A Super Win for the Pittsburgh Steelers Environmental Impact of Super Bowls on Host Cities January 31, 2006 • Celeste Headlee of Detroit Public Radio reports on the concerns environmentalists have about the long-term impact of events like the Super Bowl on local communities.
Katrina & Beyond Stopped Clocks Tell Tale of Katrina Flooding January 30, 2006 • After the levees broke in New Orleans, investigators went around looking for stopped clocks. By plotting clock times and locations, investigators are piecing together how and when parts of the city had flooded.
Space The Challenger Disaster Anniversary January 30, 2006 • Twenty years ago -- on Jan. 28, 1986 -- the Space Shuttle Challenger blew apart just 73 seconds after launch. All seven astronauts aboard died when a design flaw in the solid-rocket boosters led to the explosion of the external liquid fuel tank. At left, the Challenger lifts off on its fateful flight.
Business Florida Tomato Industry Makes Health Pitch January 29, 2006 • Florida tomato growers are rolling out their first national ad campaign. The state produces almost all of the fresh tomatoes grown in the United States from December to May. But hurricanes have ruined crops, playing havoc with prices. Valerie Alker of member station WGCU reports.
Global Warming NASA Scientist Feels Pressure Over Global Warming January 29, 2006 • A government scientist claims that his superiors are silencing his public statements on global warming. NASA climate expert James Hansen went public with these accusations in The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Environment An Endless Search for Weird New Minerals January 29, 2006 • The biggest mineral show in the world gets underway this weekend in Tucson, Ariz. The exhibits are visually stunning, but part of the lure is that an unknown mineral could be unveiled.
Research News Caves of California Parks Yield Tiny Discoveries January 28, 2006 • Sequoia National Park in California may be famous for its massive trees, but some very tiny creatures that live there are also making news. Biologists have discovered new species of spiders, millipedes, and other critters deep in the underground caves of the park.
The Challenger Disaster Anniversary Challenger: What Went Wrong? January 28, 2006 • Today marks the 20th anniversary of the explosion that destroyed space shuttle Challenger and its seven-member crew. The mission was doomed by poor decision making before liftoff on a cold Florida morning.
The Challenger Disaster Anniversary Challenger: Reporting a Disaster's Cold, Hard Facts January 28, 2006 • NASA marks a sad occasion this week, the 20th anniversary of the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger. NPR's Howard Berkes remembers the rush to understand why the Challenger had exploded.
Research News Biologists Track Cougars Through a Virus January 27, 2006 • A new study in this week's Science Magazine looks at a cougar population in Western North America that's infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). By tracking the virus, scientists can track the cats and learn more about their populations.
Studying the Evolutionary Development of Species January 27, 2006 • A relatively new field of study aims to explain how so many different life forms emerged from just a handful of genes. Leading "evo-devo" scientist Sean B. Carroll talks about his line of work.
The Science of Rebuilding New Orleans January 27, 2006 • As plans are made to rebuild New Orleans and repair the city's flood protection system, some say the hardest hit areas of the city shouldn't be redeveloped. Scientists talk about rebuilding coastal Louisiana. Can engineering alone provide a fix for the Big Easy?
The Challenger Disaster Anniversary The Challenger Shuttle Tragedy, 20 Years Later January 27, 2006 • Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the space shuttle Challenger disaster. David Kestenbaum looks back on what went wrong on January 28, 1986, and how the incident has affected NASA in the years since.
A Mammoth Death Match Preserved for the Ages January 26, 2006 • In 1962, workers in Nebraska stumbled opon the intact remains of two giant Ice-Age mammoths, their tusks locked together -- a vestige of the battle that doomed them both. Four decades later, the unique fossil will finally go on public display.
Environment Sumatran Peat Bog Yields Tiniest Fish January 26, 2006 • In the dark, wet peat bogs of Sumatra lives a creature that now boasts the title of world's smallest fish. Paedocypris progenetica is no bigger than a nail clipping and swipes the title from the Pacific's half-inch-long goby.