equally were most successful at completing given tasks.
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Collaboration Beats Smarts In Group Problem Solving
Posted: September 30th, 2010, 2:00pm CDT
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Honking While We Sleep
Posted: September 30th, 2010, 8:00am CDT
It’s goose-getaway time. Time to head south. And they don’t go quietly. What are those geese going on about? And why do so many of us notice?
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'Goldilocks' Planet's Temperature Just Right For Life
Posted: September 29th, 2010, 4:11pm CDT
Astronomers found a planet orbiting a star just 20 light-years away whose temperature is neither too cold nor too hot to harbor life. Scientists have not directly observed water there, but the planet’s mass is enough to hold onto an atmosphere and to protect liquid water on its surface.
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How Much Does A Hurricane Weigh?
Posted: September 28th, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
The phrase raining cats and dogs isn't quite right when you talk about hurricanes. This hurricane season, we throw an average one onto a cloud scientist's scale to see just how much water these monster weather machines carry through the sky.
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Chilled-Out Buildings Save Energy, Money
Posted: September 28th, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
A facility in Baltimore uses a high-tech version of old-fashioned ice to provide efficient, thrifty cooling to local buildings. Water is frozen at night when electricity is cheapest, then chills water circulated to buildings. Customers save about 10 percent on their energy costs.
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Chilled-Out Buildings Save Energy, Money
Posted: September 28th, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
A facility in Baltimore uses a high-tech version of old-fashioned ice to provide efficient, thrifty cooling to local buildings. Water is frozen at night when electricity is cheapest, then chills water circulated to buildings. Customers save about 10 percent on their energy costs.
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Court: Stem Cell Funds Can Continue For Now
Posted: September 28th, 2010, 6:02pm CDT
The ruling makes permanent, pending an appeal, the overturning of an injunction imposed last month by a lower court judge. The judge ordered a halt to embryonic stem cell research while he considered a lawsuit filed by two scientists. The Obama administration said even a temporary halt to the research could set back promising science.
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Celiac Disease Strikes Some Late In Life
Posted: September 28th, 2010, 2:58pm CDT
Gluten, a protein found in wheat, triggers the autoimmune disorder in people whose genes make them susceptible.
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Jim Parsons On The Science Of Sheldon, 'Big Bang'
Posted: September 28th, 2010, 10:30am CDT
Jim Parsons won the 2010 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of Sheldon Cooper, the socially awkward theoretical physicist in the venerable CBS nerd-comedy. He joins David Bianculli for a discussion about playing the eccentric prodigy.
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It's The Bomb! Vintage Explosion Photos
Posted: September 28th, 2010, 7:37am CDT
In the early stages of atomic experiments, the U.S. government hired Harold Edgerton to figure out how to photograph big bangs. His photographs, shared by the Smithsonian, are both spectacular and spooky.
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Studying Storms: NASA Looks For Hurricane's Secrets
Posted: September 27th, 2010, 11:01pm CDT
When Hurricane Karl slammed into Mexico earlier this month, dozens of scientists had a ringside seat. Aboard a NASA research plane, they surveyed the storm and collected data to better understand why some storms weaken while others suddenly grow stronger.
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At Oil Spill Hearing, Calls For New Response Plan
Posted: September 27th, 2010, 11:01pm CDT
Scientists and government officials summoned to the presidential commission investigating the Deepwater Horizon oil spill said Monday that the oil industry and responders were unprepared for such a catastrophic event and the nation needs a better plan to deal with big spills.
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How To Survive When Your Elevator Plunges
Posted: September 27th, 2010, 12:00am CDT
If you're ever stuck inside a falling elevator, what should you do? Stand up? Sit down? Jump? You'll want to know before it happens, because when the moment comes you are not going to have time to go to the library and pull out a textbook.
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DNA Is New Weapon In Fight Against Dogfighting
Posted: September 26th, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
Scientists hope a new DNA database for dogs will help track -- and prosecute -- people who breed dogs to fight. But advocates say there's a risk that the DNA records could be used against the dogs, or against people who adopt them.
