Science

One possible result in the Mighty Mini Mammals division of 2015's Mammal March Madness tournament. If the species that's seeded highest always wins its bracket, the fennec fox will beat out the rest of the division and advance to the final four.

Science

Could A Quokka Beat A Numbat? Oddsmakers Say Yes

7:05pm March 28, 2015

by Adam Cole

In "Mammal March Madness," you win or die. No basketball in this tournament — it's a simulated survival-of-the-fittest game set up by evolutionary biologists. The battle cry? Mammals suck ... milk!

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Science

Birder Finds Panama Packed With Species, But No Harpy Eagles

10:56am March 28, 2015

There are more species of birds in Panama than all of North America. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Ray Brown, host of the radio program Talkin' Birds, who just returned from the country.

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A worker kicks up dust as he drives a tractor at a farm on Aug. 22, 2014 near drought-stricken Firebaugh, Calif.

Calif. Governor Can't Make It Rain, But Can Make Relief Money Pour

6:05pm March 27, 2015

by Kirk Siegler

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed his sweeping $1.1 billion emergency drought relief bill Friday. It funds water infrastructure improvements like flood control and aid for farmworkers.

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is seen inside a Soyuz simulator at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center on March 4 in Star City, Russia. Kelly, along with Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko of the Russian Federal Space Agency, are scheduled for launch Frida

Science

NASA To Study A Twin In Space And His Brother On Earth

3:58pm March 27, 2015

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

During astronaut Scott Kelly's year in space, scientists will compare his physiology with that of his twin brother, Mark, to study the effect of prolonged space flight on the human body.

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Science

Meteorites and Distant Forming Solar-systems

3:47pm March 27, 2015

by Shawn Fitzmaurice

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Flight crew in cockpit, rear view (zoom effect).

Is There Any Way To Screen The World's Pilots For Suicidal Tendencies?

3:45pm March 27, 2015

by Emily Sohn

There are questionnaires that aim to identify people at risk of killing themselves. But the tests are flawed — and it's not at all clear they'd be effective in assessing the mental state of pilots.

A drone built by Agribotix, a Boulder startup, flies over a farm in Weld County, Colo. The drone has a camera that snaps a high-resolution photo every two seconds. From there, Agribotix stitches the images together, helping the farmer see what's happening

Is Colorado Primed To Become The Silicon Valley Of Agriculture?

8:31am March 27, 2015

by Luke Runyon

Colorado's food and ag industries have been growing two to four times faster than the state's economy overall. The state's economists are ever more hopeful about cornering the market on ag innovation.

A 2008 view of the leading edge of the Larsen B ice shelf, extending into the northwest part of the Weddell Sea. Huge, floating ice shelves that line the Antarctic coast help hold back sheets of ice that cover land.

Big Shelves Of Antarctic Ice Melting Faster Than Scientists Thought

8:01pm March 26, 2015

by Christopher Joyce

The rate at which the ice is shrinking at the ocean's edge in the West Antarctic has increased by 70 percent over the past decade, an analysis of satellite measurements suggests.

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In November, the Ebola virus found in Mali was surprisingly similar to strains circulating in Sierra Leone six months earlier.

Ebola Is Not Mutating As Fast As Scientists Feared

5:31pm March 26, 2015

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Many people have worried that Ebola could evolve into a more deadly virus — or start spreading through the air. A study published Thursday alleviates these concerns.

Tax preparation software doesn't always calculate the complexity of Affordable Care Act subsidies and credits properly.

Affordable Care Act Makes This Tax Season Painful For Many

5:08pm March 26, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

Figuring out the penalty for not signing up for health insurance is just one complication. Tax filers who made more money last year than they anticipated may have to pay back some of their subsidy.