Old Penicillin Mold Auctioned For More Than $14,000
An auction house in London has sold a dish containing a sample of the original mold that made Penicillin for over $14,000.
Science
Embryo Experiments On Human Development Raise Ethical Concerns
Embryo-like entities are being created in a New York lab using human embryonic stem cells. Scientists hope to learn more about the earliest stages of human development without using actual embryos.
New Research Looks At Ways To Help Stop Airbnb Racial Discrimination
Airbnb has come under fire in the last year following reports that hosts are less likely to rent to African-Americans compared to whites. New research looked at ways to address the discrimination.
Embryo Experiments Reveal Earliest Human Development, But Stir Ethical Debate
Researchers who study developing human embryos have long limited their experimentation to lab embryos that are no more than 14 days into development. Some scientists are now pushing that boundary.
Sierra Snowpack Smacks California's Drought
Despite one of the wettest winters on record, California Gov. Jerry Brown hasn't declared the five-year drought over yet. But the water shortages may to be over.
This Tiny Patch Of Mold Cost One Lucky Buyer Nearly $15,000
On the mold market — which is a thing, apparently — this bit of green is a "holy relic": some of the mold that helped Alexander Fleming discover penicillin. And it sold for big bucks at auction.
Birth Control Is Working Better – Or At Least, It's Failing Less
Failure rates for the most common forms of contraception are down, but it's not entirely clear whether it's due to education, availability, or other reasons.
Tiny Fossils Could Be Oldest Evidence Of Life On Earth
Scientists say they've found the remains of tube- and string-like organisms in Canadian rocks that are at least 3.7 billion years old. But findings like these are always controversial.
Heavy Rainfall Strains One Of California's Most Essential Reservoirs
Snow surveyors are measuring the health of the snow pack in the high altitude Sierra Nevada. After years of drought, much of the state is now experiencing one of its wettest years on record.
Warmer Temperatures Signal Early Start To Spring Weather
Spring arrived early this year across much of the U.S. NPR's Audie Cornish talks to Jake Weltzin of the U.S. Geological Survey to find out how we know.