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A No-Cringe Fix? Filling Cavities Without The Drill
Posted: September 26th, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
A widespread aversion to drills is inspiring some dentists to look for new ways to treat cavities without them. But some question whether a new treatment using a mild acid and resin will hold up over time.
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Wind May Have Helped Moses Part The Red Sea
Posted: September 26th, 2010, 1:16pm CDT
Using a computer model, Carl Drews of the the National Center of Atmospheric Research found that a strong wind blowing in the right spot could cause the water to bend, leaving a gap for the Israelites to pass through and escape Pharaoh's rule.
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Study: Wind May Have Helped Moses Part Red Sea
Posted: September 26th, 2010, 1:16pm CDT
Using a computer model, Carl Drews of the National Center for Atmospheric Research found that a strong wind blowing in the right spot could cause the water to bend, leaving a gap. Drews says his research supports the biblical account of the Israelites' escape from Pharaoh's rule.
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Biologist Tracks Walruses Forced Ashore As Ice Melts
Posted: September 25th, 2010, 6:54pm CDT
The Arctic ice that thousands of walruses usually live on has disappeared from Alaska's Chukchi Sea. The government is trying to figure out how the animals are coping with the dramatic change and whether to add them to its endangered species list.
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A Matter Of Wait: The Science Of Standing In Line
Posted: September 25th, 2010, 7:13am CDT
Next time you're stuck in line, take a second to observe. Is it straight? Does it curve? How long would it have to be before you'd give up? Turns out there's a whole army of scientists dedicated to pondering those sorts of questions. Guest host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with MIT professor Richard Larson.
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Loved Lasers, Lost: Venezuelan Nuclear Spy Accused
Posted: September 24th, 2010, 4:09pm CDT
Pedro Leo Mascheroni, the former scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory who is accused of trying to pass nuclear secrets to Venezuela, makes an unusual spy suspect. He hasn't been hiding from government officials; for twenty years he's been trying to get their attention.
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World's Most Precise Clocks Test Relativity
Posted: September 24th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
The world's most precise clocks can reveal tiny time dilations predicted by Einstein's theory of relativity -- but that's not all. Tom O'Brian of the National Institute for Standards and Technology talks about using these precise clocks in everything from cell phones to satellites.
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Defining Human Uniqueness In 'Almost Chimpanzee'
Posted: September 24th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
Humans and chimpanzees share very similar genes -- some analyses peg the differences at just 1 percent. But in his book Almost Chimpanzee, science writer Jon Cohen focuses on our differences, from the way we eat and communicate to our susceptibilities to disease and aging.
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Who Decides The Price Of Human Life?
Posted: September 24th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
Personalized medicine promises to deliver more tailored health care. But what if a person's genes reveal he won't get much benefit from the only available treatment? Ethicist Leonard Fleck discusses the tough decisions Americans face in deciding whether to pay for others' expensive treatments.
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Drilling Down To Rescue Miners
Posted: September 24th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
Three separate rigs are drilling escape shafts to free the 33 miners trapped half a mile beneath the Atacama desert in Chile. Mine safety advocate Davitt McAteer and drilling engineer Rudy Lyon discuss the technology being used in the rescue and how miners can be kept out of harm's way.
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Forensic Artists Use Talent To Solve Crimes
Posted: September 24th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
Many police departments use forensic artists to help solve crimes. From composite sketches to facial reconstructions, the work of these artists combines creativity, science and detective skills. Artist Karen T. Taylor and anthropologist Mary Manhein discuss the science behind forensic art.
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From White Paper To Wanted Sign
Posted: September 24th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
Stephen Mancusi worked for the New York Police Department for 27 years as a forensic artist. He specializes in composite sketching -- the process of interviewing victims and witnesses to create a drawing of a perpetrator that is released to help police find suspects.
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No Water In Calif. School Cafeterias? One Man Says There Should Be A Law
Posted: September 24th, 2010, 11:42am CDT
A survey of California schools found that 40 percent don't offer free drinking water in cafeterias. A bill on the governor's desk aims to change that. State Sen. Mark Leno is trying to do something about that,
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Bounding, Rebounding: Panthers Make A Comeback
Posted: September 23rd, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
By 1995, there were only about 25 Florida panthers remaining in the wild. A breeding program and careful monitoring have helped restore the population's health. But the big cats aren't out of the woods yet.
