Science

Hidden Brain: Relationship Between Having Babies And The Economy

8:21am March 06, 2018

by Shankar Vedantam

Americans tend to have more children in a strong economy. Research suggests that conceptions might be a leading economic indicator — meaning declines in conceptions can predict the next downturn.

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Someday, we might be able to customize the microbes we feed cows to help reduce their methane emissions.

Mysteries of the Moo-crobiome: Could Tweaking Cow Gut Bugs Improve Beef?

8:00am March 06, 2018

by Menaka Wilhelm

Microbe-free bovine life would be rough. Cows rely on single-cell accomplices for their digestion, so scientists are looking for ways to use these bugs to improve cows' eating and burping habits.

Flooding in Boston's North End during a nor'easter storm on March 2, 2018. A new government report suggests floods will become more common over the next century.

New Report Predicts Rising Tides, More Flooding

6:39pm March 05, 2018

by Christopher Joyce

The report, obtained by NPR, shows that so-called "sunny-day flooding" may be a regular occurrence in some areas.

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Underwater grasses and a crab pot near Crisfield, Md. In the Chesapeake Bay, underwater seagrass beds are growing, sheltering crabs and fish. The long-awaited recovery depends on efforts by farmers to prevent nutrients from polluting the giant estuary.

Grass Is Back In The Chesapeake, And Crabs Will Follow

3:01pm March 05, 2018

by Dan Charles

In the Chesapeake Bay, underwater seagrass beds are growing, sheltering crabs and fish. The long-awaited recovery depends on efforts by farmers to prevent nutrients from polluting the giant estuary.

Harnessing the power of wearable devices, data, education and a peer support group, people with prediabetes can lose weight and fend off the disease.

This Chef Lost 50 Pounds And Reversed Prediabetes With A Digital Program

1:11pm March 05, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

People with prediabetes like a Washington state chef reversed the diagnosis using a digital program that harnesses the power of wearable devices, data, education, e-coaching and peer support.

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Picture shows what scientists say are Neanderthal cave-paintings inside the Andalusian cave of Ardales, on March 1, 2018. The cave-paintings, found in three caves in Spain, were created between 43,000 and 65,000 years ago, at least 20,000 years before mod

Why Won't The Old Caveman Stereotypes For Neanderthals Die?

9:20am March 05, 2018

by Barbara J. King

New evidence suggests Neanderthals made cave art — and they may also have created religious rituals. It's time to let go of Neanderthal-human "border policing," says anthropologist Barbara J. King.

It's one thing to track your heart rate, pulse or other movements with a smart watch or other consumer electronics, researchers say, but quite another to rely on the device to diagnose a disease.

Like It Or Not, Personal Health Technology Is Getting Smarter

5:52am March 05, 2018

by Angus Chen

Tech evangelists say consumer electronics that sense, stream and interpret vital signs will lead to better health and lower costs. But skeptics say reliability and privacy issues still loom.

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Science

Family Tree Goes Back 11 Generations, Includes 13 Million People

8:11am March 04, 2018

by Renee Montagne

Thirteen million people and 11 generations later, researchers have mapped out what may be the largest family tree to date.

In Florida, Flamingos Aren't Making A Comeback — They've Been There All Along

6:08pm March 03, 2018

by Nancy Klingener

South Florida's wild flamingo population was wiped out by the plume trade in the 1800s — or so scientists thought.

A customer approaches the window at Saartj, a pop-up food stall in New Orleans running a social experiment. Customers of color are charged the listed $12 price for a meal. White customers are told about the income gap in New Orleans between whites and Afr

Food Stall Serves Up A Social Experiment: Charge White Customers More Than Minorities

10:17pm March 02, 2018

by Maria Godoy

To highlight racial income disparity, a chef in New Orleans opened a food stall, asking whites to pay $30 and people of color to pay $12 for the same meal. How did it play out?