James Doubek
Stories
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A new study knocks down a popular hypothesis about why birds sing at dawn
The reason why birds make such a racket at dawn is still unclear. But researchers are now pouring cold water on one popular idea about why.
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A new vacuum can alert you to incoming text messages. Why?
Home appliance companies are rushing to put AI into products. It's motivated by a few factors, including gathering data and creating a long-term customer relationship, experts say.
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Ancient Greek and Roman statues often smelled like roses, a new study says
Ancient Greek and Roman statues didn't originally look like they do now in museums. A new study says they didn't smell the same, either.
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Meet the 'wooly devil,' a new plant species discovered in Big Bend National Park
The plant, formally known as Ovicula biradiata, is especially notable for being the simultaneous discovery of a new species and genus. It was found with help from the community science app iNaturalist.
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A Stradivarius violin could sell for a record sum at auction. Is it worth the hype?
Stradivarius violins often sell for millions. There's a long history behind them, and violinists who swear they sound better than modern ones.
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66 million years ago, a fish chewed up and spit out food. It's now a fossil in Denmark
The fossil was found at a cliff in Denmark. Fossilized vomit is called regurgitalite, and it's a type of trace fossil, which tells scientists about an organism's daily life.
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As winter storms surge across the country, here's how one homeless shelter is coping
NPR visited a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C., to see how residents and staff are faring during a cold emergency. The shelter is busy year-round, though the frigid weather brings in more people.
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Why Trump's tariffs on Mexico would mean higher avocado prices at the grocery store
Most avocados consumed in the U.S. are grown in Mexico. Here's what Trump's proposed tariffs would mean for prices at the grocery store and for the avocado industry.
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Photos: Notre Dame Cathedral reopens, with its first service since a devastating fire
The bells of Notre Dame Cathedral rang on Saturday evening in Paris for the first time since a fire heavily damaged the Paris landmark in 2019.
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Oarfish keep washing ashore in California. Folklore suggests that could be a bad omen
A deep sea oarfish washed up in Southern California. Japanese folklore suggests seeing the rare fish is a bad omen, some accounts say.