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Focus On Concussions Coincides With Football Season
Posted: September 23rd, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
Congress is interested, and researchers recently found that a college player who recently committed suicide had a degenerative brain disease normally linked to much older players. It's prompting a new round of questions about safety in the dangerous game that Americans love.
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Concussion Worries Renew Focus On Football Safety
Posted: September 23rd, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
As members of Congress look into safeguarding young athletes, researchers report that a college lineman who committed suicide had a degenerative brain disease normally linked to much older players. It's prompting a new round of questions about safety in the dangerous game that Americans love.
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Revealing, Reveling In Einstein's Relativity
Posted: September 23rd, 2010, 2:17pm CDT
Einstein's theory of relativity posits that time -- what we perceive to be regular, consistent ticks on our watches -- isn't actually constant. Thought experiments from the early 1900s challenged our understanding of time, and now scientists have actual data to back Einstein up.
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NPR's Krulwich Solves Science Puzzles Big And Small
Posted: September 23rd, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
NPR's Robert Krulwich has been unraveling complex science questions for years. He's tackled the discovery of laughing gas, nuclear detonations in space, how crows recognize people's faces and why leaves really fall off trees. Krulwich reveals where he comes up with his sometimes off-the-wall story ideas.
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Once In a Lifetime River Tour Starts Here! Unfortunately, Everybody’s Dead
Posted: September 23rd, 2010, 10:37am CDT
Zoom in on a daguerreotype of Cincinnati from 160 years ago. It's so sharp you'll feel like you just stepped on to the city streets, as if you had slipped into the 1840's with a pass key.
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Pollution Around The World
Posted: September 23rd, 2010, 8:00am CDT
New research data is able to give a satellite map of particulate pollution across the globe.
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Health Insurance Changes Come Too Late for Some
Posted: September 23rd, 2010, 6:55am CDT
Among the provisions of the new health law that go into effect today is a ban on the industry practice of revoking an insurance policy retroactively -- after a policyholder has racked up hefty medical bills. But consumer advocates worry the practice could continue.
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Insurance Rescission Ban Comes Too Late for Some
Posted: September 22nd, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
Among the provisions of the new health law that go into effect Thursday is the ban on the insurance industry practice of revoking an insurance policy retroactively, after a policyholder has racked up hefty medical bills. But consumer advocates worry the practice could continue.
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Retirement Or Research? Officials Debate Chimps' Fate
Posted: September 22nd, 2010, 2:47pm CDT
The National Institutes of Health plans to move 186 chimpanzees from a New Mexico facility to a Texas lab, where they'd be used in research to develop drugs and vaccines. But Gov. Bill Richardson, scientist Jane Goodall and animal rights activists argue the chimps should stay put, and their current home turned into a sanctuary.
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A Fishy Question About Genetically Engineered Salmon
Posted: September 21st, 2010, 12:07pm CDT
The FDA is moving closer to approval of the first genetically engineered animal for human food -- a farm raised, fast growing Atlantic salmon. But will consumers bite?
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Watching Butterflies Born On A Monarch Ranch
Posted: September 21st, 2010, 9:52am CDT
When gardener, commentator, and writer Julie Zickefoose cut down the milkweed in her garden, she wound up with a perfect environment for monarch butterflies. Now watching their progress has become a yearly autumnal treat.
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Scientists Probe 'Glue' That Keeps Oysters Together
Posted: September 21st, 2010, 3:00am CDT
Scientists say they've unraveled the recipe for the natural cement that oysters use to stick to each other, creating rock-like reefs. Surprise: It's mostly chalk.
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Gulf Well Is Capped, But Still 'Hell To Be Paid'
Posted: September 20th, 2010, 6:35pm CDT
The blown oil well in the Gulf of Mexico was declared "effectively dead" Sunday, but the legal and ecological ramifications are just starting to play out.
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Weird Facts About Genetically Engineered Salmon
Posted: September 20th, 2010, 1:30pm CDT
The engineered fish are sterile, have three sets of chromosomes and are exclusively female. After all that, they supposedly taste the same.
