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Science
The race for a polio vaccine differed from the quest to prevent coronavirus
In the 1950s, people lived in fear their children might be stricken with infantile paralysis, better known as polio — and they were eager for scientists to find a solution.
5 years ago
Trump lashes out at scientists whose findings contradict him
Twice this week, Trump has not only dismissed the findings of studies but suggested — without evidence — that their authors were motivated by politics and out to undermine him
5 years ago
The pandemic has warped and stretched time in strange ways, and this week, we listen back to our episode on time.
Air Date: May 22, 2020
Listen 48:37Hurricane season will be above average, NOAA warns
Federal forecasters expect 3 to 6 major hurricanes during the 2020 hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 1.
5 years ago
What happens to the coronavirus when it gets warmer?
It’s a difficult question, but no matter what the answer is, the pandemic is not going to stop anytime soon.
5 years ago
Listen 1:36Migration numbers plummet for imperiled shorebird on N.J.’s Delaware Bayshore
Veteran biologists are seeing unprecedented declines in red knots — and in horseshoe crabs.
5 years ago
Tropical Storm Arthur, the first named storm of 2020, forms in the Atlantic
Arthur is expected to remain a tropical storm, potentially making landfall or brushing the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Monday.
5 years ago
Science Interrupted: The Impact of Coronavirus
Around the globe, COVID-19 has frozen economies, closed schools, stores, and restaurants, and even canceled the Olympics. Millions of peo ...
Air Date: May 15, 2020
Listen 48:54How the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted field research
Lack of data gathering could have a major impact on ecological studies and the young scientists who do them.
5 years ago
Listen 10:57Coronavirus delays conservation efforts in Pennsylvania
“It’s important to conserve the environment, and collect data that would help us do that. But at the same time, it’s more important right now to stop the spread of disease."
5 years ago
Study finds methane leaks in PA are much higher than state reports
Estimates don't capture leaks from 'abnormal' conditions, the Environmental Defense Fund says.
5 years ago
2019 was a record year for piping plovers along the Atlantic coast
The endangered piping plovers saw record-setting numbers along the Atlantic coast in 2019, federal officials say.
5 years ago
COVID-19 has slowed green energy industry, but experts say it should bounce back
“We’re all doing the best we can in the new normal here,” said Kevin Gombotz, vice president of Envinity, a green design and construction company.
5 years ago
Peer pressure and social change
Do our individual actions matter? While policy change is critical, our individual actions carry the social influence necessary to make these changes possible.
Air Date: May 12, 2020
Listen 48:57The coronavirus is mutating. That’s normal. Does that mean it’s more dangerous?
There are studies looking at changes to the virus genome — and the possible impact on how the virus affects humans. Here's what we know (and don't yet know) about mutations.
5 years ago