Science

Do flu shots still work?

By Helen Branswell, STAT

Are flu shots worth the bother? Influenza vaccine experts to break down what we’ve learned lately about the remedies.

If DEA blocks kratom, promising research on opioid alternative may suffer

By Angus Chen, Scientific American

Kratom, a compound from a Southeast Asian tree, offers hope for a safer opioid alternative, but research could slow to a crawl as the DEA steps in.

Shake shake shake. Planet Mercury may have earthquakes

By Harry Zahn

Data from the NASA MESSENGER probe confirms Mercury is the second known planet with tectonic activity in our solar system, plus one other cool feature.

Want to visit Afghanistan? They’re making an app for that

By Larisa Epatko

In a classroom in Herat, Afghanistan, a group of girls is working on a mobile phone application that would help tourists coming to their country.

How and why we need to get the lead out of our lives

By PBS News Hour

Our love/hate relationship with lead is as old as history itself. The origin of "plumbing" comes from the Latin word for lead. But only in the 1970s did we realize the consequences of even low doses of the hazardous metal,…

Continue watching

7 things you didn’t know about lead

By Leigh Anne Tiffany

Learn some interesting facts about lead, its effect on our health and how it gets in our water.

This lab uses coffee grounds to extract lead and other toxins from water

By Nsikan Akpan

Though still in its prototype phase, this coffee-infused foam might clear the worst levels of lead contamination found in places like Flint, Michigan within a few hours.

Baby born from 3 parents a victory for new, controversial procedure

By Nsikan Akpan

The first baby born via a technique that mixes DNA from three parents raises familiar questions about regulatory loopholes and genetics.

Why are most inventors men?

By Laura Santhanam

For 226 years, men led the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the agency that fosters American innovation and entrepreneurship. Enter Michelle Lee, the agency’s first female leader. A Silicon Valley native who built a radio with her father in…