BREAKING NEWS: Science (2)

Explorer Shackleton’s lost ship as never seen before

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 01:50:56 +0000

A new 3D scan shows Endurance exactly as it is 3,000m down in Antarctica’s icy waters.

Can Your Electric Vehicle Catch Fire During a Hurricane?

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:34:07 +0000

E.V. batteries that are submerged in saltwater can catch fire after the floods subside, but experts say it’s a rarity.

Wildlife numbers fall by 73% in 50 years, global stocktake finds

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:26:56 +0000

Global wildlife populations have shrunk by an average of 73% in the past 50 years, data shows.

Solar storm could disrupt communications and display northern lights to parts of California

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 23:37:42 +0000

A severe geomagnetic storm could disrupt communications and bring northern lights to parts of California, according to a warning from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Pioneering advances in protein design and study tools wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 23:29:35 +0000

This year's prize has gone to three researchers who pioneered how to design and analyze proteins, one of the building blocks of life. Though this year, none of the science Nobels has gone to a woman.

U.S. Warns of Solar Storm That Could Bring Northern Lights and Power Concerns

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 23:12:51 +0000

An explosion of particles is expected to reach Earth on Thursday, and could lead to visible Northern Lights in much of the country while also raising power grid concerns.

Latest WWF Wildlife Survey Points to ‘Alarming’ Declines

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 23:01:06 +0000

The results from an important ongoing assessment look grim. But the survey is often misunderstood.

U.S. Races to Replace IV Fluid Supplies After Hurricane Helene

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 22:48:57 +0000

The F.D.A. has authorized shipments from overseas plants to ease shortages of IV bags caused by Hurricane Helene as hospitals begin rationing fluids to protect the sickest patients.

Google Researchers Win Nobel Prize Amid Company’s Antitrust Battle

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 22:43:05 +0000

Two of the company’s A.I. researchers shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, just hours after the Justice Department started spelling out plans that could lead to its break up.

Scientists: We Are on the Brink of Irreversible Disaster

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 20:00:00 +0000

An international coalition of scientists has delivered a report on the Earth that is the equivalent of a doctor telling a patient to sit down for a very serious talk. The climate experts say they assessed 35 of the planet's "vital signs," and 25 were worse than ever before, including...

NSF congratulates laureates of the 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 19:57:02 +0000

The U.S. National Science Foundation congratulates David Baker, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper on being awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry. Baker and his colleagues revolutionized protein design enabling the creation of protein structures…

‘Severe’ Earth-bound solar storm could bring northern lights far south

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 19:36:24 +0000

Influx of solar energy and particles could affect power systems and satellite operations.

Secret to long and healthy life more down to genes than diet – research

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 18:20:48 +0000

Study on mice suggests fasting my help some live longer but not everyone would benefit from reduced calorie intake.

Lynx, tiger and tadpoles, oh my: See the Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 18:12:41 +0000

Winner, The Bigger Picture, Wetlands: The Swarm of Life by Shane Gross, Canada. Western toad (Anaxyrus boreas) tadpoles swim among lily pads in a lake on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.'/>

A lynx stretching in the sun, tadpoles swimming beneath lily pads and an investigator dusting a tusk for prints are among the winning images from the newest Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards.

(Image credit: Shane Gross)

Nobel Prize in Chemistry Goes to 3 Scientists for Predicting and Creating Proteins

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 18:10:06 +0000

The Nobel, awarded to David Baker of the University of Washington and Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper of Google DeepMind, is the second this week to involve artificial intelligence.

Mama bear beats rival who killed her cub to win Fat Bear Week

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 15:43:17 +0000

The brown bear, named 128 Grazer, also defeated her rival, Chunk, last year to win the title.

Does Your School Use Suicide Prevention Software? We Want to Hear From You.

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 14:46:19 +0000

Concerned about anxiety and depression among students, some schools are monitoring what children type into their devices to detect suicidal thinking or self-harm.

