Science, Tech & Environment
Our stories cover science, technology, engineering, mathematics, the natural world and the environment
Science, Tech & Environment
Living on Earth
November 20, 2016
While the world waits to see what a President Donald Trump will actually do on climate and environmental issues, negotiators are making quiet progress in some important areas.
Science, Tech & Environment
Living on Earth
November 19, 2016
Americans discard about 100 billion plastic bags each year. Some states and municipalities have passed measures banning or limiting their use. In Western Massachusetts, a more individualized approach has emerged. It's called The BagShare Project.
Science, Tech & Environment
PRI's The World
November 18, 2016
One of them is Thilmeeza Hussain. She's from the tiny, low-lying island nation of the Maldives, which is slowly being inundated by the rising waters of the Indian Ocean.
Science, Tech & Environment
PRI's The World
November 18, 2016
Leading climate scientist and educator Katharine Hayhoe talks to PRI's The World about the prospects for changing President-elect Trump's mind on climate change, and the prospects for progress even without Trump.
Science, Tech & Environment
November 18, 2016
Updated
11/18/2016 - 3:15pm
Still, the virus remains "a highly significant and long term problem," according to the world health body.
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Science, Tech & Environment
Your paper brain and your Kindle brain aren't the same thing
The Takeaway
September 18, 2014
If you've given up on reading paper books for the ease of your e-reader's screen, you may want to step back a bit. Neuroscience confirms that our brains use different areas to read on paper and screens, and you need to exercise both.
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Science, Tech & Environment
New research on plant intelligence may forever change how you think about plants
Science Friday
January 10, 2014
Plants have senses that put humans to shame. Not only do they hear (yes, it's true) and smell, they can also sense the presence of water, and even an object in their space. Now new research suggests that plants can actually learn and remember.
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Science, Tech & Environment
El Niño is back, and global temperature records are in danger
PRI's The World
May 13, 2015
Updated
El Niño is back. That could mean trouble for crops from Africa to Australia, drought relief for Brazil and California — and new record global temperatures as the Pacific Ocean warms up and brings the heat along with it.
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Science, Tech & Environment
One of the six US immigrant Nobel winners is 'totally speechless' over the push to limit immigration
PRI's The World
October 11, 2016
Sir J. Fraser Stoddart won a Nobel Prize in chemistry this year. Like the five others who won in the US, he is an immigrant.
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Science, Tech & Environment
Welcome to the 'Double El Niño' — and more extreme weather
Living on Earth
March 22, 2015
Updated
A second helping of El Niño could help usher in the next phase of global warming. When it comes, the consequences could be devastating.
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Science, Tech & Environment
Are we witnessing the death of 'uh'? Um, maybe — and not just in English
The World in Words
February 05, 2015
We humans have been dropping "um," "uh" and other expressions of hesitation into our speech for a long time — maybe for as long as we've had language. More recently, linguists are noting a shift in usage across a number of Germanic languages from "uh" to "um."
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Science, Tech & Environment
As the Ebola crisis rages, West African villagers are warned away from fruit bats
PRI's The World
August 13, 2014
Scientists are warning West African villagers to stop hunting bush meat and to stay away from fruit bats as they circle in a possible animal source for the latest Ebola outbreak. The Ebola virus lives in fruit bats, scientists believe, and is threatening communities who are already facing the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history.
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Science, Tech & Environment
Introducing the new PRI.org
September 24, 2013
Get a tour of our redesigned site, powered by PRI's The World
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Science, Tech & Environment
Global Implications of HIV Infected Baby Deemed to be Cured
PRI's The World
March 04, 2013
Scientists say a girl born with HIV two-and-a-half years ago appears to have been cured. Though the apparent breakthrough is limited to one infant case, the news may give hope to the millions of people living with the HIV virus around the globe.
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Science, Tech & Environment
If you drink wine and care about the planet, cork growers want your attention
PRI's The World
May 09, 2014
You may have noticed that more and more wine bottles — even expensive ones — are increasingly coming with screw tops and synthetic stoppers. You might not think much about the stopper when you make a purchase, but cork producers want you to start. They're mounting a campaign to show that real cork is better for the planet.