NPR Topics: Science http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1007&ft=1&f=1007 The latest health and science news. Updates on medicine, healthy living, nutrition, drugs, diet, and advances in science and technology. Subscribe to the Health & Science podcast. Copyright 2009 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.93 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:01:00 -0500 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Science http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1007&ft=1&f=1007 Study: Political Bent Affects How We View Skin Tone These three photos of President Obama were among images shown to college students as part of a study that suggests political attitudes can impact the way people perceive skin tone. The photos on the left and right have been altered. Self-described liberals were most likely to rate lightened photos as most representative of Obama. Conservative students tended to pick darkened photos. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:50:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120691088&ft=1&f=1007 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120691088&ft=1&f=1007 These three photos of President Obama were among images shown to college students as part of a study that suggests political attitudes can impact the way people perceive skin tone. The photos on the left and right have been altered. Self-described liberals were most likely to rate lightened photos as most representative of Obama. Conservative students tended to pick darkened photos.

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]]> For Some, Talking Politics Can Be Emotional Guest host Jennifer Ludden interviews Emory University psychology professor Drew Westen about how the human mind can sometimes play tricks with us when it comes to politics. Professor Westen is the author of "The Political Brain: the Role of Emotion in Deciding the fate of the nation." Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120682793&ft=1&f=1007 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120682793&ft=1&f=1007 Guest host Jennifer Ludden interviews Emory University psychology professor Drew Westen about how the human mind can sometimes play tricks with us when it comes to politics. Professor Westen is the author of "The Political Brain: the Role of Emotion in Deciding the fate of the nation."

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]]> Big Bang Atom Smasher Sends Beams In 2 Directions The world's largest atom smasher made another leap forward Monday by circulating beams of protons in opposite directions at the same time in the $10 billion machine after more than a year of repairs, organizers said. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:55:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120683447&ft=1&f=1007 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120683447&ft=1&f=1007 The world's largest atom smasher made another leap forward Monday by circulating beams of protons in opposite directions at the same time in the $10 billion machine after more than a year of repairs, organizers said.

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]]> Genetic Testing Reveals Devastating Illness Journalist Charles Sabine watched his father die from the degenerative illness Huntington's disease. After watching his brother struggle with the disease for years, Sabine decided to be tested. "Nothing that I've experienced compares with that test in terms of the terror that it inflicted on me," he says. Sabine says his young daughter does not have the Huntington's gene. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120610850&ft=1&f=1007 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120610850&ft=1&f=1007 Journalist Charles Sabine watched his father die from the degenerative illness Huntington's disease. After watching his brother struggle with the disease for years, Sabine decided to be tested. "Nothing that I've experienced compares with that test in terms of the terror that it inflicted on me," he says. Sabine says his young daughter does not have the Huntington's gene.

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]]> Can Ants Count? Desert ants have a nifty way of finding their way back home after a foray out of the nest to find food — they count their steps. To prove it, some scientists devised a creative experiment that showed just how the little guys do it. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:01:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120587095&ft=1&f=1007 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120587095&ft=1&f=1007 Desert ants have a nifty way of finding their way back home after a foray out of the nest to find food — they count their steps. To prove it, some scientists devised a creative experiment that showed just how the little guys do it.

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]]> In Oregon, Boat Owner Worries Over Climate Change Officials in Portland, Oregon, are planning a new light rail bridge over the Willamette River. Dan Yates, owner of a small company that runs boat excursions on the river, tells host Guy Raz he's afraid that climate change and rising water levels will keep his boats from passing under the proposed bridge. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120668808&ft=1&f=1007 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120668808&ft=1&f=1007 Officials in Portland, Oregon, are planning a new light rail bridge over the Willamette River. Dan Yates, owner of a small company that runs boat excursions on the river, tells host Guy Raz he's afraid that climate change and rising water levels will keep his boats from passing under the proposed bridge.

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]]> Scientist Explains Earth's Warming Plateau Research shows that over the past several years, Earth's temperature has not been heating up. Climate change skeptics claim this as evidence that global warming is overexaggerated. But the man who did the research, climate and ocean scientist Mojib Latif, says "not so fast." Latif talks to host Guy Raz about the Earth's temperature plateau and what it means for global warming. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120668812&ft=1&f=1007 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120668812&ft=1&f=1007 Research shows that over the past several years, Earth's temperature has not been heating up. Climate change skeptics claim this as evidence that global warming is overexaggerated. But the man who did the research, climate and ocean scientist Mojib Latif, says "not so fast." Latif talks to host Guy Raz about the Earth's temperature plateau and what it means for global warming.

