Science: NPR

October 27, 2020 Author: Russ Roberts

A new look at Neanderthals: Dismantling simplistic views of our ancestors.

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

Content supplied by National Public Radio (NPR).

Accessed on 27 October 2020, 1430 UTC.

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

Please click link or scroll down to read your selections.

Science

SUBSCRIBE TO DAILY NEWS EMAIL

'Kindred' Dismantles Simplistic Views Of Neanderthals

Bloomsbury Sigma

REVIEW

BOOK REVIEWS

‘Kindred’ Dismantles Simplistic Views Of Neanderthals

Rebecca Wragg Sykes describes evidence showing that as innovative tool- and fire-makers, Neanderthals adapted to changing climates, adopted symbolic cultural practices and expressed profound emotions.

The Dark Side Of The Recovery Revealed In Big Data

Pixabay

PLANET MONEY

The Dark Side Of The Recovery Revealed In Big Data

SHORT WAVE

The Mystery Of The Mummified Twinkie

Add toPLAYLIST

Toggle more options

https://www.npr.org/player/embed/925437726/927991947″ />

El Paso, Texas, Judge Issues 2-Week Curfew To Stem Surge Of COVID-19 Cases

Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

El Paso, Texas, Judge Issues 2-Week Curfew To Stem Surge Of COVID-19 Cases

October 26, 2020 • The judge said he was “left with no choice” but to impose a countywide curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. He noted El Paso County has seen a 160% increase in its positivity rate in the last three weeks.

They Work In Several Nursing Homes To Eke Out A Living, And That May Spread The Virus

SDI Productions/Getty Images

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

They Work In Several Nursing Homes To Eke Out A Living, And That May Spread The Virus

KPCC

October 26, 2020 • Most nursing homes are connected by shared staff to seven others. Instead of limiting workers to one facility to curb COVID-19 spread, advocates urge better pay and more PPE for nursing home staff.

LISTEN· 3:56Add toPLAYLIST

Embed
https://www.npr.org/player/embed/927841874/927948398″ />

Water On The Moon: NASA Confirms Water Molecules On Our Neighbor's Sunny Surface

NASA/Screenshot by NPR

SPACE

Water On The Moon: NASA Confirms Water Molecules On Our Neighbor’s Sunny Surface

October 26, 2020 • The breakthrough suggests that water, vital to life on Earth, could be distributed across more parts of the lunar surface than the ice that has previously been found in cold and dark places.

Colleges Turn To Wastewater Testing In An Effort To Flush Out The Coronavirus

Elissa Nadworny/NPR

THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

Colleges Turn To Wastewater Testing In An Effort To Flush Out The Coronavirus

October 26, 2020 • Wastewater offers an ideal testing opportunity for colleges: People often poop where they live; colleges know who lives in each dorm; and testing wastewater is a cheaper way to monitor virus spread.

LISTEN· 6:56Add toPLAYLIST

Crows: Are They Scary Or Just Super Smart?

Dragan Todorovic/Getty Images

SHORT WAVE

Crows: Are They Scary Or Just Super Smart?

October 26, 2020 • Crows have gotten a bad rap throughout history — a group of them is called a “murder,” after all. To get some insight into crows and perhaps set the record straight, we talked to Kaeli Swift. She’s a lecturer at the University of Washington and wrote her doctoral thesis on crow “funerals.”

LISTEN· 9:44Add toPLAYLIST

A NASA Probe Is So Full of Asteroid Material That It Now Has A Problem

NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

A NASA Probe Is So Full of Asteroid Material That It Now Has A Problem

October 23, 2020 • A NASA spacecraft sent out to collect rocks from an asteroid seems to have nabbed a lot of material, but there’s now an unexpected problem — a flap isn’t closing because some rocks are stuck.

How Much Do You Really Know About Your Flood Or Wildfire Risk?

Lauren Sommer/NPR

CONSIDER THIS FROM NPR

How Much Do You Really Know About Your Flood Or Wildfire Risk?

October 23, 2020 • Every year, millions of American renters and homebuyers make decisions about where to live. They have a lot of information to help them make a decision — about everything from schools to public transit to lead paint.

LISTEN· 14:50Add toPLAYLIST

Micro Wave: Why Do Leaves Change Color During Fall?

MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle/MediaNews Group via Getty Images

SHORT WAVE

Micro Wave: Why Do Leaves Change Color During Fall?

October 23, 2020 • Botanist and founder of #BlackBotanistsWeek Tanisha Williams explains why some leaves change color during fall and what shorter days and colder temperatures have to do with it.

LISTEN· 11:02Add toPLAYLIST

COVID-19 Surges In Rural Communities, Overwhelming Some Local Hospitals

Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

COVID-19 Surges In Rural Communities, Overwhelming Some Local Hospitals

October 22, 2020 • As COVID-19 cases increase, many rural communities, places which were largely spared during the early months of the pandemic, are now contending with a spike in infections and hospitalizations.

LISTEN· 3:44Add toPLAYLIST

Embed
https://www.npr.org/player/embed/926264615/926713340″ />

Most Tenants Get No Information About Flooding. It Can Cost Them Dearly

Scott Olson/Getty Images

CLIMATE RISK HITS HOME

Most Tenants Get No Information About Flooding. It Can Cost Them Dearly

October 22, 2020 • Most landlords are not required to disclose if a property is in a flood plain or has flooded before. That’s a big problem in cities where climate change is driving more frequent and severe floods.

