Science

Science

Why Piling On Facts May Not Help In The Battle Against Fake News

8:42am March 14, 2017

by Shankar Vedantam

As the country has become more polarized, we increasingly disagree not just on policy, but on the facts. Can more and better information solve the problem of fake news?

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In July 2016, Rubins (left) and Jeff Williams (right), inside the International Space Station, maneuvered a supply spacecraft for docking.

A Microbe Hunter Plies Her Trade In Space

8:42am March 14, 2017

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Meet Kate Rubins, a virus-hunter turned astronaut. When she sequenced DNA in space for the first time, she opened the door to a new era in space biology.

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The myth that vaccines cause autism has persisted, even though the facts paint an entirely different story.

When It Comes To Politics and 'Fake News,' Facts Aren't Enough

9:00pm March 13, 2017

In politics, it sometimes feels like we can't agree on basic facts. But according to neuroscientist Tali Sharot, facts are not enough — emotions may be the key to changing our minds.

An 18th-century etching by artist John Kay depicts the extra tall Charles Byrne, the extra short George Cranstoun, and three contemporaries of more conventional height. Byrne made his living as a professional spectacle, and died at age 22 in 1783.

The Saga Of The Irish Giant's Bones Dismays Medical Ethicists

7:00pm March 13, 2017

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Charles Byrne was about 7 feet 7 inches tall, an 18th century marvel whose height came from a pituitary tumor. He asked for privacy in death, but his skeleton is still on display in a London museum.

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Over three years, a campaign urged Howard County, Md., residents to pare back on sugary drinks — through ads, social media, health counseling and changes to what vending machines sold. And it worked.

Un-Sweetened: How A Maryland County Cut Soda Sales Without A Soda Tax

5:26pm March 13, 2017

by Allison Aubrey

Over three years, a campaign urged Howard County, Md., residents to pare back on sugary drinks — through ads, social media, health counseling and changes to what vending machines sold. And it worked.

The name Boaty McBoatface is attached to three submersibles like this one, according to the BBC, instead of a large research vessel.

Boaty McBoatface Prepares For First Antarctic Mission

1:18pm March 13, 2017

by Camila Domonoske

After the Internet voted to name a U.K. research vessel "Boaty McBoatface," the results were overruled. But, as a consolation gesture, the name was given to a remote-controlled submersible.

Sometimes fast-acting chemotherapy can help slow an aggressive cancer — and give the slower-acting immunotherapies a chance to work.

Old-Style Chemo Is Still A Mainstay In The Age Of Targeted Cancer Therapy

10:37am March 13, 2017

by Richard Harris

Scientists hunting cures for cancer hope to find therapies with fewer side effects. But there's also new evidence that old-style chemotherapy sometimes helps gentler treatments work better.

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Tucker Lane and his mother, Lynn Cash, sit in the wooded backyard of his home in West Barnstable, Mass.

Beyond Lyme: New Tick-Borne Diseases On The Rise In U.S.

5:59pm March 12, 2017

The world is seeing more and more new diseases, and the U.S. is no exception. We're living in a hot spot for tick-borne diseases. Some are deadly. The key to stopping them may be an unlikely critter.

Getting kids to eat veggies through subterfuge — say, by sneaking spinach into smoothies -- sets the bar too low, researchers say. Your child must actually learn to like veggies, weird textures and all.

Save Hide And Seek For The Playground: Why Kids Should See Their Veggies

7:00am March 12, 2017

by Sujata Gupta

Getting kids to eat veggies through subterfuge — say, spinach smoothies -- sets the bar too low, researchers say. Your child must actually learn to like veggies, weird textures and all. Here's how.

Activists Work To Preserve Government Environmental Data

8:30am March 11, 2017

Scott Simon talks with historian Matt Price, whose group holds "hack-a-thons" to preserve scientific information. Activists fear environmental data will be harder to find under the new administration.