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The Junkman And The Madonna
Posted: September 20th, 2010, 2:25am CDT
Now that it's nearly fall and there is a hint again of things passing, I think about a wistful boy who once looked out a window and froze a junkman in time.
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The Dying Art Of The Physical Exam
Posted: September 19th, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
Doctors used to make their diagnoses based partly on the patient's history and a physical exam, but with the increasing use of high-tech medical tests, some doctors worry that the art of the medical exam is being lost.
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Human Connections Start With A Friendly Touch
Posted: September 19th, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
A simple, supportive touch leads to a surge of events in the heart, head and hormones. Studies suggest that touch can improve performance in students and athletes, make patients like their doctors more, and earn waitresses larger tips.
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The Fading Art Of The Physical Exam
Posted: September 19th, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
Doctors used to make their diagnoses based partly on the patient's history and a physical exam, but with the increasing use of high-tech medical tests, some doctors worry that the art of the medical exam is being lost.
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Despite Deeper Understanding Of Mental Illness, Stigma Lingers
Posted: September 17th, 2010, 2:46pm CDT
Researchers found that more people are aware that mental illness is rooted in brain biology. Still the knowledge hasn't decreased the stigma of the disease.
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To Spur Innovation, Offer Millions In Cash Prizes
Posted: September 17th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
Just as Charles Lindbergh was tempted to fly nonstop to Paris in hopes of winning a $25,000 prize, the U.S. government is offering millions of dollars in prize money to lure innovators into building better lightbulbs, cheaper satellite-launching spacecraft and more fuel-efficient cars.
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Why Are These Crows So Good With Tools?
Posted: September 17th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
New Caledonian crows are among only a handful of species that have been shown to use tools. They use twigs to fish out beetle larvae from dead trees. Reporting in Science, Christian Rutz and colleagues explore why the birds evolved this rare trait.
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White House Says ‘No’ To Solar Panel
Posted: September 17th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
Environmentalist Bill McKibben was hoping the Obama administration would reinstall a solar panel President Jimmy Carter once had on the White House. McKibben took the panel to Washington, D.C., but administration officials declined to put the panel back on the White House roof.
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Does The Universe Have a 'Dark Flow?'
Posted: September 17th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
Using measurements of the cosmic microwave background, researchers say, there’s evidence that galaxy clusters are being pulled along by a force outside the visible universe. Theoretical physicist Michael Turner explains this “dark flow” and other recent cosmology news.
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The Calculus Around You
Posted: September 17th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
In her new book The Calculus Diaries, writer Jennifer Ouellette describes the development of calculus, from Archimedes to Newton, and shows how calculus is a part of everyday life -- from amusement park rides and Vegas craps tables, to dieting and figuring out gas mileage.
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The Origins Of The Word 'Cell'
Posted: September 17th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
In the 1660s, Robert Hooke looked through a primitive microscope at a thinly cut piece of cork. He saw a series of walled boxes that reminded him of the tiny rooms, or cellula, occupied by monks. Medical historian Dr. Howard Markel discusses Hooke's coining of the word "cell."
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Teaching Doctors To Be Better Listeners
Posted: September 17th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
If doctors listen more carefully to patients' conversations about work and family life, they can pick up clues that lead to better treatment, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Author Dr. Alan Schwartz talks about training doctors to be better listeners.
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How We Pay Attention
Posted: September 17th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
Can you remember everything you see when you walk into a room? Why does our memory deceive us, even when we're confident we're paying attention? Psychologists Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons discuss what grabs our focus, and why.
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A T. Rex Renaissance: Big Decade For Dino Research
Posted: September 16th, 2010, 11:01pm CDT
This year scientists have identified six new species of the animal. Scientists say the T. rex discoveries are partly due to new techniques and partly due to its telegenic charisma -- one that even scientists are not immune from.
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T. Rex Renaissance: Big Decade For Dino Research
Posted: September 16th, 2010, 11:01pm CDT
This year scientists have identified six new species of the animal. Scientists say the T. rex discoveries are partly due to new techniques and partly due to its telegenic charisma -- one that even scientists are not immune from.
