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Stories
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Health
When is it OK to make germs worse in a lab? It's a more relevant question than ever
Policymakers have long grappled with how to handle experiments that might generate potentially dangerous viruses. Now, officials are considering whether oversight needs to be expanded.
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Science
Scientists dig up biologist Gregor Mendel's body and sequence his DNA
To commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Gregor Mendel, the father of genetics, a group of scientists decided to dig up his body and sequence his DNA.
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Science
Why scientists dug up the father of genetics, Gregor Mendel, and analyzed his DNA
The year 2022 was the 200th anniversary of the birth of Gregor Mendel. He's known as the father of genetics, so scientists exhumed Mendel's body and examined his DNA.
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Health
Law requires former research chimps to be retired at a federal sanctuary, court says
The ruling is the latest twist in a long-running dispute over where dozens of federally-supported former research chimps should live out the remainder of their days.
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It's been 50 years since the Apollo 17 mission put humans on the moon
Wednesday marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission — the last one that put humans on the moon. NPR takes a look at the mission and what it means for future travel to our lunar companion.
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Science
50 years since the last Apollo astronauts went to the moon, NASA is finally going back
December 7, 1972 was the launch of the final mission in NASA's Apollo moon program. Fifty years later, NASA finally seems poised to return people to the lunar surface.
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Science
The James Webb telescope shows how starlight transforms a distant, Jupiter-like planet
Scientists studying a gas giant planet have found that it's partly cloudy and that its atmosphere gets altered by starlight from its host star.
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Science
NASA once again declines to rename the James Webb Space Telescope
NASA says an extensive review of historical records found no evidence that Webb ever led or supported purges of government employees who were gay. But some astronomers think that's a pretty low bar.
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Science
James Webb telescope spots galaxies near the dawn of time, thrilling scientists
Galaxies that existed soon after the Big Bang turn out to be surprisingly bright, a discovery that's both thrilled and puzzled scientists who study how the universe evolved over time.
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Science
After a night of uncertainty, NASA's Artemis moon rocket takes to the skies
NASA's Artemis moon rocket has finally launched after months of setbacks, from fuel leaks to hurricanes. If successful, the mission signals a big step toward returning humans to the moon.