Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'discoveries'

Looking Forward To A Year of Science

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST

2009 marks 150 years since the publication of Darwin's On The Origin of Species, and the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first use of a telescope to study the skies. M. Lee Allison is an organizer of a "Year of Science 2009," a celebration of scientific methods and discoveries.

The Biggest Science Stories of 2008

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:09:00 EST

What were the most important scientific discoveries this year? From the discovery of ice in Martian soil, to the creation of the first synthetic genome, to learning of new exoplanets, Ira Flatow and guests discuss the science stories that captured the headlines and why.

2008 Nobel Prize In Medicine

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:39:00 EDT

One German and two French scientists won the 2008 Nobel prize for medicine Monday for their discoveries of two viruses that cause severe human diseases. NPR's Richard Knox talks with Steve Inskeep about the prize winners' research.

A Tribute To Horace Silver

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:23:00 EDT

Horace Silver is a piano-playin', pencil-packin' papa whose tunes constitute a family of jazz characters like "Sister Sadie" and "Senor Blues." His music filled Dee Dee Bridgewater's album Love and Peace: A Tribute to Horace Silver. This concert in his honor comes from the Discoveries at Disney Concert Hall series in Los Angeles.

Rabbits to Be Respected, if Not Admired

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:25:00 EDT

People tend to underestimate the courage and determination of small, furry animals, especially notoriously timid ones like rabbits. Commentator Julie Zickefoose says her work as a naturalist and writer is to notice things, and a small tuft of rabbit fur on the ground led her to some surprising discoveries.

Why to Avoid the Middle Seat

Wed, 07 May 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Keep your hand away from that seat pocket, lest you want to make some unpleasant discoveries, says reporter Scott McCartney.

'A Voyage Long and Strange' to America's Past

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:26:00 EDT

In his new book, journalist Tony Horwitz chronicles the exploration of America that occurred before Jamestown. Among his discoveries: the fact that early European explorers reached about half of the states in the present-day continental U.S., including, in the 1540s, the plains of what is now Kansas.

Seeking a Not-So-Extinct Gotham Salamander

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:00:00 EDT

BPP Web editor Laura Conaway undertook an urban expedition with the editor of a new Web site cataloging nature discoveries. In a Manhattan park, Conaway turned over a log and found a scientific miracle.

Quantum Computer Discovery Nets Nobel Prize

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:45:00 EDT

Two scientists share this year's award in physics for discoveries that revolutionized computer memory. Albert Fert of France and Peter Grunberg of Germany independently discovered a phenomenon that relies on the spooky world of quantum mechanics to read data from computer disks.

Scientists Seek New Ways to Generate Hydrogen

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 13:36:00 EDT

Scientists are conducting research that they hope will result in new ways of generating hydrogen. One researcher says that an aluminum alloy could be used to produce hydrogen from water. New discoveries in the field could potentially make fuel-cell vehicles more practical.

An Instant Power-Pop Classic, in Twice the Time

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 13:40:00 EST

Sloan's "I Understand" possesses all the earmarks of an instant light-rock classic. Starting with a sweet and wide-eyed electric piano, it throws itself headlong into a bopping thump as acoustic guitars undergird sugary, AM-radio-ready lines about the discoveries and promises of innocent, adolescent love.

Abducted Boys Rescued Near St. Louis

Sat, 13 Jan 2007 09:30:00 EST

Police and the FBI make several stunning discoveries in an apartment in a St. Louis suburb. They found a 13-year-old boy who had been missing for four days -- and a 15-year-old boy who had been missing for four years.

Musicians Pick the Discoveries of 2006, from WFUV

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 16:33:00 EST

New York-based NPR station WFUV gathered year-in-review lists from an assortment of musicians (Josh Ritter, Erin McKeown, G. Love, Sondre Lerche and Pete Yorn) and veteran station host Vin Scelsa, with an emphasis on both new faces and rediscovered old ones.

Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:12:00 EST

Clarence Fountain and his legendary gospel group have won four Grammy Awards in as many years. In this program, the first in NPR's new "Discoveries at Disney Hall" series, they present their own take on Christmas classics, along with some gospel favorites like "I'm a Soldier in the Army of the Lord."

City Folk Morning's Discoveries of 2006, from WFUV

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 12:50:00 EST

Claudia Marshall, host of City Folk Morning on New York-based NPR station WFUV, compiled this list of the year's best discoveries: breakthrough artists likely to make a bigger mark in the months and years to come.

2006's Top 10 Classical-Music Discoveries, from WGUC

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 20:12:00 EST

Cincinnati-based NPR station WGUC plays classical music 24 hours a day, reaching out to the genre's newcomers and longtime aficionados alike. WGUC music director Kent Teeters compiled this list of the 10 best classical CD discoveries of 2006.

Research 'Breakthroughs' That Weren't: AT

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EDT

Medical researchers are always hoping new discoveries will ultimately lead to a cure. But sometimes a "breakthrough" takes years to become a benefit. When the gene that causes ataxia telangiectasia (AT) was found, it was seen as a breakthrough -- but 11 years later, there's still no treatment.

New Discoveries at Egyptian Tomb

Fri, 10 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST

Dr. Lorelei Corcoran discusses with Robert Siegel the recent findings from the archeological dig at Valley of the Kings in Egypt. The Egyptologist and the director of the Institute for Egyptian Art and Archeology was at the site today and is the academic sponsor of the dig.

Caves of California Parks Yield Tiny Discoveries

Sat, 28 Jan 2006 00:00:00 EST

Sequoia National Park in California may be famous for its massive trees, but some very tiny creatures that live there are also making news. Biologists have discovered new species of spiders, millipedes, and other critters deep in the underground caves of the park.

Book Surveys the Best of 20th Century Science

Fri, 09 Dec 2005 00:00:00 EST

Author, physicist and writer Alan Lightman talks about his new book, The Discoveries, which collects classic papers announcing great scientific discoveries of the last century.

Garcia Marquez: 'Memories of My Melancholy Whores'

Thu, 01 Dec 2005 00:00:00 EST

Garcia Marquez: 'Memories of My Melancholy Whores' December 1, 2005 · Alan Cheuse reviews Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Memories of My Melancholy Whores. The strange and magical novel chronicles the discoveries made by a lifelong bachelor when he turns 90 and finds love with a 14-year-old prostitute.

New Revelations of Sea Animals' World

Fri, 08 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EDT

Scientists in California's Monterey Bay turn up two remarkable discoveries. One is a sea squirt that creates a net of mucous hundreds of times its body size to catch food. The second discovery is a new species of jellyfish that uses something extremely rare -- a red fluorescent light -- to draw and capture fish.

A Cure for Kids' Summer Reading Doldrums

Wed, 22 Jun 2005 00:00:00 EDT

Ah, the dreaded summer reading list: It can lead to unexpected bright discoveries, but more often feels like a forced march that can kill the reading spirit. Here, find a just-for-fun list that entertains as well as edifies.

New Exhibit Updates Story of Dinosaur Era

Fri, 13 May 2005 00:00:00 EDT

A new exhibit opening Saturday at the American Museum of Natural History in New York puts the latest dinosaur discoveries on display. The ambitious project presents a vision of the world 130 million years ago, recreating how extinct creatures lived and moved.

Surprising New Discoveries on Mars

Fri, 18 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EST

While the Mars rovers explore the surface of the red planet, scientists studying the output of probes orbiting Mars have made impressive discoveries as well. We'll hear about some of their latest observations, including the theory that, near the Martian equator, a frozen sea of water may lie just a few feet below the planet's surface.