Play3min 33secWhen sea otters lose their favorite foods, they can use tools to go after new onesMay 20, 2024 5:07 AMBy Nell Greenfieldboyce Some otters rely on tools to bust open hard-shelled prey items like snails, and a new study suggests this tool use is helping them to survive as their favorite, easier-to-eat foods disappear.
At age 90, America's first Black astronaut candidate has finally made it to spaceMay 19, 2024 6:08 PMBy Scott Neuman Ed Dwight, a former Air Force test pilot who was passed over to become an astronaut in the 1960s, described his flight aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard as "life changing."
Private mission to save the Hubble Space Telescope raises concerns, NASA emails showMay 16, 2024 4:00 AMBy Nell Greenfieldboyce When a private space traveler said he wanted to take a SpaceX capsule on a mission to improve the aging Hubble telescope, NASA studied the options. Internal emails show concern about the risk.
What's worse for disease spread: animal loss, climate change or urbanization?May 15, 2024 4:36 PMBy Jonathan Lambert Scientists are looking at the ways humans change the planet — and the impact that has on the spread of infectious disease. You might be surprised at some of their conclusions.
As the FDA evaluates ecstasy treatment for PTSD, questions mount about the evidenceMay 13, 2024 1:25 PMBy Will Stone Clinical trials of MDMA have been promising, but concerns have emerged about the quality of the research. A June hearing scheduled by the Food and Drug Administration is likely to address them.
The first person to receive a genetically modified pig kidney transplant has diedMay 12, 2024 7:25 PMBy Emma Bowman Richard Slayman died almost two months after the historic procedure, the Boston hospital where he had the transplant said Saturday. At 62, he had the transplant to treat his end-stage kidney disease.
Play3min 48secVenus and Earth used to look like 'twin' planets. What happened?May 9, 2024 6:22 AMBy Regina G. Barber Earth, Mars and Venus all looked pretty similar when they first formed. Today, Mars is dry, cold, and dusty; Venus has a hot, crushing atmosphere. Why did these sibling planets turn out so different?
Play14min 05secNASA Administrator Bill Nelson says U.S. is in a space race to the moon with ChinaMay 6, 2024 4:00 AMBy Scott Detrow , Linah Mohammad , and Adam Raney NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told NPR he sees the U.S. in an urgent race with China to find water on the moon, and that he trusts SpaceX, despite Elon Musk's increasingly controversial profile.
Orangutan in the wild applied medicinal plant to heal its own injury, biologists sayMay 3, 2024 12:55 PMBy Bill ChappellIt is "the first known case of active wound treatment in a wild animal with a medical plant," biologist Isabelle Laumer told NPR. She says the orangutan, called Rakus, is now thriving.
Play4min 13sec‘For the bees’: Retiring U of M entomologist Marla Spivak reflects on long career of bee science, advocacyMay 2, 2024 4:00 AMBy Dan GundersonA University of Minnesota professor who is a widely recognized researcher and advocate for bees is retiring after more than 30 years. Marla Spivak created the U of M Bee Squad and the Bee Lab, and was awarded a McArthur Genius grant.