Science

Science

Many Paleontologists Today Are Part Of The 'Jurassic Park' Generation

5:29pm July 10, 2018

Paleontology is experiencing a golden age, with a new dinosaur species discovered every 10 days on average. Those inspired by the film Jurassic Park as children are now exiting Ph.D. programs and injecting the field with new talent.

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Spotted Lanternfly Could Be Worst Invasive Species In 150 Years

4:51pm July 10, 2018

by Susan Phillips

International shipping sometimes brings unwanted guests: invasive species. The latest invader, the spotted lanternfly, threatens fruit and hardwoods. It's recently spread to Pennsylvania.

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Cristina Pato performing at NPR's Tiny Desk.

Science

Want A Creative Spark? Get To Know Someone From Another Culture

8:30am July 10, 2018

by Shankar Vedantam

We find comfort in the familiar, but do we find creativity? New research supports the claim that diverse teams are more innovative.

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How Phoenix Is Trying To Keep People Cool As Temperatures Rise

8:34pm July 09, 2018

As the climate warms, temperatures are spiking and heat waves are more frequent. Phoenix — one of the country's hottest cities — aims to be a model in figuring out how to keep people cool.

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Piestawa Peak in Phoenix. Hiking trails and desert areas are a common location for heat related deaths, which have been on the rise in recent years.

Phoenix Tries To Reverse Its 'Silent Storm' Of Heat Deaths

6:40pm July 09, 2018

by Will Stone

By 2100, Phoenix summers could resemble the 114-degree averages found in Kuwait. The city wants to become a model for coping in a warming world.

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Mumbai's Juhu beach is strewn with trash at low tide during monsoon season. Floodwaters flush garbage out of the city and into the Arabian Sea. As tides ebb, beaches are blanketed in trash, much of it plastic.

An Indian State Bans Plastic Bags, Straws And More. Will It Work?

3:35pm July 09, 2018

by Lauren Frayer

In Mumbai, beaches are strewn with plastic trash, so now there's a ban on plastics — and penalties for violators. But there are some exceptions.

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The alkali bee is slightly smaller than a honey bee, with opalescent stripes that shimmer between yellow, green, red and blue.

Native Bees And Alfalfa Farmers — A Seedy Love Story

2:42pm July 09, 2018

by Aaron Scott

Northwest farmers produce a quarter of the country's alfalfa seeds, but they get help from millions of alkali bees, thanks to one of the most unique agricultural partnerships in the country.

The Science — And Environmental Hazards — Behind Fish Oil Supplements

1:37pm July 09, 2018

by Terry Gross

Author Paul Greenberg says the harvesting of tiny fish for omega-3 supplements is having a ripple effect, leading to less healthy and bountiful oceans. His new book is The Omega Principle.

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When ticks come into contact with clothing sprayed with permethrin, research shows, they quickly become incapacitated and are unable to bite.

To Repel Ticks, Try Spraying Your Clothes With A Pesticide That Mimics Mums

11:23am July 09, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

Just in time for summer hikes and outdoor play, a study finds that the ticks that often convey Lyme disease become unable to bite, and soon die, after exposure to clothing treated with permethrin.

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Climate Change Scorecard

8:44am July 08, 2018

A year after the U.S. pulled out of the Paris climate agreement, NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with Elliot Diringer of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions for an update.