Science

Magnified 25,000 times, this digitally colorized scanning electron micrograph shows Ebola virus particles (green) budding from an infected cell (blue).

Blood Test For Ebola Doesn't Catch Infection Early

8:48am October 29, 2014

by Richard Harris

A highly sensitive blood test for Ebola exists, so why isn't it being used to test all returning health workers from West Africa? Because the virus isn't in the blood in the first stages of infection.

Queue Listen Now

Farms outside Baghdad as seen from a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter. Much of Iraq's soil has a high salt content because of flooding and poor drainage.

Who Should Pay To Fix The World's Salt-Damaged Soils?

6:01pm October 28, 2014

by Alison Bruzek

The area of land no longer suitable for farming because of salt degradation is rising quickly. Scientists argue the private sector should help fund efforts to reverse it since it relies on the crops.

The Case Against Mandatory Ebola Quarantines For Health Workers

1:17pm October 28, 2014

The New England Journal of Medicine published an editorial against quarantining people who have worked with Ebola patients in Africa. Renee Montagne speaks with Dr. Lindsey Baden, one of the authors.

Queue Listen Now

A geologist maps the margin of the lava flow in the open field below Cemetery Road near the town of Pahoa on the Big Island of Hawaii. Dozens of residents from the village may be forced to evacuate.

Hawaii Lava Flow Less Than 100 Yards From Homes In Pahoa Village

9:10am October 28, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The flow, which began at Mount Kilauea in June, threatens to take out dozens of homes on the Big Island.

Caribous doing their business in mountain ice have left a viral record hundreds of years old.

Ancient Viruses Lurk In Frozen Caribou Poo

8:58am October 28, 2014

by Geoff Brumfiel

A 700-year-old caribou dropping from northern Canada holds surprisingly well-preserved viruses. There's no evidence the viruses are dangerous, but they are scientifically interesting.

Queue Listen Now

The Limbic Reward System lights up when curiosity is piqued.

Curiosity: It Helps Us Learn, But Why?

5:42pm October 27, 2014

by Maanvi Singh

New research suggests that curiosity triggers chemical changes in the brain that help us better understand and retain information.

Science

Sandwich (Replacement) Monday: Soylent

4:24pm October 27, 2014

by Eva Wolchover

For this week's Sandwich Monday, we try Soylent, a meal-replacement substance. It's the thing to eat if you hate eating.

These pomegranates are about an inch smaller than the typical size, but they're packed with antioxidants.

Why California's Drought-Stressed Fruit May Be Better For You

1:36pm October 27, 2014

by Sasha Khokha

Is California's severe drought hurting the nutrient content of fruit? No, preliminary data on pomegranates suggest. The fruit may be smaller, but packed with more antioxidants, tests show.

Patients with certain kinds of brain damage can wind up with locked-in syndrome: they may be able to think just fine, but are unable to communicate their thoughts to others. A recently published case study shows that a non-invasive brain-computer interfac

From Brain To Computer: Helping 'Locked-In' Patient Get His Thoughts Out

10:08am October 27, 2014

by NPR Staff

"When I first saw him he had a little bit of eye movement and that was really the only way he could communicate," says Eric Sellers, who helped a patient use a brain-computer interface to communicate.

Queue Listen Now

Science

'Freakish' Sunspot Wows Astronomers

10:07am October 27, 2014

by Scott Neuman

AR 2192, the largest sunspot seen since the beginning of the current 11-year cycle that started in 2008, is producing strong solar flares.