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The Salt
Wild Bees Are Good For Crops, But Crops Are Bad For Bees
March 1, 2013 When it comes to pollinating our favorite crops — from coffee to watermelon — honeybees can't do it alone. Wild bees in the field play a critical role in creating bumper crops, a massive new study reports. But these bees are disappearing, and scientists say the rise of crop monocultures is partly to blame.
Business
Texas Study Points To A Longer Natural Gas Boom
February 28, 2013 A new study of the Barnett Shale formation in Texas shows that the natural gas reservoir there will last for at least another two decades. "Turns out, what we learned is that there's a lot of good rock left to drill," says geology professor Scott Tinker, the study's author.
Krulwich Wonders...
MIT Invents A Machine That Can Look At Batman's Face And See His Heart Beating
February 28, 2013 A new video technology that amplifies small color changes and slight movements can, when pointed at people, tell what's going on inside.
Shots - Health News
Gauging Childhood Obesity Factors Takes A Unique Poll
February 27, 2013 NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health created a unique poll to gauge what children across the country are eating, drinking and doing as far as physical activity goes. Here's why.
Shots - Health News
Younger Women Have Rising Rate Of Advanced Breast Cancer, Study Says
February 27, 2013 Only about 800 women younger than 40 get the kind of breast cancer that has spread to bones or other organs by the time it's diagnosed. But that number tripled in a generation, and scientists are left wondering what's the cause.
Shots - Health News
To Spot Kids Who Will Overcome Poverty, Look At Babies
February 25, 2013 Researchers say that the heartbeats and breathing of babies may help identify the kids most likely to struggle with poverty later on. Biology matters, the scientists say, but so does baby's relationship with Mom.
Shots - Health News
Spanish Test: Mediterranean Diet Shines In Clinical Study
February 25, 2013 People who stuck with diets rich in olive oil and nuts had about a 30 percent lower risk of experiencing a major cardiovascular problem, such as a heart attack or stroke, than people who followed a low-fat diet.
Books
The Science Of Being 'Top Dog'
February 25, 2013 Some people think competition is an art. Others believe it's a skill. A new book suggests it might be neither — and that there is a science behind winning. Host Michel Martin speaks with authors Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman about Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing.
Shots - Health News
Ancient Chompers Were Healthier Than Ours
February 24, 2013 By examining ancient dental plaque, researchers have concluded that prehistoric humans' diets made for healthier mouths. The addition of flour and sugar to modern diets may have set the stage for a near-constant state of oral disease.
The Salt
For Fruit Flies, Alcohol Really Is Mommy's Little Helper
February 22, 2013 A glass of wine can be a welcome sight after a long day watching the kids, but fruit fly moms use alcohol from fermenting fruit to protect their offspring from marauding wasps. That's just one of the ways the tiny flies are using booze to survive the slings and arrows of existence.
Animals
Honey, It's Electric: Bees Sense Charge On Flowers
February 22, 2013 Bees and flowers communicate in colors, scents and shapes. Now scientists have discovered that bumblebees can also sense flowers' electric fields. This sixth sense helps them remember and recognize nectar-rich blooms while foraging.