NPR People: Joe Palca http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2101004&ft=1&f=2101004 Joe Palca is a science correspondent for NPR. Since joining NPR in 1992, Palca has covered a range of science topics -- everything from biomedical research to astronomy. In addition to his science reporting, Palca is backup host for Talk of the Nation Science Friday. Copyright 2009 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.93 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://media.npr.org/images/podcasts/thumbnail/npr_generic_image_75.jpg Joe Palca http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2101004&ft=1&f=2101004 yes Since Darwin's Era, Following Science Got Complex On Nov. 24, 1859, Darwin's <em>On the Origin of Species</em> first appeared in print and had a tremendous impact on society and science alike. Despite having more media access today, science has gotten so complex that it's hard for people to keep up, let alone evaluate the significance behind science stories. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120751039&ft=1&f=2101004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120751039&ft=1&f=2101004 On Nov. 24, 1859, Darwin's <em>On the Origin of Species</em> first appeared in print and had a tremendous impact on society and science alike. Despite having more media access today, science has gotten so complex that it's hard for people to keep up, let alone evaluate the significance behind science stories. 272 no On Nov. 24, 1859, Darwin's On the Origin of Species first appeared in print and had a tremendous impact on society and science alike. Despite having more media access today, science has gotten so complex that it's hard for people to keep up, let alone evaluate the significance behind science stories.

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]]> At 150, Darwin's 'Origin' Stirs Even More Debate On Nov. 24, 1859, a book that changed the world first appeared in print. <em>On the Origin of Species</em> proposed a radical new theory about how all life on Earth evolved. In many respects, the book sparks greater controversy today than when it first appeared. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:16:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120692695&ft=1&f=2101004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120692695&ft=1&f=2101004 On Nov. 24, 1859, a book that changed the world first appeared in print. <em>On the Origin of Species</em> proposed a radical new theory about how all life on Earth evolved. In many respects, the book sparks greater controversy today than when it first appeared. 291 no On Nov. 24, 1859, a book that changed the world first appeared in print. On the Origin of Species proposed a radical new theory about how all life on Earth evolved. In many respects, the book sparks greater controversy today than when it first appeared.

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]]> The Dirt On Dust Where does all that dust under your couch come from? It turns out that most household dust comes from outside &mdash; and may contain some pretty harmful stuff. How the toxins in dust get into your body depends on the size of the dust particle. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120252957&ft=1&f=2101004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120252957&ft=1&f=2101004 Where does all that dust under your couch come from? It turns out that most household dust comes from outside &mdash; and may contain some pretty harmful stuff. How the toxins in dust get into your body depends on the size of the dust particle. 240 no Where does all that dust under your couch come from? It turns out that most household dust comes from outside — and may contain some pretty harmful stuff. How the toxins in dust get into your body depends on the size of the dust particle.

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]]> NASA Unveils Plan To Unstick A Mars Rover The space agency announced plans for freeing the rover Spirit, which has been stuck in a Martian sand trap since April. Spirit has six wheels, though one, being inspected here by the rover's robotic arm, stopped working in 2006. NASA engineers will begin transmitting commands to the robot's five working wheels on Monday, but escape efforts could last into early next year. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120360137&ft=1&f=2101004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120360137&ft=1&f=2101004 The space agency announced plans for freeing the rover Spirit, which has been stuck in a Martian sand trap since April. Spirit has six wheels, though one, being inspected here by the rover's robotic arm, stopped working in 2006. NASA engineers will begin transmitting commands to the robot's five working wheels on Monday, but escape efforts could last into early next year. 228 no The space agency announced plans for freeing the rover Spirit, which has been stuck in a Martian sand trap since April. Spirit has six wheels, though one, being inspected here by the rover's robotic arm, stopped working in 2006. NASA engineers will begin transmitting commands to the robot's five working wheels on Monday, but escape efforts could last into early next year.

