Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'biological'

Report: WMD Attack Likely By 2013

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:27:00 EST

A new intelligence report warns that without drastic new measures, the international community faces the real prospect of a nuclear or biological attack by 2013. The panel that issued the report has briefed vice president-elect Joe Biden on its contents.

Report: Terrorists Could Use WMD By 2013

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:29:00 EST

It is "more likely than not" that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack by the end of 2013, according to a report issued by a congressional commission. The report said the use of a biological weapon that could include something like the deadly anthrax bacteria is most likely.

Genetic Engineering Conference Kicks Off At MIT

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:36:00 EST

Eighty-four teams of students from 21 countries are gathering at MIT to compete in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. The teams have been working since the summer to construct biological machine systems — and operate them within living cells.

If Bigfoot Isn't In Georgia, Where Is He...

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:01:00 EDT

One more Bigfoot hoax went down in history this week. But Jeffrey Meldrum, a professor of anatomy and biological sciences at Idaho State University, says strange tracks are part of a growing body of evidence that something may be out there.

When Adoptees Know Their Biological Mother

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Every year, more families are undergoing "open adoptions," meaning children remain in contact with their birth mothers after joining their new families. Findings published in the Journal of Family Psychology this month confirm that open adoptions are changing the definition of "family" for adoptees and their loved ones.

Challenges Of Detecting A Biological Attack

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Since the 2001 anthrax attacks, the federal government has spent more than $50 billion to improve the nation's ability to respond to a biological attack. But experts warn that systems set up to detect a bioterrorism attack are slow and not comprehensive. And if an attack were detected, there would be major challenges to an already overloaded public health care system to distribute proper medications and treat victims.

Fort Detrick: From Biowarfare to Biodefense

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:58:00 EDT

Once used as a breeding ground for biological weapons, Fort Detrick, Md., now focuses its efforts on defending against biological threats. Bruce Ivins, who died of an apparent suicide Tuesday, worked at the institute and helped to investigate the 2001 anthrax attacks.

Could Tobacco Plants Help Fight Cancer...

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:29:00 EDT

Researchers report that they've been able to use tobacco plants as biological factories to manufacture specialized proteins needed for an experimental individualized cancer therapy. The researchers are studying a potentially fatal form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The Connection Between Gender Roles and Sex

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Same-sex couples are helping researchers understand heterosexual relationships. A researcher explains new findings on how same-sex couples define gender roles in their relationships, and whether gender roles are linked to biological sex.

Can 'Blue Zones' Help Turn Back the Biological Clock...

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 00:01:00 EDT

Author Dan Buettner's new book The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest identifies parts of the world where pockets of people tend to live longer than the rest of us.

Military Tests Missile Defense System Off Hawaii

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:00:00 EDT

A test of the Aegis ballistic missile defense system was conducted Thursday off the coast of Hawaii. The target was a missile that could carry chemical or biological weapons. The test was also to demonstrate the defense system's ability to protect the United States or others from short- to medium-range missile attack.

Scientists Find Internal Clock Sets at Mealtime

Fri, 23 May 2008 10:00:00 EDT

It is well known that many organisms have a "circadian clock" — a biological time-keeping mechanism that connects the body's rhythms to external light levels. Now, researchers have found a second internal clock connected to food consumption that can overrule the regular light-based clock.

Nanotubes, Like Asbestos, Could Threaten Health

Wed, 21 May 2008 10:40:00 EDT

Tiny tubes made of carbon atoms have promised to revolutionize industry. But a new study in mice suggests that one kind of nanotube produces biological changes like those caused by asbestos.

Officials Using DNA to Sort Polygamy Sect Kids

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:00:00 EDT

Authorities are working to match children from a polygamous sect in West Texas with their biological mothers. Terri Langford of the Houston Chronicle delivers the latest developments after a raid of the compound in El Dorado.

Michigan Man Discovers a Coworker is His Mother

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 08:44:00 EST

A Michigan man spent years looking for his biological mother. Then he found her right under his nose. Steve Flaig drives a delivery truck for a Lowe's in Grand Rapids. His mother, Chris Tallady works a cash register there. They'd known each other as coworkers.

Worm Resurgence Troubles Apple Farmers

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:09:00 EDT

Organic apple farmers keep their fruit free of worms by spraying their trees with a naturally occuring virus. But insects in some orchards in Germany have developed resistance to this biological insecticide and farmers are concerned.

From an Unexpected Message to a Family Redefined

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:01:00 EDT

When author A.M. Homes went home for Christmas one year, a "terrifying" message awaited her. Thirty-two years after giving Homes up for adoption, her biological mother was looking to get in touch.

A Novelist's Memoir: 'Mistress's Daughter'

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 12:05:00 EDT

Novelist A.M. Homes writes about her real life -- including her reunion with her biological parents, 31 years after they gave her up for adoption -- in a memoir called The Mistress's Daughter.

How the Primordial Soup Took a Left Turn

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 16:00:00 EDT

Many of the chemical building blocks of life come in two forms: a left and a right. The primordial soup from which life emerged contained both forms, but most biological organisms only contain one. Now, a team of chemists in England explain how that could have happened. NPR's Joe Palca reports.

Stirring Up Dust in the Desert

Wed, 31 May 2006 13:44:00 EDT

In the Southwestern United States, dust storms are largely the result of tires and hooves, which are destroying natural biological barriers that once kept dust on the ground.

Growing Up White

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 00:00:00 EST

Ed Gordon talks with David Myers, a 46-year-old bi-racial man who for more than half his life thought he was white. Until Myer's learned the truth in the mid-80s, his mother told him nothing of his black biological father, and explaining away David's dark complexion as a skin disease.

Researchers Race to Catalog Arctic Species

Wed, 28 Sep 2005 00:00:00 EDT

The Arctic Ocean is home to species completely unknown to science -- and also a place of rapid change. The summertime ice is melting and could be gone entirely by the end of the century. In the second of a two-part series, NPR's Richard Harris continues his journey with a biological expedition to this remote part of the world.

Examining Environmental Factors in Sex Ratio

Mon, 18 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EDT

Could gender be determined by anything other than biological factors? One medical researcher says that when women have a child without a live-in male partner, the odds are tipped slightly against having a boy.

Panel Seeks to Safeguard Biological Research

Sat, 02 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EDT

A federal panel met this week in a Washington, D.C., suburb to discuss safeguards to keep biological research of out of terrorists' hands. The goal is to avoid slowing down progress without creating new tools for terror.

FDA Panel Weighs Heart Drug for Blacks

Thu, 16 Jun 2005 00:00:00 EDT

An FDA advisory committee considers the heart drug BiDil, which was developed for specific use by African Americans. Many biologists and medical ethicists worry that the drug will set a bad precedent -- giving biological importance to race.