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The volcanologist on the island of Vanuatu who walks barefoot over cooled lava fields tells NPR's Don Gonyea how to see nature at its most primeval.

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An unprecedented look at the birth of a sperm whale found that mother and calf were supported by other whales throughout the process. (Image credit: Project CETI)

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Scientists got a rare look at the birth of a sperm whale and found that it took a group effort.

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President Trump has tried to kill offshore wind's future in the U.S. But industry analysts say the attacks could hurt business confidence across the U.S. economy. (Image credit: DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images)

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Staff at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium have reared a special kind of fish known as a warty frogfish for the first time in captivity. Their success may hold broader lessons for raising marine species.

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In this roundup of space news, we talk about NASA's upcoming Artemis launch, space-based data centers and the new sci-fi movie Project Hail Mary.

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Analysts say coal may stabilize supplies for now but they warn that continued reliance on the polluting fuel will worsen air pollution. (Image credit: Andy Wong/AP)

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Charles Darwin theorized that a sound, smell or color that's attractive to one species can be preferred by others too. A new study finds humans and animals do share preferences for certain sounds.

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A team of researchers believes that pythons may contain clues to help treat a range of human ailments — from heart disease to muscle atrophy, and more.

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Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have uncovered the oldest known recording of whale song. And it reveals a noisier soundscape of today's oceans.

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NPR's Short Wave team talks about a wildflower's ability to adapt to climate change, the grooming habits of birds, and the social lives of sharks.

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Autism experts plan to convene in Washington Thursday to propose a research agenda at odds with the one endorsed by the Trump Administration. (Image credit: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)

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Salganea taiwanensis, a kind of wood-feeding cockroach, may engage in what's known as pair bonding, a new study finds. (Image credit: Haruka Osaki)

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Hundreds of plants are protected by the Endangered Species Act, but moss is an underdog. There's only one type that has federal protection, but a group of scientists wants to change that.

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Seawalls are great at protecting property and people. A new nature-inspired seawall add-on is trying to make them better at protecting marine wildlife too. (Image credit: Nathan Rott)

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Billions of dollars are invested in science every year through philanthropy, with little legal or public scrutiny. Jeffrey Epstein utilized this to cultivate scientists and launder his reputation.

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One hundred years ago, Robert Goddard fired the first modern rocket. The launch, on what is now a golf course in Auburn, Massachusetts, paved the way for space exploration and much more.

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The driest place in North America is covered with an explosion of wildflowers right now. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with ecologist Tiffany Pereira about Death Valley's superbloom.

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Armadillos are making North Carolina their home. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with wildlife biologist Colleen Olfenbuttel about how Texas' state mammal has gotten a foothold in the Tar Heel State.

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Spring is just so close and with it - time to sow the seeds. But what do all those words on the packets really mean? NPR's Scott Simon talks with Master Gardener Jessica Damiano, columnist for the AP.

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A glacier in Europe holds clues about the activities of pre-industrial people, but it's melting fast.

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A six-day launch window opens on April 1 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lunar orbital mission would be the first time humans have returned to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. (Image credit: Gregg Newton)

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Utilities are convincing lawmakers around the U.S. to delay bills that would allow people to buy solar panels, plug them into an outlet and begin generating electricity. (Image credit: David J. Phillip)

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Scientists say a pair of condors are likely tending to an egg high up in a California redwood — the first time that's happened there in more than a century. A Yurok wildlife official gives an update.

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Making waste water drinkable is a growing technology trend, especially in areas where limited water resources are restricting development.

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Disaster costs fell in the U.S. in 2025. Still, it was the fourth time in five years that extreme weather inflicted more than $100 billion in annual losses. Industry experts say the growing financial toll will make insurers wary of rushing...

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A large study found that people taking GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic for diabetes were less likely to be diagnosed with substance use disorder. (Image credit: Maria Fabrizio for NPR)

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The Trump administration wants to allow deep-sea mining for critical minerals near the American territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Residents are worried about environmental impacts.

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A 2006 conference for physicists in the U.S. Virgin Islands that included a trip to Jeffrey Epstein's private island shows how he used his wealth to build relationships with prominent scientists. (Image credit: JPL-Caltech/NASA, Getty...

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Scientists analyzed the urine of wild chimpanzees who'd feasted on fallen fruit to see how much alcohol they consumed from the fermented sugars. (Image credit: Sharifah Namaganda)

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Geese's iconic "V" formations and trademark squawks can be seen and heard overhead as they go back and forth to the south through the year. But what does it take for such a long trip? (Image credit: Charlie Neibergall)

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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to researcher Elissia Franklin about a new study which found dangerous chemicals in some commonly used hair extensions.

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It's long been assumed that koalas in southern Australia are genetically unhealthy. A new study finds they're actually recovering, changing how scientists look at genetic risks.

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Regina Barber and Katia Riddle of NPR's Short Wave podcast talk about prehistoric cooking, earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest and how teens are sleeping less than before.

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A Texas biotech company is trying to bring mammoths and other extinct creatures back to life. The science is as intriguing as the ethical questions are thorny. (Image credit: Rob Stein)

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Scientists learned that wild African chimpanzees consume alcohol by eating fermented fruit, suggesting that human attraction to alcohol may have ancient evolutionary origins.

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Scientists learned that wild African chimpanzees consume alcohol by eating fermented fruit, suggesting that human attraction to alcohol may have ancient evolutionary origins.

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Despite President Trump's efforts to deeply cut science funding from the federal budget in 2026, Congress quietly restored much of the funding to previous levels in recent weeks.

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A new study suggests AI systems could be a lot more efficient. Researchers were able to shrink an AI vision model to 1/1000th of its original size. (Image credit: AerialPerspective Images)

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Does the color of a concert venue change how we hear music? German researchers have an answer.

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Tomato clownfish, in response to an unpredictable world, appear capable of adjusting when they lose their stripes based on cues from other fish and their habitat, a new study in PLOS Biology finds. (Image credit: Camille A. Sautereau)

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Satellite images from commercial companies show the extent of U.S. and Israeli strikes, and how Iran is responding.

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Why did a $72 million mission to study water on the moon fail so soon after launch? A new NASA report has the answer.

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The first historically recorded pandemic is believed to have struck the walled city of Jirash, in what is now modern-day Jordan, in the 7th century. A new study reveals details about those who died. (Image credit: Gatsi)

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In shaking up its Artemis lunar program, NASA's new moon plan looks more like the Apollo missions of the 1960s. Instead of landing on the surface on Artemis III, NASA hopes to do so on Artemis IV. (Image credit: Gregg Newton)

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As climate change accelerates, local experts say the date Wisconsin's Lake Mendota freezes over is getting later, making safe conditions for activities that rely on snow and ice harder to predict. (Image credit: Kayla Wolf for NPR)

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Why did a $72 million mission to study water on the moon fail so soon after launch? A new NASA report has the answer. (Image credit: Lockheed Martin)

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Across the country, Republicans and Democrats have found bipartisan agreement on regulating artificial intelligence and data centers. But it's not just big tech aligning the two parties. (Image credit: Ted Shaffrey)

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Many farmers have had to fallow land as a state law comes into effect limiting their access to water. There's now a push to develop some of that land… into solar farms. (Image credit: Jae C. Hong/AP)

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A new study finds that horse whinnies are made of both a high and a low frequency, generated by different parts of the vocal tract. The two-tone sound may help horses convey more complex information. (Image credit: ullstein bild)