Science
Our Ability To Digest Alcohol May Have Been Key To Our Survival
Our primate ancestors could consume alcohol 10 million years ago in the form of fermented fruit, researchers have discovered. The finding suggests that our relationship with alcohol is ancient.
2014 To Be Warmest Year On Record, U.N. Weather Agency Says
The World Meteorological Organization says that so far, 2014 is 1.03 degrees Fahrenheit above a benchmark average. It would be the 38th consecutive year with an above normal global average, it says.
DNA Pioneer Watson's Nobel Prize Sells For $4.75 Million
The Nobel Prize that James Watson won for helping explain how DNA is structured has a new owner. Watson has said he'll donate much of the $4.75 million sales price to educational institutions.
Is HIV Evolving Into A Weaker Virus?
In parts of southern Africa, HIV has picked up mutations that slow down its ability to grow inside a person's blood. That's a good sign. But will it be enough to make a difference in the epidemic?
NASA Scrubs Launch Of Orion Spacecraft
After several issues, including high winds, stuck engine valves and a boat downrange of the launch site, the space agency said it would cancel today's planned launch of the new vehicle.
Blind From Birth, But Able To Use Sound To 'See' Faces
The area of the brain that recognizes faces can use sound instead of sight. That recent discovery suggests facial recognition is so important to humans that it's part of our most basic wiring.
World Climate Talks In Lima Aim To Move Beyond Kyoto Treaty
Unlike the 1997 Kyoto treaty, the plan on the negotiating table in Lima this week asks every country, developed and developing, to limit carbon emissions. Each nation would set its own target.
Taking Stock Of America's Toxic Sites And The Millions Living Near Them
A National Geographic article looks at toxic waste sites in the U.S. and the more than 49 million Americans who live near them. NPR's Eric Westervelt talks with writer Paul Voosen about his piece.
NASA To Test Orion Spacecraft For Long Future Missions
NASA plans to launch an unmanned capsule named "Orion" from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday. NASA hopes that Orion will one day carry astronauts beyond Earth's orbit and even to Mars.