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Monday

Sharks often get a bad rap, but oceans need them

A blue shark captured from below off the coast of New Zealand. Cultura RM Exclusive/Richard Robinson/Getty Images hide caption

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Cultura RM Exclusive/Richard Robinson/Getty Images

Short Wave

Sharks often get a bad rap, but oceans need them

It's that time of the year again: Shark Week. The TV program is so long-running that if you're under 37, you've never known a life without it. In honor of this oft misunderstood critter, we revisit our conversation with shark scientist Melissa Christina Marquez. She explains just how important sharks are to keeping the oceans healthy, including their role in mitigating climate change. Plus, there may be some talk about shark poop.

Sharks often get a bad rap, but oceans need them

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Sunday

Friday

This image provided by the Texas Department of Public Safety shows a shark close to the shore in South Padre Island, Texas, on Thursday.

This image provided by the Texas Department of Public Safety shows a shark close to the shore in South Padre Island, Texas, on Thursday. Texas Department of Public Safety/AP hide caption

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Texas Department of Public Safety/AP

National

Back-to-back shark attacks leave 4 people injured in Texas and Florida

An abnormally high number of people were bitten by sharks in coastal waters over the span of a day that began on July 4. Upticks in shark attacks alone are not cause for concern, an expert says.

Jennifer Privett takes her Himalayan cat Jean Claude out for a stroll in San Francisco on June 28, 2024.

Jennifer Privett takes her Himalayan cat Jean Claude out for a stroll in San Francisco on June 28. Chloe Veltman/NPR hide caption

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Chloe Veltman/NPR

Culture

Cats on leashes ... yes, it's a thing

For some cats, leashed walks "can certainly create environmental enrichment, get them some more exercise," says veterinarian Grace Cater. Other cats? Not so much.

CAT WALKING

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How noise pollution from planes, trains and automobiles can harm human health

Noise pollution from human activities can have negative impacts on our health—from sleep disturbances and stress to increases in the risk of heart disease and diabetes. tolgart/Getty Images hide caption

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tolgart/Getty Images

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How noise pollution from planes, trains and automobiles can harm human health

When's the last time you were in a place that was quiet — really quiet? No roadway noise, construction work or even the hum of a refrigerator. Our world is full of sounds, some of which are harming our health. The World Health Organization says "noise is an underestimated threat." Today, host Emily Kwong talks to health reporter Joanne Silberner about those health costs, what is too loud and some of the history of legislation to limit noise pollution in the United States.

How noise pollution from planes, trains and automobiles can harm human health

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Thursday

A Northern Spotted Owl flies after a mouse jumping off the end of a stick in the Deschutes National Forest near Camp Sherman, Ore. To save the spotted owl from potential extinction, U.S. wildlife officials are embracing a plan to deploy trained shooters to kill almost a half-million barred owls that are crowding out their smaller cousins.

A Northern Spotted Owl flies after a mouse jumping off the end of a stick in the Deschutes National Forest near Camp Sherman, Ore. To save the spotted owl from potential extinction, U.S. wildlife officials are embracing a plan to deploy trained shooters to kill almost a half-million barred owls that are crowding out their smaller cousins. Don Ryan/AP hide caption

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Don Ryan/AP

Environment

To save spotted owls, officials plan to kill a half-million of another owl species

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service strategy is meant to prop up declining spotted owl populations in Oregon, Washington and California by killing barred owls that have encroached into their territory.

Wednesday

A boat crosses Lake Oroville with a smoldering hillside behind as the Thompson Fire burns in Oroville, Calif., on Wednesday.

A boat crosses Lake Oroville with a smoldering hillside behind as the Thompson Fire burns in Oroville, Calif., on Wednesday. An extended heatwave blanketing Northern California has resulted in red flag fire warnings and power shutoffs. Noah Berger/AP hide caption

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Noah Berger/AP

National

Thousands evacuate as Northern California wildfire spreads. More hot weather is expected

Firefighters are battling a growing wildfire in Northern California that has forced at least 26,000 people to evacuate. The fire's cause is being investigated.

The Starliner spacecraft docked with the International Space Station and orbiting 262 miles above Egypt's Mediterranean coast on June 13, 2024. NASA says additional testing is needed before Starliner can return to Earth.

