The strange underground economy of tree poaching
A new book dives deep into the fascinating criminal world of tree theft and efforts to combat it.
Science
The story of Fred the mastodon
A mastodon named Fred, also known as the Buesching mastodon, is a distant relative of the modern elephant. Fred's skeleton is preserved in the Indiana State Museum.
Monkeypox outbreak in U.S. is bigger than the CDC reports. Testing is 'abysmal'
The testing system set up by the CDC actually deters doctors from ordering a monkeypox test, and many physicians aren't familiar with the disease, resulting in too few tests and little tracking.
Factual climate change reporting can influence Americans positively, but not for long
Climate change has impacted the world's water, air and land masses. But today's news media isn't designed to reinforce public belief, say researchers.
How 'superworms' could help solve the trash crisis
A new study from Australia shows that larvae of the darkling beetle can eat polystyrene — the material behind plastic foam.
Think all bacteria are microscopic? Tell that to these centimeter-long monsters
The largest bacteria known to science have been discovered in the Caribbean. They're visible to the naked eye and surprisingly complex.
The dangers of 'forever chemicals'
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Arlene Blum, executive director of the Green Science Policy Institute, about the EPA's warning about PFAS and how to navigate a world rife with "forever chemicals."
The human sensory experience is limited. Journey into the world that animals know
In his new book, An Immense World, science writer Ed Yong explores the diversity of perception in the animal world — including echolocation, magnetic fields and ultraviolet vision.
COVID vaccines are finally here for young kids. But the logistics aren't easy
NPR talks to Claire Hannan, who has helped navigate vaccine rollouts in all 50 states, about some of the challenges involved in quickly getting shots out to millions of young kids.
The way monkeys communicate could help explain how humans evolved to talk
Marmoset monkeys make complex vocalizations. Macaque monkeys don't. And the reason could help explain how the human brain evolved to produce speech.