Scientists Try to Crack Dolphins’ Language
Researchers in Sweden have embarked on a four-year project whose aim is to understand one of the most complex animal “languages” — the one dolphins use to communicate with each
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India Top Court Upholds Passive Euthanasia, Allows Living Wills
Individuals have a right to die with dignity, India’s Supreme Court upheld on Friday in a landmark verdict that permits the removal of life-support systems for the terminally ill or
Read MoreFlu Vaccines More Effective for Children Than for Adults
So far, 114 children in the U.S. have died from influenza or a flu-related illness, and the flu season is not yet over. Most of those children had not been
Read MoreBones Found in 1940 Probably Amelia Earhart’s, Study Says
Bones found in 1940 on a western Pacific Ocean island were quite likely to be remains from famed aviator Amelia Earhart, a new analysis concludes. The study and other evidence
Read MoreCalifornia Scientists Catch 2 Elusive Sierra Nevada Red Foxes
California wildlife biologists have caught two rare Sierra Nevada red foxes in three weeks, a feat they say is a “huge” step to understanding the animal listed as threatened in
Read MoreNew Initiative Links Protection of Human, Environmental Rights
The U.N. environment program is taking aim at corporations and governments that threaten and intimidate environmental defenders and foul the planet for financial gain. A panel of environmental activists meeting
Read MoreRepairs Completed on Lowell Observatory’s Pluto Telescope
An observatory telescope in Arizona used to discover the distant Pluto nearly 90 years ago will reopen for business on Saturday after a year of extensive restoration work. Nearly every
Read MoreNon-profit Health Center Cares for Uninsured People
With the rising cost of healthcare in the U.S., and the growing demand for services by those who can least afford them, two doctors in Clarkston, Georgia, made a commitment
Read MoreProducts Take On Microfiber Pollution, a Laundry Room at a Time
The fight to keep tiny pollutants from reaching the dinner plate might start in the laundry room. Innovators are coming up with tools to keep tiny pieces of thread that
Read MoreLook at Consumption When Assigning Blame for Global Warming, Study Says
Wealthy cities are responsible for a huge share of greenhouse-gas emissions when calculations include goods they consume from developing countries, researchers said on Tuesday, challenging traditional estimates that put blame
Read MoreUN Chief Appoints Bloomberg as Envoy for Climate Action
The U.N.’s new envoy for climate action, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, said Monday that President Donald Trump can become “a great leader” if he changes his mind about
Read MoreAirship Drones Could Stay Aloft for Days
Battery-powered drones have mostly replaced manned aircraft in a range of tasks, from scientific measurements to aerial photography, with one persistent disadvantage – the limit of their power source. A
Read More1.5 Million Penguins Discovered on Remote Antarctic Islands
A thriving “hotspot” of 1.5 million Adelie penguins, a species fast declining in parts of the world, has been discovered on remote islands off the Antarctic Peninsula, surprised scientists said
Read MorePatients and Caregivers Use Comics to Document Medical Journeys
A graphic medicine exhibit has opened at the U.S. National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, showcasing comics that show the medical journeys experienced by patients and
Read MoreNew Plan Increases Cardiac Arrest Survival Rate
More people in Columbus, Ohio, are now surviving when their hearts suddenly develop an abnormal beat and stop beating altogether. VOA’s Carol Pearson reports their survival is due to a
Read MoreWHO: Nearly 1 Billion People Risk Hearing Loss by 2050
On the occasion of World Hearing Day, Saturday, the World Health Organization (WHO) is warning one in 10 people globally, or more than 900 million, are at risk of disabling
Read MoreLaunch of Innovative Satellite Opens New Window for Meteorologists
“A game-changer for weather forecasts.” That’s what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA are calling the just-launched GOES-S satellite. It is the second in a pair of the
Read MoreThree Australians Die, More Sick in Listeria Outbreak Tied to Melons
Three people have died and 12 others have fallen ill in a national listeria outbreak linked to contaminated rockmelons, and more cases are expected, Australian health authorities said. The outbreak is linked to
Read MoreUS Flu Outbreak on Decline
U.S. health officials say the worst of this season’s unusually strong flu outbreak is over. In its weekly report Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said
Read MoreUS Utilities Find Water Pollution at Coal Ash Sites
Major utilities have found evidence of groundwater contamination at coal-burning power plants across the U.S. where landfills and man-made ponds have been used for decades as dumping grounds for coal
Read MoreNASA Launches Advanced Weather Satellite for Western US
NASA launched another of the world’s most advanced weather satellites Thursday, this time to safeguard the western U.S. The GOES-S satellite thundered toward orbit aboard an Atlas V rocket, slicing
Read MoreReport: Narcotics Consumption, Production Up Significantly Worldwide
Illegal heroin and fentanyl exports from Mexico to the United States are on the rise, according to World Drug Report 2017 compiled by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and
Read MoreUber Starts Offering Rides to Doctor
Uber is driving deeper into health care by offering to take patients in every U.S. market where it operates to their next medical appointment. The ride-hailing service said Thursday its
Read MoreAlmost Any Amount of Exercise May Help Older Men Win Longevity Race
Older men may face premature death if they spend most of the day sitting around, but it doesn’t require a huge amount of exercise to increase their chances of living
Read MoreScientists: Life Can Thrive in Most Extreme Environments
If microbes can live in the most extreme regions on Earth, scientists say it is quite possible they can live on other celestial bodies. In a recently published study, researchers
Read MoreMoon to Get Its Own Mobile Network
Several high-tech companies are teaming up on a plan to put a mobile phone network on the moon next year. Vodaphone Germany, Nokia, and Audi are working on a mobile
Read MoreCalifornians Bash Trump for Bid to End Climate Change Plan
California stands in “complete opposition” to a Trump administration plan to scrap a policy slashing climate-changing emissions from power plants, its top air official said Wednesday at a U.S. hearing
Read MoreISS Astronauts Will Soon Get a Personal Assistant
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station will soon get a personal assistant, similar to Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri, but so smart that astronauts prefer to call it a “colleague.”
