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Human Diseases Mirrored in Rat Genome

March 31, 2004 • The laboratory rat rattus norvegicus may become even more useful to researchers studying human disease, as researchers find that almost every human gene related to disease has a rat-gene counterpart. Analysis of the rat genome, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, is expected to aid development of new drugs. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

Human Diseases Mirrored in Rat Genome

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Planet-Like Ball Spied Beyond Pluto

March 16, 2004 • Astronomers have discovered a giant ball of ice and dust in orbit around the sun, far beyond Pluto. Scientists say it's the most distant object in our solar system, 8 billion miles away. Dubbed Sedna, the object is about the same size as Pluto -- and some wonder whether it should be called a planet, too. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

Planet-Like Ball Spied Beyond Pluto

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'Sedna' Planetoid Seen at Solar System's Edge

March 15, 2004 • Astronomers say they've found a large icy mass far beyond the orbit of Pluto. Scientists have declared it the most distant object in the solar system, at more than 8 billion miles from Earth. The planetoid, named Sedna, is estimated to be around 1,000 miles in diameter. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

'Sedna' Planetoid Seen at Solar System's Edge

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Scientist Finds Undersea Genetic Treasures

March 5, 2004 • Scientist J. Craig Venter, best known for helping to fuel the race to decode the human genome, has discovered more than a million new genes from the marine life of the Sargasso Sea. Researchers say Venter's findings, published in ScienceExpress, serve as a reminder that millions of organisms have yet to be discovered. Hear NPR's Richard Harris.

Scientist Finds Undersea Genetic Treasures

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Paper Casts Doubt on Dinosaur Death Theory

March 1, 2004 • A group of researchers is challenging the popular theory that the disappearance of dinosaurs on Earth was caused by the planet's collision with a single asteroid 65 million years ago. The scientists say the Yucatan Peninsula's Chicxulub crater -- often thought to be the result of the catastrophic strike -- is too old to have been involved in the creatures' demise. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

Paper Casts Doubt on Dinosaur Death Theory

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Mystery of the Dinosaurs' Demise

March 1, 2004 • Some researchers are challenging the theory that a single asteroid caused the dinosaurs to disappear 65 million years ago. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

Science

Hope for Hubble?

February 26, 2004 • Last month, NASA shocked the astronomy world by canceling a repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. That decision all but sealed the observatory's fate to a slow death in orbit. But as NPR's Richard Harris reports, astronomers aren't giving up yet.

Hope for Hubble?

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Scientists See U.S. Distortion

February 18, 2004 • Scores of scientists release a report alleging the Bush administration distorts and censors scientific findings that contradict its policies. At least 58 leading scientists -- including Nobel laureates, medical experts, former federal agency directors and university executives -- signed a letter accompanying the report circulated by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Hear NPR's Richard Harris.

Scientists Accuse White House of Distortion

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Unraveling Mad Cow Disease

February 17, 2004 • Mad cow disease and related illness are thought to be spread by an infectious protein, not a germ. But some prominent scientists don't agree. NPR's Richard Harris travels to a National Institutes of Health lab in Montana, where a group of scientists have been trying for several decades to get to the bottom of brain-wasting diseases.

Unraveling Mad Cow Disease

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Hill Skeptical of Space Plan

February 13, 2004 • President Bush's long-term plan to send humans back to the moon and on to Mars meets with skepticism in the House Science Committee. Lawmakers Thursday grilled Bush administration officials about the long-term costs of the plan. Among their concerns is that valuable science at NASA will fall victim to an agency budget crunch. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

Lawmakers Skeptical of Bush Space Plan

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NASA Weighs Commitment to ISS

February 3, 2004 • NASA is grappling with how to carry out its long-term commitment to maintain the space station. NASA has promised international partners it will transport people and materials to and from orbit. But the space agency also plans to retire the space shuttle in 2010 to make room for grander space exploration plans. Hear NPR's Richard Harris.

NASA Struggles with Space Station Commitments

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NASA Scraps Future Hubble Telescope Repair Missions

January 16, 2004 • NPR's Richard Harris tells NPR's Michele Norris about the decision to cancel any further repair missions to the Hubble Space Telescope, which means the prized scientific tools will likely fail within a few years. A mission to extend the telescope's life has been cancelled because there would be no safe refuge for astronauts while they were doing the work -- a precaution now required by NASA in the aftermath of the Columbia shuttle disaster.

NASA Scraps Future Hubble Telescope Repair Missions

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Bush Plan for U.S. Space Program Under Debate

January 15, 2004 • President Bush unveils plans to revitalize NASA with a commitment to return to the moon and an eventual manned flight to Mars. Some experts say Bush's proposal is not properly funded and could leave his successors with spiraling costs. Hear NPR's Richard Harris.

Bush Plan for U.S. Space Program Under Debate

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President Bush Announces Space Program

January 14, 2004 • President George W. Bush is expected to unveil the details of his proposal to send manned missions to the Moon and to Mars. Already, the plan is creating debate over how much it might cost. Join Talk of the Nation for live coverage of the president's announcement from NASA headquarters in Washington, DC and a discussion about the future of U.S. ambitions in space.

Guests:

Richard Harris
*NPR science correspondent

Sen. Sam Brownback
*Republican senator from Kansas
*Sits on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee

Rep. Barney Frank
*Democratic congressman from Massachusetts

President Bush Announces Space Program

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Study Links Gene to High Metabolism, Cold Climes

January 9, 2004 • A new study in the journal Science suggests DNA mutations have helped humans to adapt to colder weather. The study identifies a gene that seems to help some bodies burn calories more quickly than others, making them more likely to survive freezing temperatures. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

Study Links Gene to High Metabolism, Cold Climes

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