NPR | National Public Radio: Health And Science

National Public Radio (NPR) is a semi-independent, privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to public radio stations in the United States.[1] NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson, which established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and also led to the creation of the Public Broadcasting Service. The network was founded in 1970 with 30 employees and 90 public radio stations as charter members.
* Description Courtesy of Wikipedia | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPR

Two Deaths: A Poet And A Beetle Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:58:00 -0500 Poet Wislawa Szymborska had an eye for the smallest, the gentlest, the hard-to-notice creatures on Earth and this week she bid them all adieu. Krulwich remembers Wislawa Szymborska.

20 Million Years Later, Russians Work To Drill Into Lake Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:25:00 -0500 Russian researchers in Antarctica are on the verge of piercing a hole through two miles of ice into an ancient lake, untouched by the light of day for some 20 million years. But it'll be a delicate process to break through without disturbing the pristine waters. Guest host David Green speaks with Antarctic researcher John Priscu about the process.

New USDA Map May Mean Earlier Planting In North Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:00:00 -0500 A new map from the USDA has some northern gardeners hoping to grow plants that used to be considered too fragile for cold weather zones. The hardiness zone chart is about a half zone warmer than the last one issued in 1990. The USDA says the changes are not due to global warming, but to more sophisticated mapping methods. Seed sellers and buyers say that, whatever the reason, the warmer temperatures expand possibilities for planting this spring.

'Arctic Oscilliation' Behind Season's Mixed Winter Weather Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:00:00 -0500 For snow fans in the contiguous US, this winter has left much to be desired. The warm and mild season in the lower 48 and the wild snow dumps and cold weather up north in Alaska can be blamed largely on a weather pattern called "arctic oscillation." Audie Cornish gets an explanation of the weather phenomenon from meteorologist Jeffrey Masters.

Drone Technology Reaches New Heights Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:00:00 -0500 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are replacing boots on the ground in some wars. Commercially, UAVs are being used for things like crop-dusting and flood mapping. Experts discuss advances in drone technology and how to address legal and privacy concerns that stem from their use.

Addicts' Brains May Be Wired At Birth For Less Self-Control Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 A study of cocaine addicts finds that they have abnormalities in areas of the brain involved in self-control. And these abnormalities appear to predate any drug abuse.

Could Cheap Gas Slow Growth Of Renewable Energy? Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:57:00 -0500 The relatively clean gas is replacing dirty coal-fired power plants. That's good news for the environment. But in the long run, cheap natural gas might delay the transition to even cleaner sources of energy, such as wind and solar power.