Science

Without including a "control group" of sepsis patients who get the usual mix of drugs and fluids, even a big study comparing two other experimental approaches won't deliver helpful answers, critics say.

Critics Trying To Stop A Big Study Of Sepsis Say The Research Puts Patients At Risk

10:21am August 28, 2018

by Richard Harris

The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen also says the multicenter study of life-threatening sepsis will at best produce confusing results. A Harvard doctor and designer of the research disagrees.

Queue Listen Now

A researcher showed people a picture of The Thinker in an effort to study the link between analytical thinking and religious disbelief. In hindsight, the researcher called his study design "silly". The study could not be reproduced.

In Psychology And Other Social Sciences, Many Studies Fail The Reproducibility Test

5:22pm August 27, 2018

by Richard Harris

Many social sciences experiments couldn't be reproduced in a new study, thus calling into question their findings. The field of social science is pushing hard to improve its scientific rigor.

Previous research has shown that babies in the first year of life understand that certain individuals tend to win in social conflicts — such as individuals that are physically larger, or that come from larger social groups.

Toddlers Like Winners, But How They Win Matters

4:44pm August 27, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Unlike other primates, human toddlers watching a competition don't appreciate victors who shove rivals out of the way. Even little kids prefer high-status characters who aren't bullies.

Queue Listen Now

An image of a rosehip neuron (top) and a connecting pyramidal cell (bottom).

What Makes A Human Brain Unique? A Newly Discovered Neuron May Be A Clue

3:53pm August 27, 2018

by Jon Hamilton

The human brain isn't just bigger than a mouse brain. It contains at least one kind of brain cell that isn't found in rodents.

Chef David George Gordon shows biologist and host Haley Chamberlain Nelson how to prepare a tarantula meal on Bug Bites. The new five-part cooking show from Smithsonian Channel makes insects the star ingredient.

Don't Bug Out! The Smithsonian Channel Is Going To Show You How To Cook Insects

2:41pm August 27, 2018

by Kristen Hartke

Dried Manchurian scorpions? Think softshell crabs. Crickets? They're not far from crawfish. A new series aims to showcase the flavors of edible insects — prized ingredients in parts of the world.

The Dry Fork Station coal-fired power plant in Gillette, Wyo., supplies electricity across the West.

Coal Country: EPA Plan Is Short Term Boost, No Solution For Industry Decline

5:00am August 27, 2018

by Cooper McKim

The Trump administration's proposed changes for coal plants could keep some of them operating longer. But even those in the industry say it won't stop coal's overall decline.

Queue Listen Now

Researching Heatstroke In Athletes

8:46am August 26, 2018

The death of a University of Maryland player is among a number of training deaths in college football recently. Melissa Block speaks with Douglas Casa who has researched the causes.

Helping Clean Florida's 'Red Tide'

8:46am August 26, 2018

Piles of dead, rotting fish are washing ashore on parts of Florida's coastline due to red tide, a seasonal algal bloom. Captain Destiny Ibasfalean talks with NPR's Melissa Block.

Queue Listen Now

Mario Ramos (left) and wife Tally adjust their umbrellas in Laguna Beach, Calif. The state was among a number of places this summer that experienced their highest temperatures on record.

So Far, More Heat Waves Do Not Mean More Heat Deaths

7:00am August 26, 2018

by Christopher Joyce

The spread of air conditioning may have kept some people from dying in this summer's extreme heat. But studies project more heat-related illnesses as the climate warms.

Talkin' Birds: The Damage Of Plastics

8:23am August 25, 2018

Single-use plastics like bags and straws are doing damage to the world's oceans and marine life. Ray Brown from Talkin' Birds tells NPR's Scott Simon that such plastics pose danger to birds as well.