Science

Science

Study Examined Germ Levels In Men's Beards Versus Dogs

6:33am April 17, 2019

Researchers wanted to know whether they could use the same MRI scanners for dogs and people. They swabbed the machines used by 18 bearded men and 30 dogs. The beards had higher microbial levels.

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CRISPR gene-editing technology allows scientists to make highly precise modifications to DNA. The technology is now starting to be used in human trials to treat several diseases in the U.S.

First U.S. Patients Treated With CRISPR As Human Gene-Editing Trials Get Underway

7:27pm April 16, 2019

by Rob Stein

This could be a crucial year for the powerful gene-editing technique CRISPR as researchers start testing it in patients to treat diseases such as cancer, blindness and sickle cell disease.

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Climate Change Is 'Greatest Challenge Humans Have Ever Faced,' Author Says

1:59pm April 16, 2019

by Dave Davies

Bill McKibben, who first warned of climate change 30 years ago, says its effects are now upon us: "The idea that anybody's going to be immune from this anywhere is untrue." His new book is Falter.

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Gentoo penguins sit on an Antarctic iceberg in a scene from the new Netflix nature documentary series Our Planet.

Science
Arts

'Our Planet' Nature Documentary Addresses The 800-Pound Gorilla — Human Impact

9:28pm April 15, 2019

by Ari Shapiro

The new Netflix series takes a hard look at the effects of our behavior on the natural world. Series producer Alastair Fothergill says that this is a different, more urgent type of show.

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A team of researchers found a surprisingly large amount of microplastic in the air in the Pyrenees mountains in southern France.

Microplastic Found Even In The Air In France's Pyrenees Mountains

6:05pm April 15, 2019

by Christopher Joyce

Tiny fragments broken down from larger pieces of plastic have already been found in rivers, lakes, oceans and in agricultural soil. But very few studies of wind-borne microplastic have ever been done.

The trick, of course, is to find moments of deep relaxation wherever you are, not just on vacation. Laughing with friends can be another way to start breaking the cycle of chronic stress, and help keep your heart healthy, too.

High Stress Drives Up Your Risk Of A Heart Attack. Here's How To Chill Out

9:28pm April 14, 2019

by Allison Aubrey

A study of siblings finds those who have a stress-related disorder have a 60 percent higher risk of heart attack or other cardiovascular event, compared to their less-stressed brothers and sisters.

Do You Love Lying In Bed? Get Paid By NASA To Do It For Space Research

8:33pm April 14, 2019

Researchers are currently looking for candidates who will stay in bed 24 hours a day, seven days a week for 60 straight days for a study on how the body adapts to weightlessness.

Science

Get Paid To Stay In Bed, For Space Science

8:03am April 14, 2019

NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with Jennifer Ngo-Anh of the European Space Agency about their planned study during which subjects will stay in bed for two months.

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A bowl of Honey Toasted Kernza. General Mills made 6,000 boxes of the cereal and is passing them out to spread the word about perennial grains.

Can This Breakfast Cereal Help Save The Planet?

9:59am April 13, 2019

by Dan Charles

Some environmentalists say food production needs a fundamental reboot, with crops that stay rooted in the soil for years, like Kernza, a prairie grass. Even General Mills says it likes the idea.

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Science

Should We Have Empathy For Those We Hate?

6:30am April 12, 2019

by Hanna Rosin

The latest episode of NPR's Podcast Invisibilia examines the history of empathy in American culture. In this era of political polarization, empathy has fallen out of fashion.

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