Science

Powerful Storms Raise Questions About The Science Of Hurricanes

5:22pm September 07, 2017

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Phil Klotzbach, a research scientist at Colorado State University, about the science of hurricanes and what makes Hurricane Irma so unusual.

Nashville Begins Tearing Down Some Homes To Prevent Future Flooding

4:28pm September 07, 2017

by Blake Farmer

Nashville, Tenn., has found a way to make sure some homes never flood again. It's tearing them down.

Biologist Jonathan Losos Explores 'Convergent Evolution' In 'Improbable Destinies'

4:28pm September 07, 2017

NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with Jonathan Losos, author of the new book, Improbable Destinies: Fate, Chance, and the Future of Evolution, which explores the growing understanding of "convergent evolution."

Michael Jacobson (right) and Bonnie Liebman, CSPI's director of nutrition, launching a campaign against over-salted food in the late 1970s.

A Pioneer Of Food Activism Steps Down, Looks Back

4:28pm September 07, 2017

by Dan Charles

Michael Jacobson invented a new style of food activism. For four decades, he led the fight against "junk food." He's now stepping down as president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Parrots at an exposed cliff in Peru, where they gather to eat clay, which is richer in sodium than plants in the area.

Why Do Parrots (And People) Eat Clay?

12:16pm September 07, 2017

by Carolyn Beans

Several species of parrots in Southeastern Peru regularly gather at a cliff face in the Amazon basin to eat clay. So do other animals, including humans.

Here's What You Need To Know About Hurricane Irma

1:48pm September 06, 2017

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

As the powerful storm approaches the U.S., here are some of the basics about the dangers it poses.

A pile of debris sits outside a business damaged by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey on Sept. 5 in Spring, Texas.

Climate, Power, Money And Sorrow: Lessons Of Hurricane Harvey

9:56am September 06, 2017

by Adam Frank

Through the power of Katrina, Sandy and, now, Harvey, we get a view into how a changing climate may play out in the real world — beyond arguments and abstractions, says astrophysicist Adam Frank.

An Anopheles mosquito — the only kind that can spread malaria — feeds on a human. On Monday, a 4-year-old girl died of the disease in Italy, where malaria was thought to have been eradicated.

In A Case That Is 'Almost Impossible,' Girl Dies Of Malaria In Italy

2:45pm September 05, 2017

by Amy Held

"It's a mystery," said one health official. Italy was declared malaria-free in 1970. Officials will try to determine how and where the 4-year-old was infected.

A fire truck is positioned outside Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park, Mont., on Sunday as firefighters prepare for a blaze that is threatening the century-old Swiss chalet-style hotel.

Western Wildfires Endanger Beloved Sites At National Parks

2:12pm September 05, 2017

by Laurel Wamsley

A 20-square-mile blaze burned the historic Sperry Chalet in Glacier National Park last week. In California's Sierra National Forest, an ancient grove of sequoias was scorched, but the trees survived.

Lineman and Electricians train with the APA-5 Atlas Powered Ascender to recover rescue dummy prior to the onset of suspension trauma.

The Army, The Inventor And The Surprising Uses Of A Batman Machine

7:42am September 05, 2017

by Joe Palca

The Army wanted a new, small device that could pull a person rapidly up a rope. The invention they eventually got has uses far beyond the military.

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