City Critic
A 150,000-Pound Hand-Me-Down. Yay?
By NEIL GENZLINGER
The regifting to New York of the Enterprise, a shuttle that never flew in space, makes one wonder: Is this a good deal?
As the space shuttle program comes to an end, it is a time of great uncertainty for those whose job involves spaceflight.
The regifting to New York of the Enterprise, a shuttle that never flew in space, makes one wonder: Is this a good deal?
Researchers find that golden retrievers and boxers had the highest rates of cancer and that for several toy breeds, the leading cause of death was trauma.
Using satellite photographs, scientists have found almost 13,000 miles of shoreline occupied by more than 2,100 barrier islands worldwide.
Scientists are trying to understand and quantify what makes music expressive, and the results are contributing to a greater understanding of how the brain works.
A photographer has created 25 true-scale pictures, including two full portraits — each composed from dozens of photographs of different sections of the whale’s body.
Researchers find conscientiousness might be the key to a long life.
The government increases its bet that private companies can take astronauts into orbit quicker and cheaper.
A well-preserved fossil bears the first paleontological evidence showing the close relationship between the lower jaw and the middle ear.
The payment to five states and the federal government will count toward the company’s final liability.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is struggling with an avalanche of petitions and lawsuits over the endangered species list.
Scientists report that the three “enterotypes” may have discrete effects on people’s health.
What makes music expressive? Quiz yourself based on new research.
NASA’s Messenger spacecraft sent back the first of what is expected to be 75,000 photographs during a yearlong investigation of Mercury.
Photos and stories of pets that were viewed differently by family members.
Test your strategy against the computer in this rock-paper-scissors game illustrating basic artificial intelligence.
Scientists brave ice, freezing wind and polar bears to survey the bowhead whales that pass through northern Alaska.
Whales all over the Pacific Ocean pick up the songs of humpbacks, turning them into worldwide hits.
The eye structure of the creatures shows that some functioned capably in the dark, contrary to popular belief.
The cuckoo finch’s habit of laying its eggs in other birds’ nests provokes a variety of defense mechanisms in three species of warblers in Zambia, researchers say.
Taking small doses of arsenic may help someone survive what could be a fatal dose.
A year after the BP oil spill, endangered sea turtles still wash up dead on Gulf of Mexico shores in large numbers. A federal investigation suggests that the culprit is likely not oil.
One study finds a hard workout’s calorie-burning benefits continue after the exercise is done.
Smell and taste disorders can affect more than the ability to “smell the roses” in life and to enjoy food.
Advice long given to snorers may not work for everyone.
A discussion of issues and opportunities related to the natural gas boom with an investigative reporter whose beat is fracking.
An animal puzzler from the popular NPR radio show Car Talk.