Nell Greenfieldboyce

1 week ago | boisestatepublicradio.org | Nell Greenfieldboyce

An ocean world that's teeming with microbes — and who knows what other kinds of life — is currently the best explanation for some chemical signatures that the James Webb Space Telescope has spotted in the atmosphere of a distant planet.

3 weeks ago | wrvo.org | Nell Greenfieldboyce

What are the narwhals up to? Generally, we don't really know! They are mysterious creatures. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce talks about new, rare drone footage scientists captured of arctic narwhals. The video sparked new ideas for how they use their tusks. Read Nell's full piece. Love mysterious critters and want to hear more? Email us at [email protected]. Listen to Short Wave on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

3 weeks ago | npr.org | Nell Greenfieldboyce |Regina G. Barber |Kimberly McCoy |Rebecca Ramirez

Narwhal sightings are rare. Scientists just saw them use their tusks in new ways Download Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1241388995/1268374555" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Narwhals are arctic whales that live in social groups called pods. CoreyFord/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption CoreyFord/Getty Images Narwhals are arctic whales that live in social groups called pods.

1 month ago | kpbs.org | Nell Greenfieldboyce

People who participate in online meetings using platforms like Zoom may want to pay closer attention to how their computer microphone alters the sound of their voice. That's because high-quality audio can make the speaker seem more attractive and convincing to others, according to results published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Lower-quality audio, in contrast, can make people seem less appealing.

1 month ago | wgbh.org | Nell Greenfieldboyce

March 10, 2025 The long, spiral tusks of narwhals could be used by these Arctic whales to stun or even kill prey, according to wildlife researchers who have spied on these elusive creatures using drones. They captured footage of narwhals using their tusks to mess with fish, and even saw a narwhal repeatedly strike a fish with its tusk. But narwhal experts don’t agree on what these observations mean.