NPR People: Richard Harris http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2100631&ft=1&f=2100631 Award-winning journalist Richard Harris reports on science issues for NPR's newsmagazines Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. Copyright 2009 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.93 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:11:00 -0500 http://media.npr.org/images/podcasts/thumbnail/npr_generic_image_75.jpg Richard Harris http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2100631&ft=1&f=2100631 yes Stolen E-Mails Raise Questions On Climate Research E-mails stolen from a climate research center in England reveal that a small group of scientists has been pressuring scientific journals not to publish reports that cast doubt on climate change. The e-mails raise questions about the impartiality of the peer-review process, which is designed to keep poor science out of the technical literature. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:11:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120846593&ft=1&f=2100631 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120846593&ft=1&f=2100631 E-mails stolen from a climate research center in England reveal that a small group of scientists has been pressuring scientific journals not to publish reports that cast doubt on climate change. The e-mails raise questions about the impartiality of the peer-review process, which is designed to keep poor science out of the technical literature. 269 no E-mails stolen from a climate research center in England reveal that a small group of scientists has been pressuring scientific journals not to publish reports that cast doubt on climate change. The e-mails raise questions about the impartiality of the peer-review process, which is designed to keep poor science out of the technical literature.

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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=2100631 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120592967&ft=1&f=2100631 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. 208 no 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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]]> Reef Conservation Strategy Backfires Conservationists worried about overfishing on the Pacific island of Kiribati persuaded fishermen to pick coconuts instead. The strategy backfired: Coconut oil production increased, but so did fishing. It turns out, fishermen who earned more money in coconut agriculture had more leisure time &mdash; which they spent fishing. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:01:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120536304&ft=1&f=2100631 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120536304&ft=1&f=2100631 Conservationists worried about overfishing on the Pacific island of Kiribati persuaded fishermen to pick coconuts instead. The strategy backfired: Coconut oil production increased, but so did fishing. It turns out, fishermen who earned more money in coconut agriculture had more leisure time &mdash; which they spent fishing. 267 no Conservationists worried about overfishing on the Pacific island of Kiribati persuaded fishermen to pick coconuts instead. The strategy backfired: Coconut oil production increased, but so did fishing. It turns out, fishermen who earned more money in coconut agriculture had more leisure time — which they spent fishing.

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]]> Lower Tuna Limit Still Too High, Researchers Say The international commission that regulates fishing of tuna and other large migratory fish in the Atlantic voted to sharply reduce the fishing quota for bluefin tuna at their latest meeting. But some scientists say the new quota is too high to sustain the species. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120462634&ft=1&f=2100631 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120462634&ft=1&f=2100631 The international commission that regulates fishing of tuna and other large migratory fish in the Atlantic voted to sharply reduce the fishing quota for bluefin tuna at their latest meeting. But some scientists say the new quota is too high to sustain the species. 226 no The international commission that regulates fishing of tuna and other large migratory fish in the Atlantic voted to sharply reduce the fishing quota for bluefin tuna at their latest meeting. But some scientists say the new quota is too high to sustain the species.

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]]> EPA Drafts Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Strategy The Environmental Protection Agency has outlined a new effort to help protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay, the nation's largest estuary. And it targets the root causes of the trouble: runoff. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120244725&ft=1&f=2100631 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120244725&ft=1&f=2100631 The Environmental Protection Agency has outlined a new effort to help protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay, the nation's largest estuary. And it targets the root causes of the trouble: runoff. 245 no The Environmental Protection Agency has outlined a new effort to help protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay, the nation's largest estuary. And it targets the root causes of the trouble: runoff.

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]]> Climate Rift Grows Between U.S., Poor Nations As the world prepares for crucial climate-change talks in Copenhagen next month, there is a growing rift between the United States and some of the world's poorest nations. The gap grew wider this past week, at the final official pre-Copenhagen talks in Barcelona. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120227950&ft=1&f=2100631 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120227950&ft=1&f=2100631 As the world prepares for crucial climate-change talks in Copenhagen next month, there is a growing rift between the United States and some of the world's poorest nations. The gap grew wider this past week, at the final official pre-Copenhagen talks in Barcelona. 225 no As the world prepares for crucial climate-change talks in Copenhagen next month, there is a growing rift between the United States and some of the world's poorest nations. The gap grew wider this past week, at the final official pre-Copenhagen talks in Barcelona.

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]]> Kilimanjaro Glaciers May Vanish In A Few Decades The glaciers atop Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro may be gone entirely in the next few decades. A new study shows that 85 percent of the ice cover that was present in 1912 has vanished, and the ice continues to melt rapidly. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:27:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120067722&ft=1&f=2100631 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120067722&ft=1&f=2100631 The glaciers atop Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro may be gone entirely in the next few decades. A new study shows that 85 percent of the ice cover that was present in 1912 has vanished, and the ice continues to melt rapidly. no The glaciers atop Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro may be gone entirely in the next few decades. A new study shows that 85 percent of the ice cover that was present in 1912 has vanished, and the ice continues to melt rapidly.

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]]> Astronomers Detect Most Distant Object Ever Seen Light from a star that died when the universe was about 600 million years old is only now reaching Earth. The gamma ray burst is 13.1 billion light-years away, and astronomers say it's the most distant object ever seen from Earth. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:01:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114246224&ft=1&f=2100631 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114246224&ft=1&f=2100631 Light from a star that died when the universe was about 600 million years old is only now reaching Earth. The gamma ray burst is 13.1 billion light-years away, and astronomers say it's the most distant object ever seen from Earth. 100 no Light from a star that died when the universe was about 600 million years old is only now reaching Earth. The gamma ray burst is 13.1 billion light-years away, and astronomers say it's the most distant object ever seen from Earth.

