Science

Melodie Beckham (left), here with her daughter, Laura, had metastatic lung cancer and chose to stop taking medical marijuana after it failed to relieve her symptoms. She died a few weeks after this photo was taken.

Medical Marijuana's 'Catch-22': Limits On Research Hinder Patient Relief

8:20am April 07, 2018

Suffering Americans seek medical marijuana as an alternative to opioids and other powerful pharmaceuticals. Though legal in 29 states, doctors say the lack of strong data make it hard to recommend.

This Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, GOES East satellite image provided by NASA shows the eye of Hurricane Maria as it nears Dominica and before it struck Puerto Rico.

2018 Hurricane Season Will Bring Another Battery Of Storms

6:27pm April 06, 2018

by Vanessa Romo

Forecasters are cautioning the public to brace themselves, predicting 14 tropical storms this year. Seven are expected to become hurricanes and three of those are expected to be major hurricanes.

A prep cook at a San Francisco restaurant drops fish skin into a food scrap recycling container. Turning food waste into fertilizer is popular in parts of Europe and is catching on in the U.S. But tiny plastics are also making their way into that fertiliz

Another Place Plastics Are Turning Up: Organic Fertilizer From Food Waste

6:11pm April 06, 2018

by Christopher Joyce

Turning food waste into fertilizer is popular in parts of Europe and is catching on in the U.S. But tiny plastics are also making their way into that fertilizer — and into the food chain.

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After Raising Concerns About Scott Pruitt, A Number Of EPA Officials Were Demoted

4:48pm April 06, 2018

by Rebecca Hersher

A number of Environmental Protection Agency officials have been demoted or reassigned after raising concerns about the way EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is managing the agency, according to a report from The New York Times.

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Gun control supporters held up many signs but had one message at last month's March for Our Lives rally in Washington, D.C.

How The NRA Worked To Stifle Gun Violence Research

6:45pm April 05, 2018

by Samantha Raphelson

For decades, the group stood behind legislation that has ended up suppressing such studies through budget cuts and limits on what data can be shared.

Science

Are Humans Biologically Programmed To Fear What They Don't Understand?

6:15pm April 05, 2018

by Lulu Miller

In a world increasingly drawn to the black-and-white of defined categories, Allie n Steve Mullen has found living in between those categories to be invigorating. They switch between male and female throughout each day, based on their activities.

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Lockheed Martin's Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) concept's unique design would allow it to separate the shocks and expansions associated with supersonic flight, resulting in a soft thump rather than a disruptive bang.

NASA Hopes Supersonic X Plane Will Deliver Less Bang For The Buck

6:15pm April 05, 2018

by Joe Palca

The new plane will test technologies to reduce the loud boom planes make when they break the sound barrier.

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Barbara J. King takes a look at a new book exploring burgers and gender.

What Do Hamburgers Have To Do With Gender?

3:09pm April 05, 2018

by Barbara J. King

Meat and veggie burgers evolved together in the 20th century, but when it comes to associations with gender, their histories diverge. Anthropologist Barbara J. King explores a new book on the topic.

M spends so much time daydreaming that it interferes with her life.

Invisibilia: When Daydreaming Gets In The Way Of Real Life

2:19pm April 05, 2018

by Meredith Rizzo

In this episode of the Invisibilia podcast, our hosts explore how it feels to be "in between," including the story of one woman who spends so much time daydreaming that it interferes with her life.

Carrageenan is an extract derived from seaweeds like these harvested off Hingutanan Island, Bien Unido, Bohol, Philippines.

USDA Defies Advisers, Allows Carrageenan To Keep Organic Label

8:20pm April 04, 2018

by Dan Charles

The Department of Agriculture says organic-food makers can keep using carrageenan, a thickener made from seaweed. It's the second time this year that it has reversed an organic board's recommendation.