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Science

Tuesday

NIH Official Calls For Extension Of Moratorium On Bird Flu Experiments

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said a voluntary halt to bird flu research should stay in effect. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

NIH Official Calls For Extension Of Moratorium On Bird Flu Experiments

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said public discussions about controversial bird flu experiments are needed before a moratorium on them can be lifted.

Thank The Simple Wasp For That Complex Glass Of Wine

The European hornet, or vespa crabro, helps make wine by kickstarting the fermentation process while the grapes are still on the vine. Otto Hahn/Getty Images/Picture Press RM hide caption

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Otto Hahn/Getty Images/Picture Press RM

The Salt

Thank The Simple Wasp For That Complex Glass Of Wine

Don't swat away that buzzing wasp. It may help spread the yeast that starts the fermentation process in grapes while they're still on the vine. The yeast carried by the wasp give wine its complexity, scientists say.

Thank The Simple Wasp For That Complex Glass Of Wine

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Telescope Targets Black Holes' Binges And Burps

The NuSTAR telescope, seen in this artist's illustration, will soon be sending back data that researchers will use to study black holes. NASA/JPL-Caltech hide caption

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NASA/JPL-Caltech

Space

Telescope Targets Black Holes' Binges And Burps

KQED

Black holes grow by eating space dust and gas — and the material swallowed up emits high-energy X-rays. Later this week, NASA's newest space telescope will start searching the universe for signs of these mealtimes in hopes of unlocking some of the secrets of black holes.

Telescope Targets Black Holes' Binges And Burps

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Monday

Legal Battle Erupts Over Whose Plastic Consumers Should Trust

CamelBak-brand water bottles on display at an outdoor supply store in Arcadia, Calif., in 2008. The company removed BPA from the plastic in its bottles. David McNew/Getty Images hide caption

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David McNew/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Legal Battle Erupts Over Whose Plastic Consumers Should Trust

As BPA is phased out of some plastics, there are questions about the safety of other chemicals. A suit has been filed against Eastman, a company that makes a new BPA-free plastic called Tritan. Do other chemicals carry the same risks alleged for BPA?

Legal Battle Erupts Over Whose Plastic Consumers Should Trust

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What Does The Future Hold For Bird Flu Research?

A government official in Bali, Indonesia, holds a chicken before administering an injection to cull it as a precautionary measure in April to prevent the spread of bird flu. Firdia Lisnawati/AP hide caption

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Firdia Lisnawati/AP

Shots - Health News

What Does The Future Hold For Bird Flu Research?

Scientists gather in New York to consider the future of bird flu research after a moratorium on the work passes. Critics say the work and its findings could pose security risks, but scientists defend their experiments as preparation for outbreaks.

Saturday

Friday

Ask An Astrophysicist

The universe is being pushed apart at a faster and faster rate. And the culprit? Dark energy. Astrophysicist Adam Riess shared the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics for that discovery, and now's your chance to ask him about it--or anything else you've been wondering about the cosmos.

Ask An Astrophysicist

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"Resilience" Looks At How Things Bounce Back

In their new book, Resilience, Andrew Zolli and Ann Marie Healy examine how institutions and people respond to disruptions. By studying how systems--from coral reefs to Lehman Brothers--respond to change, Zolli argues that we can be better prepared for unexpected events.

"Resilience" Looks At How Things Bounce Back

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Politics

Why Science Is A Non-Issue In The Election...Again

In the face of a massive drought and climbing sea levels are the presidential candidates going to talk about climate change? Why is science always at the bottom of the list of campaign issues that resonate with the public? Ira Flatow and guests discuss what scientists can do to shape the national dialogue in an election year.

Why Science Is A Non-Issue In The Election...Again

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Research News

Building Organs, On One Microchip At A Time

Bioengineers are developing microchips, about the size of a thumb, that can behave like human organs. Donald Ingber, director of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, discusses how the "organ-on-a-chip" works and why the technology could replace the animal model for drug testing.

Building Organs, On One Microchip At A Time

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Sally Ride, Pioneer

Almost 30 years ago, Sally Ride broke the NASA gender barrier and became America's first female astronaut. While aboard the Challenger shuttle Ride used a robotic arm she helped design, to deploy and receive a satellite. She died Monday of pancreatic cancer, at age 61.

Sally Ride, Pioneer

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Thursday

Two More Nearing AIDS 'Cure' After Bone Marrow Transplants, Doctors Say

Timothy Ray Brown, shown in May 2011 with his dog Jack in San Francisco, is the only man ever known to have been fully cured from AIDS. Brown is known as the "Berlin patient" because he had a bone marrow transplant in a German hospital five years ago. Eric Risberg/AP hide caption

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Eric Risberg/AP

Shots - Health News

Two More Nearing AIDS 'Cure' After Bone Marrow Transplants, Doctors Say

The two patients in Boston seem to be free of HIV after treatment for cancer, Harvard researchers say. But they're still on antiviral drugs, unlike the so-called Berlin patient, who's the only person in the world to be fully cured.

Wednesday