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]]> Scientists: Biofuel Laws May Harm Environment Researchers writing in the current issue of <em>Science</em> believe they have found an error in existing biofuel laws that could actually make climate change worse. They say these rules inadvertently encourage deforestation, which in turn contributes to global warming. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:01:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114055974&ft=1&f=2100631 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114055974&ft=1&f=2100631 Researchers writing in the current issue of <em>Science</em> believe they have found an error in existing biofuel laws that could actually make climate change worse. They say these rules inadvertently encourage deforestation, which in turn contributes to global warming. 282 no Researchers writing in the current issue of Science believe they have found an error in existing biofuel laws that could actually make climate change worse. They say these rules inadvertently encourage deforestation, which in turn contributes to global warming.

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]]> Prairie Pioneer Seeks To Reinvent The Way We Farm A man from the Plains is on a mission to change the way we farm. For the past 33 years, this farmer has devoted his life to creating new strains of crops that will thrive year-round without depleting the soil. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113766846&ft=1&f=2100631 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113766846&ft=1&f=2100631 A man from the Plains is on a mission to change the way we farm. For the past 33 years, this farmer has devoted his life to creating new strains of crops that will thrive year-round without depleting the soil. 501 no A man from the Plains is on a mission to change the way we farm. For the past 33 years, this farmer has devoted his life to creating new strains of crops that will thrive year-round without depleting the soil.

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]]> Future Unlikely For Kyoto Climate Treaty Despite dissent from developing countries, the U.S. and Europe seem to be abandoning the idea of extending or revising the Kyoto climate treaty when it expires in 2012. Instead they will form a new treaty, but some doubt it will be ready in December, when diplomats meet in Copenhagen. The news leaves many countries in the developing world frustrated. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113868225&ft=1&f=2100631 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113868225&ft=1&f=2100631 Despite dissent from developing countries, the U.S. and Europe seem to be abandoning the idea of extending or revising the Kyoto climate treaty when it expires in 2012. Instead they will form a new treaty, but some doubt it will be ready in December, when diplomats meet in Copenhagen. The news leaves many countries in the developing world frustrated. 266 no Despite dissent from developing countries, the U.S. and Europe seem to be abandoning the idea of extending or revising the Kyoto climate treaty when it expires in 2012. Instead they will form a new treaty, but some doubt it will be ready in December, when diplomats meet in Copenhagen. The news leaves many countries in the developing world frustrated.

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]]> New Discovery: A Spider That Eats Its Veggies Spiders deserve their reputation as bloodthirsty critters. Up until now, all 40,000 species known to science seemed to eat by sucking the juices out of insects and other prey. But researchers have come across a spider that eats mainly leaves. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:23:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113753522&ft=1&f=2100631 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113753522&ft=1&f=2100631 Spiders deserve their reputation as bloodthirsty critters. Up until now, all 40,000 species known to science seemed to eat by sucking the juices out of insects and other prey. But researchers have come across a spider that eats mainly leaves. no Spiders deserve their reputation as bloodthirsty critters. Up until now, all 40,000 species known to science seemed to eat by sucking the juices out of insects and other prey. But researchers have come across a spider that eats mainly leaves.

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]]> Fiber Optics, Imaging Pioneers Win Physics Nobel The 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Charles K. Kao, Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for breakthroughs in fiber optics and digital imaging. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 06:09:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113527362&ft=1&f=2100631 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113527362&ft=1&f=2100631 The 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Charles K. Kao, Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for breakthroughs in fiber optics and digital imaging. 239 no The 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Charles K. Kao, Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for breakthroughs in fiber optics and digital imaging.

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]]> Pioneers Of Fiber Optics, Semiconductors Win Nobel The Nobel Prize for Physics has been awarded to Charles K. Kao, Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for their work in fiber-optics and semiconductors. The Nobel committee Tuesday said the three scientists helped shape the foundations of today's networked society. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 06:22:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113526779&ft=1&f=2100631 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113526779&ft=1&f=2100631 The Nobel Prize for Physics has been awarded to Charles K. Kao, Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for their work in fiber-optics and semiconductors. The Nobel committee Tuesday said the three scientists helped shape the foundations of today's networked society. 235 no The Nobel Prize for Physics has been awarded to Charles K. Kao, Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for their work in fiber-optics and semiconductors. The Nobel committee Tuesday said the three scientists helped shape the foundations of today's networked society.

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]]> Are This Week's Earthquakes Related? In Samoa, more than 100 people died after a magnitude 8 quake triggered a tsunami on Tuesday. Less than a day later, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake caused more than 400 deaths and widespread damage in Indonesia. A third earthquake struck in Peru, magnitude 5.9, on Wednesday. Scientists are studying those and other quakes to see if patterns emerge. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:12:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113374447&ft=1&f=2100631 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113374447&ft=1&f=2100631 In Samoa, more than 100 people died after a magnitude 8 quake triggered a tsunami on Tuesday. Less than a day later, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake caused more than 400 deaths and widespread damage in Indonesia. A third earthquake struck in Peru, magnitude 5.9, on Wednesday. Scientists are studying those and other quakes to see if patterns emerge. 204 no In Samoa, more than 100 people died after a magnitude 8 quake triggered a tsunami on Tuesday. Less than a day later, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake caused more than 400 deaths and widespread damage in Indonesia. A third earthquake struck in Peru, magnitude 5.9, on Wednesday. Scientists are studying those and other quakes to see if patterns emerge.

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