Research News Study: Stress Linked to Chromosome Damage, Aging November 30, 2004 • NPR's Alex Chadwick talks with Rob Stein of The Washington Post about a new study that helps explain the link between stress and aging. Scientists believe stress shortens the tips of chromosomes in human cells, hastening the process of aging.
Research News Research Effort Eyes Link Between Poverty, Obesity November 26, 2004 • A joint research project at the universities of California and Washington seeks to discover if there is an identifiable link between obesity and poverty. What can be learned from going grocery shopping with a young mother who lives on $800 a month? NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports.
Research News Bison Bones Shed Light on Demise of Large Mammals November 25, 2004 • About half of the large mammals in North America went extinct about 12,000 years ago. Scientists have long debated whether that was caused by hunting or climate change. A new study of ancient bison bones sheds light on the mystery. NPR's Richard Harris reports.
Drowsy Turkey Claims Disputed November 25, 2004 • NPR's Noah Adams speaks with Ira Flatow, host of NPR's Science Friday, about evidence that debunks the claim that eating turkey causes sleepiness. Many other foods in the feast -- especially the fats and carbohydrates -- lead to drowsiness.
Environment Flawed Study May Imperil Florida Panther Habitat November 25, 2004 • There's a dispute in South Florida over what type of land the endangered Florida panther needs to survive. The conflict centers on allegations of bad science and coercion of federal employees. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports.
National Possible U.S. Mad Cow Case Tests Negative November 24, 2004 • After five days of uncertainty, the Department of Agriculture says that a suspect animal has tested negative for mad cow disease. Many in the beef industry are asking why the USDA alarms consumers and the markets by releasing information about mad cow testing before final results are in. NPR's Greg Allen reports.
National Farm-Bred Turkeys Make Comeback November 23, 2004 • Since the 1950s, breeds of turkeys that used to run around family farms have been replaced by a faster-growing type that's good for factory farming. But more farmers are rediscovering these older breeds that had all but disappeared. NPR's Chris Arnold reports.
Research News Source of Amphibian Fungus Pinpointed November 23, 2004 • A researcher from South Africa thinks he's found the source of a mysterious fungus that has been killing amphibians since the early 1990s. The chytrid fungus has been linked to huge amphibian die-offs around the world. NPR's John Nielsen reports.
Environment Squaring Off over 'Frankenpines' in the Adirondacks November 22, 2004 • North Country Public Radio's Brian Mann reports from the Adirondack Mountains, where the cell phone companies and environmentalists are squaring off about the aesthetics of cell phone towers.
Space Physicists Decry Bush's Mars Mission Plan November 21, 2004 • Although space exploration is one of President Bush's top priorities, his plan to send humans to the moon and Mars is being criticized by the American Physical Society, which represents 43,000 physicists. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports that the scientists are concerned that the expensive program announced by the president in January will be detrimental to ongoing scientific programs and projects.
Research News Study Probes Roots of Human Empathy November 20, 2004 • A body language experiment at Harvard reflects a shift in thinking among neuroscientists about how humans, primates and other mammals respond to emotion in others, from fear to joy. NPR's Richard Knox reports.
Spanish Scientists Discover Fossil of Ancient Ape November 19, 2004 • The fossil remains of an ancient Spanish ape may help explain a key event in evolution. Scientists say the skeleton offers clues about how our ancestors stopped swinging from trees and started walking upright. NPR's Richard Harris reports.
Richard Dawkins, 'Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution' November 19, 2004 • We have a conversation with biologist Richard Dawkins, and make a pilgrimage back in time.
Anthropology Update: Spanish Scientists Discover Ape Fossil November 19, 2004 • Researchers in Spain say they've made a fossil find that could be close to the last common ancestor of all great apes and humans. We'll find out about the new member of the family tree.
Education Teaching Evolution November 19, 2004 • A Pennsylvania school district has mandated that a theory called "intelligent design" be taught along with evolution in public schools. We take a look at that and other recent challenges to teaching evolution in public schools.