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]]> Astronaut's Wait Over As Daughter Born Back Home Astronaut Randolph Bresnik is a new dad again, after launching into space and taking a spacewalk, all for the first time. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:59:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120661472&ft=1&f=1007 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120661472&ft=1&f=1007 Astronaut Randolph Bresnik is a new dad again, after launching into space and taking a spacewalk, all for the first time.

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]]> Museum: Galileo's Fingers, Tooth Found Two fingers and a tooth removed from Galileo Galilei's corpse in a Florentine basilica in the 18th century and given up for lost have been found again, a Florence museum said Friday. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:06:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120630787&ft=1&f=1007 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120630787&ft=1&f=1007 Two fingers and a tooth removed from Galileo Galilei's corpse in a Florentine basilica in the 18th century and given up for lost have been found again, a Florence museum said Friday.

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]]> Scientist: 'Don't Give Up' On Stopping Asian Carp Two Asian carp species that could devastate the Great Lakes ecosystem may be a few miles from Lake Michigan. To halt their migration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built an underwater electric fence on a canal 20 miles south of the lake. But tests conducted by David Lodge at Notre Dame indicate that they have gotten close to the lake despite the barrier. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120624300&ft=1&f=1007 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120624300&ft=1&f=1007 Two Asian carp species that could devastate the Great Lakes ecosystem may be a few miles from Lake Michigan. To halt their migration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built an underwater electric fence on a canal 20 miles south of the lake. But tests conducted by David Lodge at Notre Dame indicate that they have gotten close to the lake despite the barrier.

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]]> Rethinking The Human Future In Space With NASA reporting a "significant amount" of water on the lunar surface, is it time to re-examine our priorities regarding living and working in space? Mark Sykes, director of the Planetary Science Institute, talks about why and how people should venture beyond Earth. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120613250&ft=1&f=1007 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120613250&ft=1&f=1007 With NASA reporting a "significant amount" of water on the lunar surface, is it time to re-examine our priorities regarding living and working in space? Mark Sykes, director of the Planetary Science Institute, talks about why and how people should venture beyond Earth.

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]]> Personalizing Solar Power Researchers are hoping to improve solar energy installations by coupling a solar panel to an efficient hydrolysis unit that splits water into oxygen and hydrogen. Daniel Nocera of MIT says the approach could lead to personal solar power units that could get many houses off the grid. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120613254&ft=1&f=1007 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120613254&ft=1&f=1007 Researchers are hoping to improve solar energy installations by coupling a solar panel to an efficient hydrolysis unit that splits water into oxygen and hydrogen. Daniel Nocera of MIT says the approach could lead to personal solar power units that could get many houses off the grid.

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]]> Real-Life Physics Problems Star On TV The stars of <em>The Big Bang Theory</em> are two fictional Caltech physicists, but the physics problems they study are real. Bill Prady, the program's co-creator and executive producer, talks about including real-world science in the script, from dark matter to magnetic monopoles. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120613274&ft=1&f=1007 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120613274&ft=1&f=1007 The stars of The Big Bang Theory are two fictional Caltech physicists, but the physics problems they study are real. Bill Prady, the program's co-creator and executive producer, talks about including real-world science in the script, from dark matter to magnetic monopoles.

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]]> Fungus Provides Clues To North American Extinctions One of the great mysteries about North America is what killed off woolly mammoths and other exotic animals that roamed the land after the last ice age. Ideas have ranged from a comet impact and climate change to human hunters. A study published Friday in <em>Science Magazine</em> provides new clues about this &mdash; cleverly deduced from samples of a fungus that grew on the animal's dung. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:33:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120592967&ft=1&f=1007 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120592967&ft=1&f=1007 One of the great mysteries about North America is what killed off woolly mammoths and other exotic animals that roamed the land after the last ice age. Ideas have ranged from a comet impact and climate change to human hunters. A study published Friday in Science Magazine provides new clues about this — cleverly deduced from samples of a fungus that grew on the animal's dung.

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]]> Sounds During Sleep May Help You Remember Certain sounds played while people napped helped them remember information associated with those sounds once they woke up, say researchers at Northwestern University. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120573613&ft=1&f=1007 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120573613&ft=1&f=1007 Certain sounds played while people napped helped them remember information associated with those sounds once they woke up, say researchers at Northwestern University.

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