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]]> Rare Disease Treated Using Gene Therapy French scientists report that two boys treated with gene therapy for a rare but fatal genetic disease have shown improvements. These results mark a high point for the field of gene therapy. Shown here, the area of the brain that was treated. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:57:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120118988&ft=1&f=2101004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120118988&ft=1&f=2101004 French scientists report that two boys treated with gene therapy for a rare but fatal genetic disease have shown improvements. These results mark a high point for the field of gene therapy. Shown here, the area of the brain that was treated. 247 no French scientists report that two boys treated with gene therapy for a rare but fatal genetic disease have shown improvements. These results mark a high point for the field of gene therapy. Shown here, the area of the brain that was treated.

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]]> Scientists Decode DNA Of Domestic Pig An international team of scientists has completed a draft sequence of the pig genome. Pigs share many important properties with humans, so understanding the pig genome could reveal more about behavior and disease resistance in humans. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120004288&ft=1&f=2101004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120004288&ft=1&f=2101004 An international team of scientists has completed a draft sequence of the pig genome. Pigs share many important properties with humans, so understanding the pig genome could reveal more about behavior and disease resistance in humans. 217 no An international team of scientists has completed a draft sequence of the pig genome. Pigs share many important properties with humans, so understanding the pig genome could reveal more about behavior and disease resistance in humans.

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]]> Bioengineered Plants Gone Wild A study shows the effect of what happens when genes from bioengineered plants get lose. A gene that protects a squash from a viral disease also protects a wild gourd from this disease but it makes it more susceptible to other threats. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114206060&ft=1&f=2101004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114206060&ft=1&f=2101004 A study shows the effect of what happens when genes from bioengineered plants get lose. A gene that protects a squash from a viral disease also protects a wild gourd from this disease but it makes it more susceptible to other threats. 238 no A study shows the effect of what happens when genes from bioengineered plants get lose. A gene that protects a squash from a viral disease also protects a wild gourd from this disease but it makes it more susceptible to other threats.

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]]> Computer Finds New Math 'Jewel' In The Rough A computing project on the Internet called the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search has discovered a new Mersenne prime number. At nearly 13 million digits long, it is only the 47th Mersenne prime since ancient Greek mathematicians first uncovered them. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:16:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105445455&ft=1&f=2101004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105445455&ft=1&f=2101004 A computing project on the Internet called the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search has discovered a new Mersenne prime number. At nearly 13 million digits long, it is only the 47th Mersenne prime since ancient Greek mathematicians first uncovered them. 196 no A computing project on the Internet called the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search has discovered a new Mersenne prime number. At nearly 13 million digits long, it is only the 47th Mersenne prime since ancient Greek mathematicians first uncovered them.

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]]> Trees May Dry Up With Global Warming Warming global temperatures could cause massive tree die-offs. That's the gloomy conclusion of a new study by scientists at the University of Arizona. They've discovered that trees exposed to temperatures warmer than those in their native environment were less capable of tolerating drought. Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:48:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103081498&ft=1&f=2101004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103081498&ft=1&f=2101004 Warming global temperatures could cause massive tree die-offs. That's the gloomy conclusion of a new study by scientists at the University of Arizona. They've discovered that trees exposed to temperatures warmer than those in their native environment were less capable of tolerating drought. 216 no Warming global temperatures could cause massive tree die-offs. That's the gloomy conclusion of a new study by scientists at the University of Arizona. They've discovered that trees exposed to temperatures warmer than those in their native environment were less capable of tolerating drought.

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]]> Mining For The 'Prime' Jewels Of Numbers The world's largest prime number clocks in at nearly 13 million digits. It's a type of number called a Mersenne, and mathematicians are using the Internet to outsource the computing power to find them, number-crunching away to find one that's even larger. Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102876903&ft=1&f=2101004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102876903&ft=1&f=2101004 The world's largest prime number clocks in at nearly 13 million digits. It's a type of number called a Mersenne, and mathematicians are using the Internet to outsource the computing power to find them, number-crunching away to find one that's even larger. 270 no The world's largest prime number clocks in at nearly 13 million digits. It's a type of number called a Mersenne, and mathematicians are using the Internet to outsource the computing power to find them, number-crunching away to find one that's even larger.