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This Too Shall Pass: Avoid Kidney Stones Through Diet
Posted: September 16th, 2010, 4:58pm CDT
There are lots of surgical interventions for kidney stones. But recent evidence suggests that a few dietary changes -- including eating more calcium-rich dairy -- may reduce the risk of developing stones.
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Sugar Beet Beatdown: Engineered Varieties Banned
Posted: September 16th, 2010, 3:00pm CDT
A federal judge says sugar beet farmers can't plant genetically engineered varieties next year, and those farmers, who produce half of America's sugar, now are in a bind. There aren't enough conventional seeds to go around.
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Where Your Brain Figures Out What It Doesn't Know
Posted: September 16th, 2010, 1:10pm CDT
There's a spot near the front of your brain where scientists believe you come to terms with what you know and what you don't.
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Assessing The BP Spill's Impact
Posted: September 16th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
BP’s ruptured Macondo well spewed millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon explosion in April, 2010. Months after the explosion, scientists are developing a clearer picture of the impact on the Gulf and its ecosystem. In a special broadcast, Talk of the Nation and National Geographic explain what we know about the state of the Gulf today.
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Explorers Assess The Health Of The World’s Oceans
Posted: September 16th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
The world's ocean ecosystems are as diverse as forests and deserts on land. While resilient, these systems are under stress from pollution, overfishing and climate change -- and some experts say it may be too late to repair the damage. In a special broadcast with National Geographic, two premier explorers explain the state of the world’s oceans and its habitats.
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X Prize Marks Fuel-Efficiency Spot For Future Cars
Posted: September 16th, 2010, 5:01am CDT
The top winner in the $10 million automotive X Prize competition is a gas-powered super-efficient vehicle made in the U.S. It can get more than 100 miles per gallon and carry four passengers. Two electric cars will also share the prize.
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Bacterial Bonanza: Microbes Keep Us Alive
Posted: September 15th, 2010, 11:00am CDT
There are 10 times more microbial cells on and in our bodies than there are human cells. And these bacteria aren't just there for the ride. Dr. Jeffrey Gordon explains how they contribute to the physiology of the human body and why they may hold the key to fighting some diseases.
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The Termite's Secret Weapon: Spit!
Posted: September 15th, 2010, 12:09am CDT
Imagine if your spit could lasso a bully, and knock him down. The amazing Australian meat ant can do it -- with just one shot.
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Books, Stress, Pizza: A Recipe For The 'Freshman 15'?
Posted: September 14th, 2010, 6:00am CDT
First-year college students typically gain about five pounds. That's not exactly the "freshman 15," but one psychologist says five pounds can lead to more weight gain when students fall into bad habits. And a simple awareness of weight can go a long way toward keeping off the pounds.
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Giant Sharks Swim Onto Species Watch List
Posted: September 13th, 2010, 12:14pm CDT
The basking shark, which can grow to be as long as a school bus, has been added to the "species of concern" list. That means the government doesn't yet have enough information to say it is threatened or endangered, but it might be. The decision opens up new money for research.
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Oh My Gosh, What Happened To Paraguay? And China, You Are So Big!
Posted: September 12th, 2010, 11:19pm CDT
A series of world maps show you where the richest, fattest and smartest people live. You can also spot the country that exports the most chicken and where you are most likely to be killed by extreme temperatures.
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Giving A Kidney, Gaining A Lifelong Friend
Posted: September 12th, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
Jeff Moyer reflects on the "unsurpassed gratification" he felt after successfully donating his kidney to Julie Stinson, the daughter of a friend. Kidney donation surgery is harder on donors than on recipients, Moyer says. But while his discomfort will soon end, Stinson will take anti-rejection drugs for years to come.
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Treating Blindness Takes More Than Meets The Eye
Posted: September 12th, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
Advances in medicine are making it increasingly possible to replace or regrow parts of the eye. But restoring sight may require changes in the brain as well -- and that's much harder to achieve.