LISTEN· 3:43Add toPLAYLIST

From Air Travel to Hospital Treatment, We're Still Learning About The Virus

STR/AFP via Getty Images

CONSIDER THIS FROM NPR

From Air Travel to Hospital Treatment, We’re Still Learning About The Virus

October 21, 2020 • Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told NPR this week that he’s “guardedly optimistic” about the prospects of a coronavirus vaccine being approved by the end of the year.

LISTEN· 12:04Add toPLAYLIST

'Dark Archives' Explores The Use Of Human Skin In Bookbinding

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

REVIEW

BOOK REVIEWS

‘Dark Archives’ Explores The Use Of Human Skin In Bookbinding

October 21, 2020 • Megan Rosenbloom tells readers an adventurous tale of how her morbid curiosity brought her across an ocean to investigate the origins, motivations and techniques behind this macabre practice.

Millions Of Homes Are At Risk Of Wildfires, But It's Rarely Disclosed

Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

CLIMATE RISK HITS HOME

Millions Of Homes Are At Risk Of Wildfires, But It’s Rarely Disclosed

October 21, 2020 • Many homeowners who lost everything in a wildfire had no idea they were at risk. Only two states require disclosing wildfire risk to buyers in the house hunting process.

LISTEN· 5:31Add toPLAYLIST

A Big Alzheimer's Drug Study Is Proceeding Cautiously Despite The Pandemic

Getty Images

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

A Big Alzheimer’s Drug Study Is Proceeding Cautiously Despite The Pandemic

October 20, 2020 • Researchers launched a major study of an experimental Alzheimer’s drug this summer. They also learned a lot about how to protect participants who must make frequent visits to a medical center.

LISTEN· 3:34Add toPLAYLIST

Living In Harm's Way: Why Most Flood Risk Is Not Disclosed

Ryan Kellman/NPR

CLIMATE RISK HITS HOME

Living In Harm’s Way: Why Most Flood Risk Is Not Disclosed

October 20, 2020 • About 15 million properties in the U.S. are prone to flooding, but patchwork and ineffective disclosure laws mean most people get little to no information about flood risk before they move.

LISTEN· 6:26Add toPLAYLIST

Randall Munroe's Absurd Scientific Advice For Real-World Problems

Riverhead Books

SHORT WAVE

Randall Munroe’s Absurd Scientific Advice For Real-World Problems

October 20, 2020 • Randall Munroe, the cartoonist behind the popular Internet comic xkcd, finds complicated solutions to simple, real-world problems. In the process, he reveals a lot about science and why the real world is sometimes even weirder than we expect. His latest book is called How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems. (Encore episode.)

LISTEN· 10:36Add toPLAYLIST

New Law Creates 988 Hotline For Mental Health Emergencies

T2 Images/Getty Images/Cultura RF

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

New Law Creates 988 Hotline For Mental Health Emergencies

October 19, 2020 • President Trump has signed a bipartisan bill creating a three-digit hotline for mental health emergencies. Mental health advocates say it’ll bring mental health crisis response into the 21st century.

LISTEN· 2:31Add toPLAYLIST

A NASA Spacecraft Successfully Touched Down On A Rocky Asteroid

NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

A NASA Spacecraft Successfully Touched Down On A Rocky Asteroid

October 19, 2020 • NASA has collected and is returning its first sample from an asteroid. The rocks and dust could help us understand potentially dangerous space rocks and the history of the solar system.

LISTEN· 3:43Add toPLAYLIST

Quantum Mechanics For Beginners

Mark Garlick/Getty Images/Science Photo Libra

SHORT WAVE

Quantum Mechanics For Beginners

October 19, 2020 • Monika Schleier-Smith, associate professor of physics at Stanford University, studies quantum mechanics, the theory that explains the nature of the itty bitty parts of our universe: atoms, photons, and individual particles. It’s the science responsible for innovations in computers, telecommunications, and medicine. Schleier-Smith was recently awarded a 2020 MacArthur Fellowship for her work in the field. It’s research that often starts in a lab and as Schleier-Smith describes, requires both troubleshooting and optimism.

LISTEN· 10:56Add toPLAYLIST

Foiled Again: Murder Hornet Eludes Washington State Scientists

Courtesy of the Washington State Department of Agriculture

ANIMALS

Foiled Again: Murder Hornet Eludes Washington State Scientists

October 17, 2020 • An Asian giant hornet fell off researchers’ radar during their latest attempt to find its nest. The team is racing to exterminate the invasive species before it devastates U.S. bee populations.

LISTEN· 3:24Add toPLAYLIST

Helping Hands Need A Break, Too: How To Lend Support Without Burning Out

Hanna Barczyk for NPR

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

Helping Hands Need A Break, Too: How To Lend Support Without Burning Out

October 17, 2020 • These days, there are hundreds of reasons to open your heart to others, but it’s easy to get exhausted. Try these tips honed by social workers for staying healthy and empathetic.

LOAD MORE STORIES

browse archive orsearch npr.org

Categories: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cyber security, environment, Science, technology

Tags: Animals, Energy, environment, Research News, Science: NPR, Space

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: