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May 26, 2007 · Parthenogenesis, the process of virgin birth, was in the news this week after scientists published a paper on the discovery of the phenomenon in sharks. Sharks aren't the only animals that reproduce through parthenogenesis. A Komodo dragon famously did it this year in a British zoo.
The new surgeon general's impact will likely depend on his relationship with the administration.
This is the 300th anniversary of the birth of the man who revolutionized the world of botany.
May 26, 2007 · A couple outside Phoenix, Ariz., run a thriving poison-dart frog business in their home. The creatures, which normally live in the rain forest, have become the latest fad in exotic pets.
May 26, 2007 · The Houston Museum of Natural Science is honoring the lowly American cockroach with a clever new display. Entomologist Nancy Gregg makes a case for giving cockroaches a little more respect.
May 25, 2007 · A birth control pill that eliminates women's monthly periods gained Food and Drug Administration approval this week. The contraceptive, Lybrel, is the first birth control made to be taken 365 days a year.
May 25, 2007 · Coal magnate John W. Rich Jr. wants to build the nation's first coal-to-diesel fuel plant in Pennsylvania. The "clean coal" plant has political support, but it is meeting hostility from environmentalists.
May 25, 2007 · The Palmyra Atoll in the North Pacific, one of the most pristine habitats in the world, is a destination for scientists studying climate change, and that makes it a prime subject for NPR's Climate Connections series.
May 25, 2007 · Regulators and food manufacturers were caught off guard when a deadly food additive from China turned up in U.S. pet food. Experts say it's a consequence of globalization and America's growing dependence on China for food ingredients.
May 24, 2007 · Former FDA deputy commissioner William Hubbard explains why the FDA's food inspectors are increasingly focused on China — and whether consumers should worry.
May 25, 2007 · A veteran space reporter takes Kennedy Space Center's new state-of-the-art ride ... for a ride. Pat Duggins says that thankfully, the simulated shuttle launch isn't completely authentic.
May 24, 2007 · At the age of 45, Michael May, who had been blind since childhood, was given the possibility of sight through a revolutionary stem-cell transplant surgery. Author Robert Kurson has documented May's experiences regaining his sight in a new book, Crashing Through.
May 24, 2007 · In a reversal, New York City's medical examiner has officially ruled that a woman's death was related to toxic fumes after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Felicia Dunn Jones was working one block from the World Trade Center on the day the towers were destroyed. She died from a lung-related infection several months later.
May 24, 2007 · Type 2 diabetes is no longer a disease of old age. Increasingly, the disease is hitting people in the prime of life. But research shows that for some people, diet and exercise can be just as effective as drugs in preventing the disease. Web Extra: Online Risk Calculator
Climate change is big news. Is the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leading to a crisis?
NPR Science Correspondent Robert Krulwich demystifies what's dense and difficult -- even if you feel lost when it comes to science in his podcast, Hmmm... Krulwich on Science. Updates: Mondays at 11 p.m. EST
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