Tianjin, in northern China, is home to Tianjin University, an international research center that recently hired an American to lead its school of pharmaceutical science and technology. He recruits students from all over the world, he says, and the program's classes are taught in English. Prisma Bildagentur/UIG/Getty Images hide caption
Alberta Aurora Chasers captured STEVE in April in British Columbia, Canada. STEVE is the narrow ribbon of white-purple hues overhead, and the vibrant green light on the right is an aurora located further north. Ryan Sault hide caption
Lava advances west on Leilani Avenue on May 27. U.S. Geological Survey hide caption
Scientists tagged over 30 great white sharks last fall — more than they had ever done in a single season. Courtesy Stanford University — Block Lab Hopkins Marine Station hide caption
A scientist says pen refill reviews on Amazon are more informative that what the current peer review system offers on scientific work costing millions of dollars. Mark Airs/Getty Images hide caption
The moon rises between two office buildings in Bangkok, Thailand. Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Dr. Mathilde Krim at the World AIDS Day Symposium presented by the Foundation For AIDS Research and the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2002. Krim had a knack for helping people talk about HIV/AIDS rationally, colleagues say. Theo Wargo/WireImage hide caption
From left: Malebogo Molefhe, who uses a wheelchair because she was shot by her boyfriend, is a winner of the U.S. State Department's 2017 International Women of Courage award. Dr. Eqbal Dauqan, shown in a lab at University Kebangsaan Malaysia, won a scholarship for refugees. Mira Rai of Nepal, one of the world's top ultrarunners, was named Adventurer of the Year by National Geographic. From left: Ryan Eskalis/NPR; Sanjit Das/for NPR; and Richard Bull. hide caption
Leandro Teixeira and Richard Dubielzig of the University of Wisconsin - Madison open the whale eye package. Richard Dubielzig and Leandro Teixeira/University of Wisconsin-Madison hide caption
Much of Albert Einstein's best-known work, including his famous formula, was conducted in Europe, but when the Nazis came to power, he and other famous scientists brought their talent to the U.S. Selimaksan/Getty Images/iStockphoto hide caption
The moon is pictured in this image from December 6, 2006. A new study shows the moon's interior might contain water. Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
A raven flies in the Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming. Tom Koerner/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hide caption
"In college, I would tell my friends that I wanted to pursue a Ph.D., and they would chuckle and ridicule the idea," says Eqbal Dauqan, who is an assistant professor at the University Kebangsaan Malaysia at age 36. Born and raised in Yemen, Dauqan credits her "naughty" spirit for her success in a male-dominated culture. Sanjit Das for NPR hide caption
The theft of agricultural trade secrets is a growing problem, according to the FBI. University of Michigan School of Environment and Sustainability/Flickr hide caption
People walk along the "Avenue of the Baobabs," a natural reserve in western Madagascar, in 2011. AFP/Getty Images hide caption
The new report from leading U.S. scientists shines a spotlight on how the research enterprise as a whole creates incentives that can be detrimental to good research. Robert Essel NYC/Getty Images hide caption
Carmen Bachmann founded "Chance for Science," a website that connects refugee academics with scientists working in Germany. Thomas Victor for NPR hide caption
Hanan Isweiri is a Ph.D. student at Colorado State University. She flew to Libya in January to visit with family after her father's death. She was able to re-enter the U.S. Saturday. Courtesy of Colorado State University hide caption
Biologist Shaun Clements counts down the seconds before emptying a vial of synthetic DNA into a stream near Alsea, Oregon. Jes Burns/Oregon Public Broadcasting/EarthFix hide caption
Artist's rendering of two individuals of Siamogale melilutra, one of them feeding on a freshwater clam. Mauricio Antón/Journla of Systematic Palaeontology hide caption
Research with living systems is never simple, scientists say, so there are many possible sources of variation in any experiment, ranging from the animals and cells to the details of lab technique. Tom Werner/Getty Images hide caption