The Starliner spacecraft docked with the International Space Station and orbiting 262 miles above Egypt's Mediterranean coast on June 13. NASA says additional testing is needed before Starliner can return to Earth. NASA/AP hide caption

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NASA/AP

Space

'We’re not stuck.' Why Boeing’s Starliner isn’t returning to Earth (yet)

The return of Starliner has been indefinitely delayed, but NASA and Boeing say the astronauts will use the spaceship to get home — eventually.

Researchers are figuring out how African ancestry can affect certain brain disorders

Illustration of a brain and genomic DNA on a dark blue particle background. Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images hide caption

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Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images

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Researchers are figuring out how African ancestry can affect certain brain disorders

Black Americans have been underrepresented in most genomic studies of neurological disorders. As a result, scientists don't know much about whether African ancestry affects a person's risk for these disorders or their response to a particular treatment. To help close this gap, the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, African American community leaders in Baltimore, and researchers from Duke University and Morgan State University created the African Ancestry Neuroscience Research Initiative in 2019. The team found that genes associated with African ancestry appear to affect certain brain cells in ways that could increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease and stroke.

Researchers are figuring out how African ancestry can affect certain brain disorders

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Tuesday

Could 3 Body Problem's aliens exist? The science behind Netflix's new hit

Discovered in 2016, a roughly Earth-sized planet orbiting our nearest neighboring star might be habitable. This artist's impression shows a view of the surface of the planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the solar system. ESO/M. Kornmesser hide caption

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ESO/M. Kornmesser

Short Wave

Could 3 Body Problem's aliens exist? The science behind Netflix's new hit

Before the '3 Body Problem' became a bestselling book and a smash TV show ... it was a physics concept, with big implications for how we understand planetary orbits. In this episode, we learn about the science behind the screen. Plus, why it's plausible a nearby, mysterious planet could hold life.

Could 3 Body Problem's aliens exist? The science behind Netflix's new hit

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Monday

An aquarium near Asheville, N.C., posted updates for weeks after saying in February that Charlotte, a round stingray, was pregnant. The news drew international headlines — but the facility now says the ray is sick, not pregnant. In this image from an April video update, the ray has a noticeable bulge on her back.

An aquarium near Asheville, N.C., posted updates for weeks after saying in February that Charlotte, a round stingray, was pregnant. The news drew international headlines — but the facility now says the ray is sick, not pregnant. In this image from an April video update, the ray has a noticeable bulge on her back. Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO / Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO / Screenshot by NPR

National

Charlotte the stingray, the would-be mom, has died at her N.C. aquarium

The stingray became a sensation earlier this year, in a purported case of asexual reproduction. She died weeks after her aquarium owners said she was not pregnant.

Members of the Life Guards, a division of the Household Cavalry in London, on June 8, 2024. Three military horses have been recovered after bolting through central London on Monday morning.

Members of the Life Guards, a division of the Household Cavalry in London, on June 8, 2024. Three military horses have been recovered after bolting through central London on Monday morning. Benjamin Cremel/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Benjamin Cremel/AFP via Getty Images

World

Military horses ran loose through the streets of London once again

A trio of rider-less horses charged through central London, causing panic but no injuries before being returned to their barracks. A similar ordeal happened in April, though involved different horses.

A generic drug that's used to treat transplant patients has been shown to extend the life span of some animals.

A generic drug that's used to treat transplant patients has been shown to extend the life span of some animals. Guido Mieth/Getty Images hide caption

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Guido Mieth/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Rapamycin may slow aging. Here's one way the drug will be tested

Longevity researchers are taking a generic drug they think may help extend people's lives. Now a dentist is testing if rapamycin stops gum disease — a canary in the coal mine for age-related diseases.

Anti-aging drug Rapamycin to prevent gum disease 

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Want juicy barbecue this Fourth of July? Cook low and slow
10'000 Hours/Getty Images

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Want juicy barbecue this Fourth of July? Cook low and slow

Perfecting your grilling technique ahead of the Fourth of July? Chefs will tell you that cooking is not just an art — it's a science. And the spirit of summer barbecues, NPR science correspondent Sydney Lupkin brings us this encore piece about how understanding the chemistry of cooking meat can help you perfect your barbeque. It's all about low and slow cooking.

Want juicy barbecue this Fourth of July? Cook low and slow

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Saturday