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Neurotic personalities are a staple of science fiction. Researchers who study how people react to robot personalities have recently found that neurotic traits in a robot can make them seem more relatable. (Image credit: Gregory_DUBUS)

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Whether you love spiders or can't be within 10 feet of them, you probably think of them crawling around on land. Historically, most researchers would probably say the same thing: Based on the fossil record, they've thought the earliest...

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The Short Wave team talks about spider origins, why the odds of having a girl or a boy aren't 50-50, and what the Orion constellation reveals about the life cycles of stars.

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Nations have a duty to act on climate change under international law — and if they don't, they could be held liable. That's the ruling of the top United Nations court.

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Tree disputes between neighbors are common. So what happens when a tree is illegally removed from your property? And what recourse do you have? (Image credit: Charlie Riedel)

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Tree disputes between neighbors are very common. So what happens when a tree is illegally removed from your property? What are the legal limits on cutting down trees? Sacha Pfeiffer talks with Israel Piedra, a civil litigation lawyer in...

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NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Christie Todd Whitman, former EPA administrator, about the future of the agency under President Trump.

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Fireflies can make a summer night's walk seem magical. But a recent study shows you could see more or less depending on where you live.

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Eating disorders are complicated illnesses that skyrocketed among teenagers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatrician Eva Trujillo says they "literally rewire the brain," decrease brain size, and make it harder to concentrate and to...

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A study analyzed decades of births and found that larger families showed a distinct tendency toward all girls or all boys, rather than a mix. (Image credit: Seth Wenig)

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The earth doesn't rotate exactly on schedule. Scientists believe that today is going to be around a millisecond short of a typical 24-hour day.

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Earlier this year, the White House proposed a nearly 24% cut to NASA's 2026 fiscal year budget — the largest in the agency's history. The trims are largely aimed at the NASA's fundamental science research and would halt science that has...

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The days have been shorter than normal, at least if you count your time in milliseconds.

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Did you know that we know less about the sea than we do about space? With this comic, we explore some of what scientists do know about Earth's ocean.

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Hornet hunters across the U.S. use the summer months to harvest the insects and sell them to a pharmaceutical company. It uses the venom to make a treatment for allergic reactions to their stings.

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For this week's Sea Camp, we're diving below the ocean's surface to explore the sunlight zone, the portion of ocean that's 0-200 meters deep. Here, we zoom in on some spineless inhabitants envied for their "superpowers." Marine biologist...

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The agency is closing the Office of Research and Development, which analyzes dangers posed by hazards including toxic chemicals, climate change, smog, wildfires, water pollution and more. (Image credit: Tierney L. Cross)

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How do scientists monitor the populations of the threatened California red-legged frog? With careful listening and a little help from AI. (Image credit: Bradford Hollingsworth)

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In Texas, where abortion is banned, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, medical associations, and groups on either side of the issue worked together to clarify when abortion can be used in emergencies. (Image credit: Gabriel C. Pérez)

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Bavarian palaces, imperial tombs in China and memorials to Khmer Rouge victims are among the sites being recognized by the United Nations agency. (Image credit: Hellio & van Ingen/IBAP)

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If you were a miner in California during the Gold Rush, you might have dined on a California red-legged frog. The largest native frog in the western United States, this Golden State denizen used to be found as far inland as the Sierra...

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The U.S. once controlled the market on rare earth minerals, sought after for the production of cell phones, computers, electric and hybrid vehicles, and more. But in the last few decades, China has cornered that market and surpassed the...

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A small, hairy, toxic version of the cucumbers found in the produce aisle does have an advantage over its more palatable cousins — a feat of ballistic seed dispersal. (Image credit: Stanislav Gorb)

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NASA wants to land Artemis astronauts on the moon next year, but the scientific instruments they'll bring must be tested on Earth. The best place to do that is a mile-wide meteorite crater in Arizona.

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An experimental technique that patches defective DNA with donated genetic material helped families at risk of passing rare illnesses to their children. (Image credit: ARTUR PLAWGO)

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Abrahm Lustgarten says the undermining of science, and cuts to FEMA and NOAA, at a time when erratic weather is making disasters more common, should be "extraordinarily concerning" to us.