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Studying And Surfing The Ocean's Monster Waves
Posted: September 11th, 2010, 7:04am CDT
Huge waves have confounded sailors, scientists and surfers for years, but author Susan Casey dives deep into the story of ship-swallowing seas in The Wave with history, scientific research and intrepid surfer Laird Hamilton.
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Scientists Find Thick Layer Of Oil On Seafloor
Posted: September 10th, 2010, 4:06pm CDT
Scientists on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico are finding a substantial layer of oily sediment stretching for dozens of miles in all directions. Their discovery suggests that a lot of oil from the Deepwater Horizon didn't simply evaporate or dissipate into the water -- it settled to the seafloor.
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Ground Zero Remains Continue To Be Recovered, ID'd
Posted: September 10th, 2010, 2:00pm CDT
New York's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner continues to identify victims' remains from the World Trade Center, using new methodologies. To date, more than 1,600 victims have been identified, while 1,123 have not.
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When To Test For Prostate Cancer?
Posted: September 10th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
Ads urge men of a certain age to get screened for prostate cancer. But is "test early, test often" the best approach? Otis Brawley of the American Cancer Society and Mark Scholz, author of Invasion Of The Prostate Snatchers, discuss other approaches.
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Happy Birthday, Buckyballs!
Posted: September 10th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
Twenty-five years ago this month, researchers first identified buckminsterfullerenes -- a previously undiscovered form of carbon shaped like a tiny soccer ball. Harry Kroto, who shared the Nobel Prize for the discovery, explains what's been learned about fullerenes since.
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Scientists Study What Makes A Man A Good Dancer
Posted: September 10th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
Evolutionary psychologist Nick Neave filmed men dancing, converted the videos into dancing avatars and asked women to rate the avatars' dancing ability. The researchers found that the highly rated male dancers had some moves in common. Some advice: Shake that right knee.
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The Cure For Malaria Could Be In A Mosquito's Gut
Posted: September 10th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
Reporting in the journal Science, researchers write that mosquitoes can fight off infection by the malaria parasite, and that their immune response is even more efficient the second time. Study author Carolina Barillas-Mury discusses whether mosquitoes themselves could help eradicate malaria.
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Does The 'Energy Star' Label Need An Update?
Posted: September 10th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
A review in Consumer Reports says it's good news so many products have become energy efficient but calls for strengthening Energy Star standards to guide consumers to truly efficient products. Ira Flatow and guests discuss that report and overlooked ways people can save energy at home.
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The Intelligence Of Crowds In 'The Perfect Swarm'
Posted: September 10th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
In his book The Perfect Swarm, Len Fisher talks about swarm intelligence -- where the collective ideas of a group add up to better solutions than any individual could have dreamed up, including an example of how UPS reorganized its driving routes using the logic of an ant colony.
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Tracking Coastal Erosion From Storms
Posted: September 10th, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
New data from sensitive airborne altimetry combined with undersea sensors is giving scientists better insight into how major storms can rapidly reshape coastlines. Reporter Sid Perkins discusses his Science News article on the scouring power of major storms.
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Determining 'Brain Age' With A Simple Scan
Posted: September 9th, 2010, 1:46pm CDT
Doctors can easily tell whether a child's body is growing normally. But they have a much harder time assessing the brain. Now, using a new type of MRI scan, they can more accurately determine a child's "brain age" and help identify children with developmental problems.
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Appeals Court Lifts Stem Cell Funding Ban For Now
Posted: September 9th, 2010, 12:30pm CDT
The federal court ruling permits government funding of stem cell research to proceed temporarily until the court rules on the merits of the Obama administration's position in the case.
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One Small Step For Man...
Posted: September 8th, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
Two of the most important human footsteps ever taken -- one on the moon in 1969, the other over three million years ago -- have both been preserved thanks to extraordinary circumstances. They reveal the curious nature of humanity.
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Fact Sheet: Traumatic Brain Injury
Posted: September 8th, 2010, 8:58pm CDT
Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is a sudden trauma to the brain caused by force. A severe TBI can leave a person almost incapable of functioning. But even a mild TBI, a concussion, can lead to a range of debilitating symptoms.
