Science

Pig farm workers push live pigs into a large grave in Nipah in 1999. To stop the outbreak, the Malaysian government culled almost 1 million pigs, nearly destroying the country's pork industry.

A Taste For Pork Helped A Deadly Virus Jump To Humans

10:00am February 25, 2017

People were dropping dead in Malaysia, and no one could figure out why their brains were swelling. A young scientist solved the mystery. Then he had to get people to believe him.

Science

Explaining The Sizzling Sound Of Meteors

8:28am February 25, 2017

Scientists recently published a paper explaining why some meteors create strange sounds. NPR's Scott Simon talks with researcher Bill Sweatt about what creates this "sizzling" sound.

An instructor at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., carries VX nerve agent inside a special chamber used for training in 2003.

VX: The Nerve Agent Used To Kill Kim Jong Nam Is Rare And Deadly

4:46pm February 24, 2017

by Geoff Brumfiel

A colorless, odorless liquid, similar in consistency to motor oil, VX kills in tiny quantities that can be absorbed through the skin. It is among the deadliest chemical weapons ever devised.

Nancy Roach at a conference in 2016. She's long worked as a patient's advocate and recently teamed up with scientists to help improve the design of studies, as well as to improve clinical care.

Advice From Patients On A Study's Design Makes For Better Science

3:18pm February 24, 2017

by Richard Harris

Increasingly, advocates for patients are in the room when big medical studies are designed. They demand answers to big questions: "Will the results of this study actually help anybody?"

Eric Haseltine on the TED stage in New York, NY.

Science

Eric Haseltine: Can The Past Guide Us To Future Scientific Breakthroughs?

3:02pm February 24, 2017

by NPR/TED STAFF

Trained as a neuroscientist, Eric Haseltine always asks questions. He's identified four concepts that lead to scientific breakthrough. One of them: acknowledging we're not the center of the universe.

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Michael Stevens speaks on the TED Stage in La Quinta, California.

Science
Arts

Michael Stevens: How Do You Find Smart Answers to Quirky Questions?

3:02pm February 24, 2017

by NPR/TED STAFF

When Michael Stevens is confronted with a quirky question, he responsibly searches for the answer and posts it to YouTube — inviting millions of people to follow his journey of discovery.

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Science
Arts

Naomi Oreskes: Why Should We Believe In Science?

3:02pm February 24, 2017

by NPR/TED STAFF

In school, we're taught we should trust science because the scientific method leads to measurable results and hard facts. But Naomi Oreskes says the process of inquiry doesn't end there.

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Kevin Jones on the TED Stage in Salt Lake City

Kevin Jones: Can Embracing Uncertainty Lead To Better Medicine?

3:02pm February 24, 2017

by NPR/TED STAFF

Sometimes, doctors just don't have the answers. Surgeon Kevin Jones says having the humility to acknowledge this leads to better medicine.

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Liz Coleman on the TED stage in Long Beach, CA.

Liz Coleman: How Do We Teach College Students To Ask Big Questions?

3:02pm February 24, 2017

by NPR/TED STAFF

Former Bennington College President Liz Coleman believes higher education is overly-specialized & complacent. She says we need to encourage students to ask bigger questions and take more risks.

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Rowan County coyote is caught in a camera trap

Science

Catch A Critter On Candid Camera - For Science!

1:01pm February 24, 2017

by Shawn Fitzmaurice

North Carolina Candid Critters is on a mission to fill in the gaps in our wildlife knowledge. Strap on your science sealbelt, because they want your help!

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