Science

Decoding 'the Most Complex Object in the Universe'

4:13pm June 14, 2013

The human brain contains some 100 billion neurons, which together form a network of Internet-like complexity. Christof Koch, chief scientific officer of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, calls the brain "the most complex object in the known universe," and he's mapping its connections in hopes of discovering the origins of consciousness.

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Science

Rolling Out Bamboo Bicycles

4:13pm June 14, 2013

Valid Cycles specializes in handcrafted bamboo bicycle frames. To be bike-ready, the bamboo must be cooked in an oven, stripped, and sealed. But after that, the founders of Valid Cycles say the bikes last as long as a metal one. We stopped by their shop — a barn in Woodinville, Washington — for a look at how the bikes are put together.

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At left: Beyond Eggs' egg-substitute product, a powder made of pulverized plant-based compounds. Right: Mother Nature's version.

Why Bill Gates Is Investing In Chicken-Less Eggs

1:34pm June 14, 2013

by Allison Aubrey

Investors like Gates are betting that our planet can't sustain the current rate of growth in animal-based foods for too much longer. Products like Beyond Eggs, a plant-based substitute, are designed to fill the void.

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What Bird Flocks And Fish Schools Can Teach Us About The Future

4:19pm June 13, 2013

Birds flock. Insects swarm. Fish swim in schools. These are all examples of collective behavior, a concept that has fascinated scientists for decades. For a recent piece in Wired Magazine, science writer Ed Yong explains what this research could tell us about predicting the future.

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Science

Fancy Feet: Wild Cheetahs Excel At Acceleration

6:02am June 13, 2013

by Rhitu Chatterjee

Cheetahs don't often hunt at their top speed, scientists are finding. Come mealtime, what matters most is the animals' ability to accelerate and to take tight corners.

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Massive Bat Cave Stirs Texas-Size Debate Over Development

6:28pm June 11, 2013

by Ryan Loyd

Every night for thousands of years, bats have poured out of the Bracken Cave Reserve, near San Antonio, by the millions. But conservationists are worried that plans for a housing development nearby will disrupt the bats' rural habitat.

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Men outside a hospital in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, wear surgical masks as a precaution against infection with a coronavirus.

Triple Threat: Middle East Respiratory Virus And 2 Bird Flus

8:11am June 11, 2013

by Richard Knox

Is the world on the verge of a pandemic? There are three reasons to think so. Two flu viruses are active, and a virus that bears a resemblance to SARS has cropped up in the Middle East. Each has devastating potential, but many early warnings of past pandemics have failed to materialize.

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Thierry Chopin from the University of New Brunswick examines a raft that holds strings of seaweed. The seaweed grows around pens of farmed salmon and soaks up some of the nutrients that would otherwise pollute the Bay of Fundy.

How To Clean Up Fish Farms And Raise More Seafood At The Same Time

5:38pm June 10, 2013

by Richard Harris

Coastal fish farms are a major source of the seafood we eat, but all the fish waste they generate takes a toll on the environment. So a researcher in Canada is trying to clean up fish farms by creating an ecosystem where fish waste gets taken up by other valuable seafood commodities, like shellfish and kelp.

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City Life Disrupts Daily Rhythm Of Birds

7:08am June 10, 2013

by Rhitu Chatterjee

City life can be harsh on people. For example, it pushes people to work longer and sleep less. A new study suggests that city life can have a somewhat similar effect on birds too. It shows urban blackbirds wake up earlier and go to bed later than their forest dwelling cousins.

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Projected image of the complete Blacktip Reef exhibit.

Aquarium Sculptors Create Coral For Conservation Awareness

10:42pm June 08, 2013

by NPR Staff

Colorful, fake coral gives aquarium visitors an eco-friendly glimpse inside a reef. At the National Aquarium in Baltimore, a new reef exhibit presents an artistic challenge to the coral fabrication team.

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