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Think Music Heals? Trombone Player Begs To Differ
Posted: September 8th, 2010, 3:00pm CDT
For years, trombone player Scott Bean had a cough that wouldn't quit. A doctor later figured out that mold and bacteria living in his trombone caused him to develop a condition that's being called "trombone players' lung."
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Thad Allen And Lessons Learned From The Gulf Oil Spill
Posted: September 8th, 2010, 12:06pm CDT
The retired admiral tells Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep about challenges he's faced as national incident commander for the spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
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BP Report Blames Multiple Companies For Gulf Spill
Posted: September 8th, 2010, 10:20am CDT
The oil giant's 193-page report says a sequence of failures led to the massive Gulf of Mexico spill that fouled waters and shorelines for months. The company's findings are far from the final word on possible causes of the explosion that sank the Deepwater Horizon drill rig.
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Embryonic-Stem-Cell Funding Stays Bottled Up
Posted: September 8th, 2010, 8:03am CDT
A federal judge ruled the government is wrong about a "parade of horribles" that a stay on funding of researcher involving human embryonic stem cells would have on the field. He refused to lift a preliminary injunction imposed last month.
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Scientists: Bacteria Consuming BP Oil
Posted: September 7th, 2010, 2:00pm CDT
Government scientists say they are seeing a zone in the Gulf of Mexico that has below-normal levels of oxygen. That indicates bacteria in the area are consuming some of the oil that spewed from BP's well.
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Will FDA Approve Genetically Modified Salmon?
Posted: September 7th, 2010, 2:00pm CDT
The Food and Drug Administration could approve genetically modified salmon for human consumption. Anne Kapuscinski, professor of Sustainability Science at Dartmouth College, offers her insight.
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Marine Scientists Seek Standards For Spill Research
Posted: September 7th, 2010, 1:54pm CDT
Much of the scientific effort that has followed the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has focused on how much oil escaped and where it's gone. But many biologists say they're puzzled by the lack of an organized research effort to measure the damage.
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Twisted History: The Wily Mississippi Cuts New Paths
Posted: September 7th, 2010, 8:12am CDT
The Mississippi River has been consistently changing its path across the American landscape. But the shape-shifting river made it not only fascinating and beautiful, but also deadly.
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Money Can Buy Happiness
Posted: September 7th, 2010, 12:42am CDT
People's emotional well-being -- happiness -- increases along with their income up to about $75,000, researchers report in Tuesday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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In Young Kids, Lack Of Sleep Linked To Obesity Later
Posted: September 6th, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
Infants and preschoolers who don't get enough nighttime sleep have higher odds of being obese as they grow up. And napping isn't a substitute. Over the past three decades, obesity rates have doubled among children age 2 to 5, and tripled among 6- to 11-year-olds.
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Un-Natural Selection: Human Evolution's Next Steps
Posted: September 6th, 2010, 4:11pm CDT
Millions of years ago, the natural environment was shaping us into the species we are now and humans evolved by natural selection. But as humans continue to evolve, we've turned the notion of natural selection on its head. Nature isn't the only force that picks the genes. Humans are doing it too.
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Wind Power Wanes With Fading Federal Incentives
Posted: September 6th, 2010, 3:00pm CDT
Wind power, one of the largest segments of the renewable energy market, will experience a sharp decline in growth this year. The slowdown comes as a surprise because the stimulus bill included $43 billion for energy projects -- a big boost for renewable forms of electricity.
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Camp For Alzheimer's Patients Isn't About Memories
Posted: September 5th, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
An unusual sleepover camp brings together about 20 people who have dementia for a weekend of music, dance, reminiscing and other activities that emphasize strengths instead of losses. While the campers typically won't remember details of the retreat, it lifts their mood, camp staffers say.
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Evolving Culture: Where Do We Go From Here?
Posted: September 5th, 2010, 11:00pm CDT
Humans are still evolving, but cultural evolution is far outpacing genetic evolution. Our environment and technology are changing so rapidly that genetic adaptations can't keep up. So we're adapting by learning new things and passing that knowledge onto the next generation.
