Science

Science

DNA, It Turns Out, Is A Lot More Loopy

6:58pm January 11, 2015

There's another image for DNA that goes beyond the double helix — bundles and bundles of loops. NPR's Arun Rath talks to researcher Suhas Rao about how this discovery could help fight disease.

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'Blood Of The Tiger': Shedding Light On China's Farmed-Tiger Trade

6:47pm January 10, 2015

by NPR Staff

The endangered animals are bred for luxury items, like tiger bone wine and tigerskin rugs. By raising the demand for these goods, the farms pose a threat to wild tigers, says author J.A. Mills.

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The Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Saturday.

SpaceX Launch Successful; Recovery Attempt 'Close, But No Cigar'

6:46pm January 10, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The private launch contractor resupplying the ISS said a plan to recover the rocket's spent first stage at sea hit a snag.

Rocket Landing At Sea Was 'Close But No Cigar'

11:31am January 10, 2015

An experimental rocket launched by SpaceX Saturday was a partial success. A cargo capsule will reach the International Space Station, but the spent rocket failed to land on a barge in the Atlantic.

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Science
Arts

'Theory Of Everything' Probes Stephen Hawkings' Love, Not Theory

11:31am January 10, 2015

The Theory of Everything actor Eddie Redmayne tells NPR's Linda Wertheimer about the challenges of portraying a genius. This story originally Nov. 8 on Weekend Edition Saturday.

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A photo prop sits in May 2003 outside the Wedding Chapel, one of two commercial chapels in Ringgold, Ga. The town of 2,422 issued 2,259 marriage the year before, and added $700,000 to the economy, because of the cheap cost and the plethora of related serv

Science

Want Your Marriage To Last? Start With A Huge, Cheap Wedding

5:04pm January 09, 2015

by Meghan Walsh

Research last year found that more attendees at your wedding means a lower chance for divorce — but so does spending as little as possible on the festivities, and even on the engagement ring.

Science

Innovation vs. Invention

10:26am January 09, 2015

by Shawn Fitzmaurice

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Women with the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health demonstrate Wednesday outside the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. A federal appeals court in New Orleans is considering whether a Texas law puts up an unconstitutional obst

Texas Abortion Case May Hinge On Definition Of 'Undue Burden'

6:53pm January 08, 2015

by Carrie Feibel

A federal appeals court this week is once again weighing whether Texas restrictions on clinics that perform abortions are too onerous for women who seek the procedure. How far is too far to drive?

By measuring activity in different parts of the brain, neuroscientsts can get a sense of how some people will respond to treatments.

Brain Scans May Help Predict Future Problems, And Solutions

5:55pm January 08, 2015

by Jon Hamilton

Brain imaging can help researchers tell if people are more likely to be able to quit smoking or have trouble with reading. But those tests aren't yet ready for the doctor's office or classroom.

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The human papilloma virus causes most — but not all — cases of cancer of the cervix.

Specialists Split Over HPV Test's Role In Cancer Screening

12:49pm January 08, 2015

by Rob Stein

An HPV test could replace the Pap smear for many women, two groups of physicians say. But other doctors, including the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, still urge dual testing.

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