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Performance Drinks Pour Liquid Fuel Into Olympic Athletes

Olympic athletes burn huge numbers of calories. NPR's Scott Simon talks to nutritionist Dr. Nanna Meyer about what elite athletes drink to recover from their high-intensity workouts.


Twenty-six percent in a survey of 2,200 people conducted in 2012 answered that the Sun revolves around the Earth, and fewer than half correctly answered a question about human origins.


NASA has reactivated a mothballed spacecraft to look for big objects that might strike Earth. It's part of an increased effort to find potential hazards — but some scientists sizing up the sky think we should try harder.

Illegal, Remote Pot Farms In California Poisoning Rare Wildlife

Weasel-like fishers, spotted owls and other small predators have become collateral damage as illegal marijuana growers push deep into remote forests of Northern California. Biologists warn that the heavy use of insecticide and rat poison to protect crops is pushing some wildlife species to the edge.

The Myth About Mollusks: Are Oysters Aphrodisiacs?

Scientists have made some attempts to link mollusks to increased libido. There's even evidence that consuming heavy doses of the amino acids found in oysters can increase sperm count. But do any of these findings actually prove that oysters can — ahem — amp up arousal? Not so much.
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Curbing The Overuse Of Antibiotics

Overprescription of antibiotics has led to the development of antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" that kill thousands each year. Antibiotics in animal feed add to the problem. We look at how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other groups aim to track antibiotic use and curb overuse.


Here's One More Reason To Play Video Games: Beating Dyslexia

People with dyslexia take longer to alternate their attention between visual and audio cues, researchers say. That's particularly true if they have to attend to a sound after seeing something. That difference may provide clues to better treatments for dyslexia.

Make It A Grande: Mammoth Tusk Find Likely Seattle's Largest

A giant tusk from a Columbian mammoth that lived 16,000 years ago appears to be the largest, most intact ever found in the region.

Sexually Transmitted Food Poisoning? A Fish Toxin Could Be To Blame

Tropical fish, like red snapper and grouper, can accumulate one of the most poisonous toxins on Earth. People who eat those fish could get ciguatera, an illness with strange neurological effects, such as painful intercourse. And doctors say there's a chance it spreads through sex.

Shiny And New: World's Largest Solar Plant Opens In Nevada

The $2.2 billion, 400-megawatt Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System will provide electricity to 140,000 homes.