Research News Study Finds Key to Hallucinogenic Response January 31, 2007 • People have been taking hallucinogenic drugs for thousands of years. Now scientists think they've figured out a key mechanism that allows tiny amounts of substances like LSD to have a powerful effect on the brain.
Environment Congress Examines Priorities of Climate Change January 30, 2007 • Sen. Barbara Boxer, chairwoman of the Senate Environment Committee, has offered all senators a chance to give their views on global warming in a hearing. Many are expected take her up on the unusual offer, including presidential hopefuls John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Radio Expeditions Ancient Village Lifts Some of Stonehenge's Mystery January 30, 2007 • A settlement once home to hundreds has been unearthed near England's Stonehenge. Archaeologists think the builders of the huge stone circle may have lived in the village. It dates to the same time period.
Existing Conditions Can Make Insuring Children Difficult January 30, 2007 • It's estimated that 8 million kids are without health insurance in the United States. Lorna Harvey, 50, of Missouri City, Texas, explains the challenges of finding health insurance for her 10-year-old son, Kyle, who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Environment Conference Focuses on Speed of Climate Change January 29, 2007 • Scientists gather in Paris to update a U.N.-sponsored study on global warming. One big revision is how human activity is not just causing climate change, but that it appears to be happening so rapidly.
Space Reflections on the Apollo I Disaster January 28, 2007 • A fire on the launch pad 40 years ago doomed the three astronauts of the first Apollo mission and cast a pall over NASA's moon mission. Chris Kraft, NASA's director of flight operations at the time, tells Rebecca Roberts about the disaster.
National Blazing a Trail for Alternative Fuels January 28, 2007 • President Bush is renewing a call for the country to ease dependence on foreign oil. Specifically, he wants more investment in alternative fuels, such as ethanol. What will it take to turn that vision into reality?
Crossing the Divide Stereotypes Are Only Human January 27, 2007 • The human need to form stereotypes is one potential barrier to collaboration and reconciliation in politics and society. It turns out that we begin to put people in categories from infancy.
Science Out Of The Box Developing a Vocabulary of Color January 27, 2007 • It turns out that early humans probably had words for just two colors. Even today, most languages don't have different words for green and blue. But the vocabulary of color has evolved.
Krulwich Wonders... An Asian Pygmy and his Pal from Far Rockaway January 26, 2007 • Alan Rabinowitz, a scientist from New York, felt compelled to walk 600 miles into the Himalayas to visit one of the last surviving Asian pygmies and show him a picture of Rabinowitz's baby son.
Food Why Do Fries Taste So Good? A Brief History January 26, 2007 • Finding a healthier cooking oil that still preserves that crispy, salty French fry goodness fast-food lovers crave won't be easy. But McDonald's — and the rest of the industry — have done it before. In fact, the signature taste of McDonald's fries came about as something of an accident.
Using Particle Accelerators to Discover More About Matter January 26, 2007 • Physics researchers are looking to the smallest of particles to try to answer some big questions about the universe, from why matter has mass, to whether string theory can truly explain the way the universe works.
Environment Scientists Use Corn to Measure Carbon Dioxide January 25, 2007 • Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, have come up with a novel way to measure carbon dioxide levels produced by fossil fuels. They used corn, harvested from dozens of locations around the country.
Environment Environmentalists Oppose More Corn Crops January 25, 2007 • A fight is brewing in the country's heartland over conservation. As demand for corn-based ethanol skyrockets, farmers and grain companies want to see more corn planted. But conservationists warn that the craze for corn could destroy wildlife habitats.
Crossing the Divide Cooperation and Resistance on Green Energy January 23, 2007 • Several utility companies are collaborating with the Natural Resources Defense Council to improve their carbon profile and produce "greener" electricity. Other utilities, however, have taken the opposite tack, and are hustling to build as much coal-fired generation as they can, while they can.