Nobel Prize awarded to Google DeepMind researchers who pioneered new AI system

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 14:13:39 +0000

‘AlphaFold’ tool has the potential to transform our understanding of the building blocks of life

What to Know About the 2024 Nobel Prizes

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 13:14:45 +0000

The annual prizes are being announced this week.

Researchers work to make pitch-perfect turf for the 2026 World Cup

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 11:49:06 +0000

Researchers work to grow grass that will offer the same level playing field for athletes at the various soccer venues that will be used during the 2026 FIFA World Cup

(Image credit: Sophia Saliby)

New cheek swab test can predict your risk of death within next 12 months, scientists say

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 11:27:47 +0000

Test establishes link between specific genes and processes behind human mortality

Chemistry Nobel Recognizes 'Spectacular Proteins'

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 11:03:32 +0000

The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded Wednesday to scientists David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper for their work with proteins. Baker works at the University of Washington in Seattle, while Hassabis and Jumper both work at Google DeepMind in London, per the AP . Baker designed a new protein...

Stressed bees make pessimistic choices, research shows

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 10:30:28 +0000

Scientists say their study shows how animals are displaying a similar response to how humans react to a set-back

Nobel Prize in chemistry awarded to scientists for work on proteins

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 10:16:51 +0000

The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded Wednesday to David Baker, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for their work with proteins. The awards continue with the literature prize on Thursday.

(Image credit: Jeff Chiu)

Scientists long urged NASA to search for signs of life near Jupiter. Now it's happening

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 10:00:33 +0000

NASA JPL's Europa Clipper spacecraft, the largest planetary probe ever built, will launch as early as Friday to explore Jupiter's icy ocean moon.

Study: Severe COVID raised risk of heart attack, stroke as much as having heart disease

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 10:00:28 +0000

People hospitalized for COVID-19 early in the pandemic suffered an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and other serious "cardiac events," researchers say.

California hospitals scramble on earthquake retrofits as state limits extensions

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 10:00:05 +0000

California legislators for years have granted extensions on a 1994 law requiring hospitals to retrofit their buildings to withstand earthquakes. Gov. Gavin Newsom in September vetoed an extension for all hospitals but signed a bill granting relief to rural and "distressed" hospitals and some others.

Google DeepMind boss wins Nobel for proteins breakthrough

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 09:50:25 +0000

Three scientists share the prize for their revolutionary work on proteins, the buildings blocks of life.

What is microRNA? Understanding the 2024 Nobel Prize-winning breakthrough

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 09:49:56 +0000

Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun are awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine for discovering microRNA, a genetic switch that can regulate gene functions. This discovery offers potential treatments for cancer, heart disease, and viruses, although no treatments have yet reached patients.

In Toronto, Exploring a Wilderness in the Heart of the City

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 09:02:31 +0000

A sprawling network of ravines threaded through Canada’s largest city offers urban explorers an oasis of birdsong, burbling creeks and whispering trees.

In a rematch, mama bear Grazer defeats rival that killed her cub to win Fat Bear Week

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 08:01:31 +0000

The annual Fat Bear Week honors bears that have sufficiently bulked up in the months before entering hibernation.

(Image credit: F. Jimenez/AP)

How one of humanity’s most important inventions fuelled deadly witch hunts in Europe

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 07:35:07 +0000

Early books and influence of nearby cities created perfect conditions for persecution of women, study says

It's a Poignant Win at This Year's Fat Bear Week

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 07:14:43 +0000

The winner of Fat Bear Week 2024 is, for the first time in the contest's history, a mama bear who was actively caring for a cub at the time of her win. Not only that, but 128 "Grazer" also won last year's competition , giving her back-to-back titles, the Washington Post...

Why some people love scary movies

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 07:00:59 +0000

In human history, fear kept us safe when running from predators and anxiety kept us from going back to that lion-infested area. But what happens when these feelings get out of hand in humans today? And why do some of us crave that feeling from scary movies or haunted houses? For answers, we turn to Arash Javanbakht, a psychiatrist from Wayne State University. He likes studying fear so much, he wrote a whole book called Afraid. This episode, he gets into the difference between fear and anxiety, many of the reasons people feel afraid and why things like scary movies could even be therapeutic.

