Science

Oklahoma Shuts Down Energy Companies' Disposal Wells In Area Of Strong Quake

9:25am September 04, 2016

by Bill Chappell

Saturday's large quake immediately raised suspicions that it was linked to injection wells that oil and gas companies use as part of fracking and other operations.

Alex Longo makes a pitch at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas, in October 2015. The Institute sponsored the conference to pick a landing site for the first human landing on Mars. Long has proposed a site for a different mission — a rov

A Teen Might Pick The Landing Site For NASA's Next Mars Rover

9:00am September 04, 2016

by Joe Palca

Alex Longo hopes to be the first person to walk on Mars. In the meantime, the Raleigh, N.C., sophomore has suggested a landing site for the next rover mission. His pick is one of four finalists.

Titans Linebacker Derrick Morgan To NFL: Consider The Benefits Of Marijuana

5:17pm September 03, 2016

by NPR Staff

The NFL is physically brutal. Some say marijuana can alleviate pain, but it's still illegal in most places. Some players want their league to take a closer look at the benefits of the drug.

How Fossil Fuel Production Relates To Earthquakes

5:17pm September 03, 2016

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 hit Oklahoma on Saturday morning. StateImpact Oklahoma reporter Joe Wertz talks about earthquakes and their connections to oil and gas production.

How A Baseball Batter's Brain Reacts To A Fast Pitch

9:07am September 03, 2016

NPR's Scott Simon talks with neurophysiologist Jason Sherwin about his research into how a baseball batter processes an incoming fastball.

Science

Why Do Small Dogs Live Longer Than Big Dogs?

9:04am September 03, 2016

Researchers at the University of Washington are hoping to answer that question. NPR's Scott Simon talks to biology and pathology professor Daniel Promislow about the Dog Aging Project.

We Got Your Letters: Listeners Puzzled By Tom Wolfe's Words On Evolution

9:04am September 03, 2016

NPR's Scott Simon's interview last week with author Tom Wolfe prompted an unusual number of responses from listeners regarding the author's questioning of some aspects of the theory of evolution.

G-20 Summit: A First For Host China, A Last For President Obama

9:03am September 03, 2016

The meeting kicks off tomorrow in Hangzhou, China, after this year's host country formally agreed with the U.S. to cut its greenhouse gas emissions according to the Paris agreement reached last year.

When your dog looks like she's listening to you, she really is.

Science

Who's A Good Girl? Your Dog, Who Understands More Than You Might Think

7:59am September 03, 2016

by Scott Simon

A team of Hungarian scientists has determined dogs can understand words, not just tone. NPR's Scott Simon says it may mean we should rethink our entire relationship with our furry friends.

NASA's Juno spacecraft captured this view on Aug. 27 as it closed in on Jupiter's north pole, about two hours before the probe's nearest approach.

Science

NASA Probe Takes First-Ever Close-Up Images Of Jupiter's North Pole

4:32pm September 02, 2016

by Joe Palca

"It's bluer in color up there than other parts of the planet, and there are a lot of storms," a Juno mission leader says of the gas giant's northern reaches.