Welcome to the “Science:  NPR” update from Hawaii Science Digest.

Views expressed in this science and technology news summary are those of the reporters and correspondents.

Content supplied by National Public Radio (NPR), 04 April 2019.

Accessed on 04 April 2019, 1545 UTC.

Source:

https://www.npr.org/sections/science/

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Ryan Kellman/NPR

ENVIRONMENT

Step 1: Build A House. Step 2: Set It On Fire

April 2, 2019 • After back-to-back hurricanes and wildfires, insurers are looking for more-resilient construction materials. That means building model homes and then blowing off their roofs or setting them on fire.

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John Moore/Getty Images

HIDDEN BRAIN

Don’t Panic: Stories Of Coping Amidst Chaos

April 1, 2019 • Chaos is a part of all of our lives. Sometimes we try to control it. And other times, we just have to live with it. On this week’s Hidden Brain, we bring you two of our favorite stories about coping with chaos. They come from our 2016 episodes “Panic in the Streets” and “Embrace the Chaos.”

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NASA via AP

JOE’S BIG IDEA

Young Astronomer Uses Artificial Intelligence To Discover 2 Exoplanets

April 1, 2019 • A team led by an undergraduate student at the University of Texas, Austin has found two new planets by using artificial intelligence to sift through data from NASA’s planet-hunting Kepler telescope.

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Courtesy of Russell Barber

SPACE

How A Cosmic Collision Sparked A Native American Translator’s Labor Of Love

March 31, 2019 • On April 1, astronomers will start two huge machines and continue hunting for ripples in space-time. One scientist gets his mom to translate news of each discovery into her native language, Blackfoot.

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George Frey/Getty Images

ENVIRONMENT

EPA Science Panel Considering Guidelines That Upend Basic Air Pollution Science

March 28, 2019 • Some panel members said they don’t agree that breathing sooty air can cause premature death. The panel’s draft recommendations to the EPA would change how it assesses the dangers of air pollution.

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Courtesy of Jim Carlton

ENVIRONMENT

Dozens Of Nonnative Marine Species Have Invaded The Galapagos Islands

March 28, 2019 • The number of alien species, likely brought by ship traffic, stunned scientists. And they suspect that the foothold of such creatures may have been underestimated in other tropical habitats, too.

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Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

How Mosquitoes Sniff Out Human Sweat To Find Us

March 28, 2019 • Female mosquitoes searching for a meal of blood detect people partly by using a special olfactory receptor to home in on our sweat. The finding could lead to new approaches for better repellents.

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Viking

BOOKS

Can We Overcome Racial Bias? ‘Biased’ Author Says To Start By Acknowledging It

March 28, 2019 • In her new book, psychology professor Jennifer Eberhardt explores how unconscious racial bias shapes human behavior — and suggests that we examine what situations can trigger racial bias.

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Jeff Chiu/AP

NATIONAL

Jury Awards $80 Million In Damages In Roundup Weed Killer Cancer Trial

March 27, 2019 • The verdict represents the second time a jury has decided in favor of a multimillion-dollar damage award after concluding that Roundup caused cancer.

Nodar Chernishev/Getty Images

THE SALT

Blech! Brain Science Explains Why You’re Not Thirsty For Salt Water

March 27, 2019 • Fresh water quenches thirst almost instantly, but salt water doesn’t. New research shows how cells in the gut and on the tongue help the brain keep just the right concentration of salt in our bodies.

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Josh Cassidy/KQED

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

VIDEO: Head Lice Up Close, And All Too Personal

KQED

March 26, 2019 • Claws of the louse that afflicts human scalps fit neatly around a single human hair. Louse eggs stick to hair shafts with a sort of glue. Maybe the best remedy for you and the kids? Comb, baby, comb.

Mark Lennihan/AP

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY COLLABORATIVE

Trump Administration Dims Rule On Energy Efficient Lightbulbs

March 26, 2019 • The Trump administration wants to reverse a rule designed to make lightbulbs more efficient. Environmental groups say the change will cost consumers and waste energy.

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Diana Carolina/St. Martin’s Press

HIDDEN BRAIN

What Twins Can Tell Us About Who We Are

March 25, 2019 • In December 1988, two pairs of twin boys were born in Colombia. One twin from each pair was accidentally given to the wrong mother — a mistake that wasn’t discovered for decades. The twins’ story is a tragedy, a soap opera, and a science experiment, all rolled into one. It also gives us clues about the role that genes and the environment play in shaping our identities. We talk with psychologist Nancy Segal about her work with twins, and her encounters with these now-famous brothers. For research related to this episode, please visit https://n.pr/2uvpvPe

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Chris Keane/Reuters

RESEARCH NEWS

Duke Whistleblower Gets More Than $33 Million In Research Fraud Settlement

March 25, 2019 • Duke University is paying the U.S. government $112.5 million to settle accusations that it submitted bogus data to win federal research grants.

Alexander Gerst/ESA/Getty Images

REVIEW

BOOK REVIEWS

New Climate Books Stress We Are Already Far Down The Road To A Different Earth

March 25, 2019 • David Wallace-Wells’ The Uninhabitable Earth and Nathaniel Rich’s Losing Earth offer valuable perspectives on climate change — if we’re committed to being adult enough to face the future.

Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

RESEARCH NEWS

Need A Can’t-Miss Wheel Of Cheese? Try Playing It Some Hip-Hop

March 24, 2019 • Researchers exposed cheese to different genres of music for 24 hours a day over six months to find out that hip-hop might create the tastiest cheese.

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