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]]> Hidden Ingredient In New, Greener Battery: A Virus In the quest for a more environmentally friendly battery, MIT scientists have turned to biology. They've incorporated a genetically engineered virus into the structure of a lithium battery, allowing for a less toxic manufacturing process. Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:06:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102647672&ft=1&f=2101004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102647672&ft=1&f=2101004 In the quest for a more environmentally friendly battery, MIT scientists have turned to biology. They've incorporated a genetically engineered virus into the structure of a lithium battery, allowing for a less toxic manufacturing process. 236 no In the quest for a more environmentally friendly battery, MIT scientists have turned to biology. They've incorporated a genetically engineered virus into the structure of a lithium battery, allowing for a less toxic manufacturing process.

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]]> Nuclear Fallout Solves Heart Mystery Scientists say the heart, long thought to be the least regenerative organ in the body, can grow new heart muscle cells. Fallout from atomic tests led to this new finding. Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:41:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102651580&ft=1&f=2101004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102651580&ft=1&f=2101004 Scientists say the heart, long thought to be the least regenerative organ in the body, can grow new heart muscle cells. Fallout from atomic tests led to this new finding. 199 no Scientists say the heart, long thought to be the least regenerative organ in the body, can grow new heart muscle cells. Fallout from atomic tests led to this new finding.

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]]> States Rethinking Costly Stem Cell Programs A half-dozen states started their own embryonic stem cell research programs after former President Bush imposed restrictions on federal dollars. But now that President Obama has lifted the restrictions, some states are questioning those costly programs, especially since state funds are scarce. Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:38:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102133013&ft=1&f=2101004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102133013&ft=1&f=2101004 A half-dozen states started their own embryonic stem cell research programs after former President Bush imposed restrictions on federal dollars. But now that President Obama has lifted the restrictions, some states are questioning those costly programs, especially since state funds are scarce. 236 no A half-dozen states started their own embryonic stem cell research programs after former President Bush imposed restrictions on federal dollars. But now that President Obama has lifted the restrictions, some states are questioning those costly programs, especially since state funds are scarce.

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]]> Inheriting Infections: Can Genes Make You Sick? Here's a radical concept: Our genes could determine which infectious diseases we are susceptible to. Some scientists say this could explain why some people infected with a microbe develop the disease and others show no symptoms. Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:23:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101627003&ft=1&f=2101004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101627003&ft=1&f=2101004 Here's a radical concept: Our genes could determine which infectious diseases we are susceptible to. Some scientists say this could explain why some people infected with a microbe develop the disease and others show no symptoms. 0 no Here's a radical concept: Our genes could determine which infectious diseases we are susceptible to. Some scientists say this could explain why some people infected with a microbe develop the disease and others show no symptoms.

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]]> Stem Cell Move Fulfills Obama Pledge President Barack Obama's decision to allow federal funding for stem cell research represents the fulfillment of a campaign promise. Both Obama and his campaign rival, John McCain, vowed to repudiate the Bush administration's willingness to let policy imperatives invade science. Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101627997&ft=1&f=2101004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101627997&ft=1&f=2101004 President Barack Obama's decision to allow federal funding for stem cell research represents the fulfillment of a campaign promise. Both Obama and his campaign rival, John McCain, vowed to repudiate the Bush administration's willingness to let policy imperatives invade science. 315 no President Barack Obama's decision to allow federal funding for stem cell research represents the fulfillment of a campaign promise. Both Obama and his campaign rival, John McCain, vowed to repudiate the Bush administration's willingness to let policy imperatives invade science.

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