Want to know more about the science behind what keeps you up at night? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we might cover it on a future episode!

(Image credit: Crazytang)

Video Shows the Moment Hurricane Hunters Get Jolted

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 06:47:03 +0000

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration uses its "Hurricane Hunters"—two Lockheed WP-3D Orion aircraft—to fly into the eyes of these storms and collect data. Even so, it's jarring to watch a video from onboard one of the planes, dubbed "Miss Piggy," and watch the violence inside as severe...

Geoffrey Hinton warns of AI’s growing danger after Nobel Prize win

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 06:16:13 +0000

The British-Canadian scientist warned the technology increases the risk of cyber-attacks, fake videos and political interference.

Mysterious 5,000-year-old jade dragons could reveal origins of Chinese civilisation

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 05:43:01 +0000

‘Pig-headed dragons’ are related to Hongshan culture that once flourished in Inner Mongolia and nearby provinces of Liaoning and Hebei

Climate change made Helene more dangerous. It also makes similar storms more likely

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 04:01:36 +0000

Researchers found that Hurricane Helene was stronger, rainier, and significantly more likely because of climate change. The U.S. can expect more such storms in the future as warming continues.

(Image credit: Joe Raedle)

Climate Change Increased Rain and Wind Speeds of Helene

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 04:01:15 +0000

In cooler times, a similarly rare storm over the Southeast would have delivered less rain and weaker winds, a team of scientists concluded in an analysis.

Nobel Physics Prize Awarded for Pioneering A.I. Research by 2 Scientists

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 01:38:12 +0000

With work on machine learning that uses artificial neural networks, John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton “showed a completely new way for us to use computers,” the committee said.

Oppenheimer’s Communist Past Draws New Attention

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 00:37:31 +0000

As a group of historians and a top biographer square off, proponents of a middle path see a tangled life in which the superstar of science was, and was not, a true Communist at the same time.

Ruth Glacier in Alaska Hides America’s Deepest Gorge

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 00:07:28 +0000

A famed explorer was sure the ice hid something profound. Ninety years later, scientists have put forth the strongest evidence yet that he was right.

Auckland and Otago Universities drop in just-released world rankings

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 23:01:00 +0000

NZ's top universities fall in new world rankings as sector group says there's work to do.

NASA seeks logistics designs for Artemis moon missions

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 22:34:39 +0000

Private industry in the United States will have an opportunity to provide NASA with designs for a lander and vehicle that will help supply future Artemis missions to the moon.

Biden Requires Lead Drinking-Water Pipes to be Replaced Nationwide

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 22:17:00 +0000

The “historic” rule aims to eliminate a major source of lead poisoning and comes a decade after a drinking-water crisis in Flint, Mich.

Researchers who helped lay the groundwork for AI win Nobel Prize in Physics

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 21:29:06 +0000

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to University of Toronto's Geoffrey Hinton and Princeton University's John Hopfield for their work on artificial intelligence.

A.I. Pioneer Geoffrey Hinton Reflects on Winning the Nobel Prize

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 20:44:47 +0000

The computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton spoke with The Times shortly after learning he had won the Nobel Prize for Physics.

Hurricane preparedness: Expert guidance on flooding, power outages and more

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 20:14:10 +0000

The Atlantic hurricane season isn't over yet. Get ahead of the next storm with these emergency preparedness tips to protect you, your family and your home.

(Image credit: Spencer Platt)

Dozens of patients file suit against former OB-GYN and Cedars-Sinai, alleging misconduct

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:31:29 +0000

Thirty-five women are suing a Beverly Hills obstetrician-gynecologist, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other medical practices, alleging decades of misconduct.

Does My Home Have Lead Pipes? And What Can I Do About Them?

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:26:24 +0000

New rules will require utilities to replace lead pipes nationwide. That will take time, but you can protect yourself by taking these steps.