Elon Musk Lays Out His Mars Colony Plans
Billionaire inventor Elon Musk said his company SpaceX is developing a Mars rocket that will be ready to launch in 2022. We look at how realistic that plan is.
Science
Winter Is Coming. What If Roads And Runways Could De-Ice Themselves?
Researchers are looking for alternatives to salt or harmful chemicals, including using concrete that can safely conduct electricity and heat road surfaces to keep them clear of ice and snow.
What Would Aliens Make Of NASA's Voyager?
Forty years ago, NASA sent two spacecraft into space with images and recordings from Earth. To test whether aliens would be able to hear them, scientists ran the messages by animals, as proxies.
Flee A Cataclysm, Or Cling To A Doomed Home? Why People Stay May Surprise You
"You must leave now," thousands of Americans from Puerto Rico to Oregon to Florida, Montana, Texas and beyond were told, as floods, fire and wind threatened their lives. Some said no.
An Absent EPA Climate Report, And A Tale Of Two Flooded Superfund Sites
A 2014 EPA climate report warned that Superfund site cleanup and monitoring processes needed updates to prepare for more severe floods. That report is no longer located on the current agency website.
Animals, Plants Rafted Across The Pacific After Japan's 2011 Earthquake
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Greg Ruiz, a marine ecologist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, about nearly 300 Japanese marine coastal species that traveled across the Pacific Ocean.
Can Consciousness In Brain-Injured Patients Be Restored?
Facing unresponsive brain-injury victims is a real-world example of the fact that we are locked out of the minds of others — but new research shows promise in restoring consciousness, says Alva Noë.
The Pitfalls Of Social Media Advertising
Many companies are investing money in social media to advertise new products. But they could be paying a hidden price for those ads.
Breakthrough Pain Treatment Or Snake Oil? You Decide.
A painkiller cream is based on sound scientific reasoning, but hasn't undergone tests to prove it works. You can buy it on the Internet, but should you?
A Failure Of Intelligence Testing, This Time With Chimpanzees
Apes' intelligence tests vary so much from kids' that comparative results may be invalid. Anthropologist Barbara J. King explores new insights from psychology.