Animals

Science

How Do Ants Survive Floods? Rafts Of Course

9:36am April 23, 2016

Scott Simon talks with entomologist Jessica Purcell about her research into the ingenious strategy one kind of European ant uses to stay safe in floods: joining their bodies to form floating rafts.

U.S. Proposes Removing Yellowstone Grizzly Bears From Endangered Species List

6:19pm April 22, 2016

by Eric Whitney

Grizzly bears in Yellowstone may soon lose protection from the federal government. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed taking the bears off the endangered species list, saying the population has recovered to a self-sustaining number. Opponents dispute that, in part because they say federal biologists aren't sufficiently accounting for climate change threatening their food sources.

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Earlier this week, NIH temporarily halted work in the cell therapy lab of Dr. Steven Rosenberg, chief of surgery at the National Cancer Institute, pending a review of safety standards there.

Task Force Calls For More Safety Oversight At NIH Research Hospital

2:10pm April 22, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

NIH Director Francis Collins has stopped research at two leading labs for now. But an independent board of experts wants even more oversight to ensure that patient safety is the top priority.

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Books
Arts

Flights Of Fancy: Exploring The Songs And Pathways Of 'The Living Bird'

1:31pm April 22, 2016

Wildlife photographer Gerrit Vyn and essayist Scott Weidensaul share bird calls and discuss some of the remarkable abilities of birds. Originally broadcast Oct. 20, 2015.

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Part of your brain doesn't sleep as deeply when you're in a new place.

Half Your Brain Stands Guard When Sleeping In A New Place

6:46pm April 21, 2016

by Jon Hamilton

No wonder we don't feel rested after a first night in a new place: Half of our brain has stayed alert while the other half enjoyed deeper sleep, a study finds. We really have been half-asleep.

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Parrot In Britain Flew The Coop; Then Hails Taxi Home

7:23am April 19, 2016

Evie left after a noise in the garden scared her. A taxi driver says the bird landed outside his cab and said, "Hello." He went on Facebook to look for someone missing a parrot, and Evie made it home.

A grizzly bear fends off ravens from a bison carcass in Grand Teton National Park.

Is Yellowstone National Park In Danger Of Being 'Loved To Death'?

5:32pm April 18, 2016

Each year, the park attracts millions of visitors and provides a home to countless animal species. But journalist David Quammen warns that balancing tourism and preservation can be tricky.

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Science

Ethiopian Monkey Study Offers Clues Into How Human Speech Evolved

4:59pm April 18, 2016

by Gregory Warner

A new study of the speech patterns of gelada monkeys in the Ethiopian Highlands suggests that linguistically humans aren't as unique as we think. So why has it taken us thousands of years to realize that? NPR has the story of how we listen to noises we don't understand.

World News

Inky The Octopus's Great Escape

8:40am April 16, 2016

by Scott Simon

Inky the octopus escaped from the National Aquarium of New Zealand and into Hawke's Bay. NPR's Scott Simon celebrates his ingenuity, and second-guesses the octopus's inclusion on his dinner plate.

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The Tampa Bay Times spent two months investigating where local eateries were really getting their ingredients. Many of their "farm to table" claims proved to be bogus.

'Farm To Fable'? Tampa Probe Finds Many Restaurants Lie About Sourcing

3:30pm April 15, 2016

by NPR Staff

Food critic Laura Reiley of the Tampa Bay Times spent two months investigating where her local eateries were really getting their ingredients. Many of their "farm to table" claims proved bogus.

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