Read MoreArtificial Intelligence Poses Big Threat to Society, Warn Leading Scientists
Artificial Intelligence is on the cusp of transforming our world in ways many of us can barely imagine. While there is much excitement about emerging technologies, a new report by
Read MoreUS Task Force Will Target Opioid Crisis ‘at Its Root’
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a new initiative Tuesday that will target painkiller manufacturers and distributors who overprescribe and allow the misuse of prescription drugs by addicts. The initiative, Sessions
Read MoreNigeria Gripped by Massive Lassa Fever Outbreak
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports it is teaming up with national and international health agencies to tackle what appears to be the largest outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria.
Read MoreNASA Building Atomic Clock for Deep-space Navigation
Only days after the spectacular liftoff of what is currently the heaviest space rocket, the privately-built Falcon Heavy, NASA announced the next launch will carry a specially built atomic clock.
Read MoreGhanaian ‘Superhero’ Awarded for Work to End ‘Spirit Child’ Killings
When Angela was born without lower legs, her father believed she was an evil spirit and should be taken to a “concoction man” — a traditional herbalist who would kill
Read MoreTrunk Show: Elephant Genome Study Offers Surprises
The most comprehensive elephant genome study ever conducted, covering seven living and extinct species, is offering some surprises about the family tree of the world’s largest land animal while also
Read MoreFood Tech Start-Up Goes to Liberia, Making Local Food More Nutritious
Around the world, one in three people suffer from something known as “hidden hunger.” Their bellies may be full, but the food they are eating is not nutritious. A San
Read MoreResearchers Make Wood Stronger than Steel
A new super-material — stronger, lighter and cheaper than steel — has emerged from scientists’ labs. It’s not a high-tech nano-polymer or some new alloy. It’s wood. VOA’s Steve Baragona
Read MoreCPR Survival Rates Lower Than Most People Think
The majority of people believe cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is successful more often than it tends to be in reality, according to a small U.S. study. This overly optimistic view, which
Read MoreNASA Builds Atomic Clock for Deep-Space Navigation
Only days after the spectacular liftoff of what is currently the heaviest space rocket, the privately built Falcon Heavy, NASA announced the next launch will carry a specially built atomic
Read MoreUsing Acupuncture Instead of Addictive Opioids to Manage Pain
Opioid addiction is a crisis in the United States, with more than 2 million Americans dependent on the pain-killing drugs, experts say. Now, the ancient Chinese needle form of acupuncture
Read MoreUnlocking Secrets of a Sharp Mind at Old Age
There is no clear and easy way to tell when a person’s thinking process has peaked, but most scientists agree that intelligence starts slowly deteriorating somewhere around age 70. However,
Read MoreWine Tied to Healthier Arteries for Some Diabetics
Some diabetics with plaque buildup in their arteries might have less debris in these blood vessels after adding wine to their diets, a recent study suggests. For the study, researchers
Read More‘Speed Breeding’ in Australia Boosts Future Crop Possibilities
Australian scientists, inspired by NASA space experiments, have pioneered a new method of growing crops, known as “speed breeding,” which has the potential to help feed the world’s growing population.
Read MoreDouble-Arm Transplant Gives Marine Corps Veteran a Shot at New Life
Retired Marine Corps Sgt. John Peck lost all four of his limbs in an explosion in Afghanistan in 2010, but unlike many people who suffer such losses, Peck does not
Read MoreSuperagers’ Brains Offer Clues for Sharp Memory in old age
It’s pretty extraordinary for people in their 80s and 90s to keep the same sharp memory as someone several decades younger, and now scientists are peeking into the brains of
Read MoreThe Road to the Red Planet Runs Through Omani Desert
Under the bright sun of a remote desert in Oman, a group of astronauts and scientists is simulating Life on Mars. They hope their experiments today will pave the way
Read MoreCigars, Pipes Tied to Same Risks as Cigarettes
Cigarettes are not the only type of tobacco products that can lead to premature death or fatalities from smoking-related cancers, a U.S. study confirms. While people who exclusively smoke cigarettes have twice
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