Science

A man signs a banner against guns as mourners pay tribute at a memorial on Feb. 25 for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

3 Ways To Elevate The Debate About Guns

10:50am March 01, 2018

by Tania Lombrozo

Understanding the authority of science means, when it comes to factual claims, intuitions and gut feelings won't cut it — whichever side of the political aisle they come from, says Tania Lombrozo.

Science

LISTEN: Dolphins Use Targeted Echolocation To Plan Their Hunting Dives

6:00pm February 28, 2018

by Rebecca Hersher

Oxygen is a precious resource for dolphins. A new study suggests they use it efficiently by remembering what they learn during a dive, then applying that information to future foraging expeditions.

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A study in mice suggests that our brains tell us when to start and stop drinking long before our bodies are fully hydrated.

Still Thirsty? It's Up To Your Brain, Not Your Body

4:33pm February 28, 2018

by Jon Hamilton

Thirst is what compels us to start hydrating. Now scientists have found a brain circuit in mice that seems to switch off thirst when they've taken in enough fluid and before it gets dangerous.

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Artist's rendering of how the first stars in the universe may have looked.

Science

Did Dark Matter Make The Early Universe Chill Out?

1:49pm February 28, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

A new study suggests that the early universe got an unexpectedly cold start, and that dark matter may be to blame.

At Davos, Yuval Harari suggests that we are in our third grand revolution — the control of data.

Science

Biometric Data And The Rise Of Digital Dictatorship

1:17pm February 28, 2018

by Marcelo Gleiser

As historian and author Yuval Harari suggests, market forces and investor greed will keep moving the data revolution forward. But there are balancing forces to this onslaught, says Marcelo Gleiser.

Barbra Streisand plays with her dog Samantha near her son, Jason Gould (left), and husband, James Brolin, in Paris in 2007. Samantha died last year, but Streisand now has clones of the dog.

Send In The Clones: Barbra Streisand Reveals Fluffy Canine Copies

1:14pm February 28, 2018

by Scott Neuman

In an interview with Variety magazine, the legendary singer/filmmaker dropped a bombshell: Two of her three coton de tulears are clones of a favorite canine who died last year.

Melanie White takes photos of North Atlantic right whales from NOAA's Twin Otter as the plane circles the whales near Savannah. Whale observers and researchers use the photos to identify the whales.

Researchers Haven't Found A Single Endangered Right Whale Calf Yet This Season

10:37am February 28, 2018

by Molly Samuel

"The right whales are at a point where more are dying than are being born," biologist Clay George says. "That's just not sustainable long-term."

Fresh and dried yeast. It might not look like much, but it has shaped the way we eat and live, according to a new book.

The Rise Of Yeast: How Civilization Was Shaped By Sugar Fungi

8:00am February 28, 2018

by Menaka Wilhelm

Without yeast, bread wouldn't rise and beer wouldn't foam. As Nicholas Money's new book, The Rise of Yeast, points out, it leaves its mark on other foods, too, including coffee, and even chocolate.

Though Prices Aren't As High As Before, West Texas Enjoys Oil Revival

7:01am February 28, 2018

by Mose Buchele

The U.S. is on track to surpass Saudi Arabia and Russia next year to become the world's biggest oil producer — pumping out more crude than at its peak nearly half a century ago.

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Cars drive along Mittlerer Ring in Munich. Germany's highest court has ruled that cities may impose bans or partial bans on diesel cars in order to bring down emissions levels.

German Court Will Let Cities Ban Some Diesel Cars To Decrease Pollution

6:20pm February 27, 2018

by Emily Sullivan

A German court has ruled that cities may bans diesel cars in order to bring down emissions levels.