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Mental Stimulation Postpones, Then Speeds Dementia
Posted: September 3rd, 2010, 11:01pm CDT
Keeping an active mind helps stave off the development of dementia. But being mentally active might speed up Alzheimer's once it hits, according to new research from Chicago's Rush University Medical Center.
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Former Skeptic Offers Ideas On Climate Change
Posted: September 3rd, 2010, 2:00pm CDT
Bjorn Lomborg, the controversial Danish economist, has pushed his way back into the global warming debate with a book that proposes "smart solutions" to climate change. Those promised solutions rely heavily on R&D aimed at making clean energy cheap, rather than attempts to shut down dirty energy sources. Lomborg says his views haven't changed, but more people are willing to listen to him because international negotiations on limiting greenhouse emissions have accomplished so little.
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Time To Get Tough, Environmentalists Say
Posted: September 3rd, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
With no climate change legislation coming out of the Senate, Sierra Club head Michael Brune says it's time to try a new strategy to fight global warming. Author Bill McKibben says it's time to get angry. Brune and McKibben discuss their ideas for curbing climate change.
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Insomnia Means More Than A Bad Night's Sleep
Posted: September 3rd, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
A new study says men who reported having insomnia and who slept less than 6 hours a night were four times more likely to die over a 14-year period when compared to men who reported sleeping well. Sleep researcher and psychiatrist Alexandros Vgontzas explains the finding.
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Can Cognitive Exercise Speed Up Dementia?
Posted: September 3rd, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
New research suggests that seniors who did mentally stimulating activities such as crossword puzzles postponed the loss of thinking skills, but had an accelerated rate of decline once dementia set in later in life. Neuropsychologist Robert S. Wilson explains the finding.
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Stocky Dinosaur With Menacing Toes Unearthed
Posted: September 3rd, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
Reporting in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers describe a new predatory dinosaur from the late Cretaceous period in Europe. Balaur bondoc (Romanian for "stocky dragon") is huskier than its relative the Velociraptor.
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Is Organically Produced Food More Nutritious?
Posted: September 3rd, 2010, 12:00pm CDT
Reporting in the journal PLoS ONE, researchers write that organically grown strawberries contain more antioxidants and vitamin C than conventional berries. Ira Flatow and guests discuss the findings, and whether the differences would have any meaningful impact on Americans' health.
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No God Needed To Create Universe, Hawking Says; Your Thoughts?
Posted: September 3rd, 2010, 9:39am CDT
The famed physicist argues in a new book that "spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing."
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Health Law Myths: Outside The Realm Of Reality
Posted: September 2nd, 2010, 11:01pm CDT
Are you really going to have to have a computer chip implanted in your head as part of the new health law? Will the law allow President Obama to create his own private army? While there are outrageous rumors circulating about the health law, some claims are grounded in truth.
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God Not Needed To Create Universe, Hawking Says
Posted: September 2nd, 2010, 5:57pm CDT
In his new book, The Grand Design, the British physicist says unraveling a complex series of theories will explain the universe. The book, written with American physicist and author Leonard Mlodinow, will be published Sept. 9.
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Fire Extinguished On Gulf Oil Platform
Posted: September 2nd, 2010, 2:38pm CDT
An investigation is under way to determine the cause of an explosion Thursday on an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico. All 13 people aboard the rig were found floating in the water and rescued. The Coast Guard said initial reports of an oil sheen on the water could not be confirmed.
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After 35 Years, Unlikely Navy Caregivers Receive Recognition
Posted: September 1st, 2010, 4:42pm CDT
The USS Kirk's rescue of 20,000 to 30,000 Vietnamese refugees in the last days of the Vietnam War is now being heralded as one of the most important humanitarian missions in the history of the U.S. Navy.
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5 Big Health Issues On Campus
Posted: September 1st, 2010, 4:02pm CDT
Dropping off your wide-eyed 18-year-old on campus for the first time? Here's what college health officials say students and their parents need to keep in mind for a healthy school year.
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Justice Department Appeals Stem Cell Funding Stay
Posted: September 1st, 2010, 8:17am CDT
The argument for lifting a stay on research funding is that even a temporary halt in the flow of money could set back work that has been years in the making.