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Scientists are finding ways to minimize the effects of aging on the brain. Here are some ways to keep it healthy. (Image credit: OsakaWayne Studios)

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The National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — 988 — launched on this day exactly three years ago. People who call the line seeking support are connected to a local network of crisis centers and a trained crisis counselor. And while millions...

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With 101 people still missing after the July 4 flash flood, the focus turns to local lakes, and what may be buried in them. (Image credit: Martin Kaste)

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Underground trains are incredibly susceptible to flooding from climate-driven extreme rain and sea level rise. Cities around the world are racing to adapt their transit systems. (Image credit: STR)

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After years of polluting by the water industry, a report planned for release in the coming days could lead to tightened regulation while also prompting an expensive modernization drive. (Image credit: Andy Soloman)

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Retired service members donated genetic material to a DNA database to help answer health questions for all Americans. The Trump administration is dragging its heels on agreements to analyze the data. (Image credit: Billy...

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The private crew included Ax-4 mission commander and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. It was her fifth trip to space and extended her record-setting duration to 695 days, the most of any American. (Image credit: AP)

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In states without policies to drive renewable energy, power prices could surge as federal tax incentives for clean energy disappear, according to Energy Innovation, a think tank. (Image credit: Justin Sullivan)

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Jurassic Park: Rebirth is the latest installment in the Jurassic World series. And while dinosaur paleontologist Matt Lamanna has loved dinos — and the Jurassic Park franchise — his whole life, he says some of the films are more accurate...

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The human brain tends to lose a step as we age. Now, scientists want to minimize that decline by studying people with exceptional brains.

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Climate change is increasing the risk of dangerous floods. But people often balk at the cost of flood insurance, especially since many doubt they need protection. (Image credit: RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

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For this second installment of the Sea Camp series, we explore the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It's the largest of five gigantic garbage patches in the sea. These patches hang out at the nexus of the world's ocean currents, changing shape...

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Sotheby's in New York will be auctioning the largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth. (Image credit: Richard Drew)

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Hundreds of pets have been reported missing after the devastating floods in central Texas. Volunteers have been combing through debris to help reunite them with their owners. (Image credit: Kat Lonsdorf)

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In the wake of the deadly flash floods in Texas, state leaders are exploring whether to install more flood warning sirens. Such sirens can save lives if they're part of a larger warning system. (Image credit: Brandon Bell)

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A rare visitor from another star system has been spotted: the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS! It was detected July 1 by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS. Most known comets orbit the Sun and are bound by...

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Emily Kwong and Regina Barber of NPR's Short Wave talk about a comet visiting from interstellar space, caterpillars that eat and break down plastic, and how animals' sense of smell varies by altitude.

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Thousands of excited fans flocked to a Thai zoo on Thursday to celebrate the first birthday of Moo Deng, the adorable baby pygmy hippo that has become a social media sensation. (Image credit: Sakchai Lalit)

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The Khao Kheow Open Zoo was overrun with Moo Deng fans on the first of four days of activities marking the birthday of the adorable social media sensation. (Image credit: Sakchai Lalit)

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Europe recently downgraded the protected status of wolves, sparking concern among conservationists who warn this may undo decades of progress and lead to the species becoming threatened again. (Image credit: Paolo Picciotto)

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On Tuesday, scientists held an event organized by House Democrats in which they stood in front of posters outlining their work — and the federal cuts that now threaten it. (Image credit: Scott Neuman)

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This week marks the 100th anniversary of the Scopes "Monkey Trial" — where a teacher was charged with the crime of teaching Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. At the time, it was illegal in Tennessee to "teach any theory...

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In an unprecedented move, India held the water treaty in abeyance after blaming Pakistan for a deadly attack in April. Pakistan denies involvement in the attack and accuses India of "weaponizing water." (Image credit: Betsy Joles for NPR)

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A beluga whale at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium is the first to successfully recover from general anesthesia in captivity after a surgery to remove a network of cysts.