Science

The days may be getting longer, but Minnesota winters can be awfully dark. This new special from the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives' Gray Matters series looks at the way light and dark affect the body's own internal clock.

Despite huge advances in surgical techniques and the increase in drugs and devices to help the heart, more Americans still die of heart disease than any other illness. Two prominent heart doctors talk about future treatments that hold promise.

Marie Curie's groundbreaking scientific work was haunted by her own mental illness and the disease caused by a radioactive element she revered.

The last cell phone-free zone may soon disappear. The Federal Communications Commission agreed this week to open public discussion on whether airlines may allow cell phone use during flights.

Computers may actually hinder learning. That's according to a new study by researchers at the University of Munich. Host Kerri Millers examines the impact computer technology has had on public education in the United States.

As solstice approaches and nights grow longer, Minnesotans have extended opportunities to gaze at the stars. The director of the Minneapolis Planetarium discusses stars, planets and the meteor shower that's lighting up night skies around the world.

The chairman of the President's Council on Bioethics says he supports two new proposals that could allow scientists to create human embryonic stem cells without destroying embryos. Despite some recent support for stem cell research in California, the debate over its ethical implications continues.

Dinosaur fossils recently uncovered in China prove some tyrannosaurs had feathers, not scaly skin. Another newly discovered set of remains provides a first-ever look at how the prehistoric creatures slept. A Minnesota paleontologist talks about current dinosaur research as well as a new dinosaur exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota.

At the state Capitol Monday, a University of California scientist presented an array of research showing the corn herbicide atrazine causes deformities in frogs -- and may pose threats to humans as well. Studies show the problems occur at atrazine levels commonly found in drinking water all across Minnesota.

One of the controversial issues in this year's presidential campaign is stem cell research. While both President George W. Bush and his Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry favor research on adult stem cells, they have very different positions on embryonic stem cell research. In August of 2001, Bush decided to restrict public funding for research on embryonic stem cells to already existing cell lines. Kerry has said that, as president, he would reverse those restrictions. Embryonic stem cells are capable of becoming almost any type of cell or tissue in the body, which makes them valuable in the search for medical treatments. But the research also raises ethical questions, and many opponents say it destroys human life. The University of Minnesota's Stem Cell Research Institute is a leader in the field. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Catherine Verfaillie, director of the Institute.