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Grand Canyon's Age Still Not Set In Stone

November 30, 2012
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If you were to visit Grand Canyon National Park, you might encounter an exhibit called the "Trail of Time" and learn that researchers believe the canyon is six million years old. But not all scientists think that age is correct. Some think the canyon is 20 million years old, and a new report suggests that the canyon existed alongside dinosaurs some 70 million years ago. Melissa Block talks with Washington Post reporter Joel Achenbach, who has covered the colorful and sometimes contentious debate among researchers.

Arts & Culture

NPR

Fictional 'Mothers' Reveal Facts Of A Painful Adoption Process

After years trying to conceive, novelist Jennifer Gilmore and her husband decided to adopt. What they thought would be a relatively simple process was instead a long and painful one. In her latest novel, Gilmore channels these autobiographical experiences into fiction.

Food

NPR

How Genomics Solved The Mystery Of Ireland's Great Famine

Although scientists have known that a funguslike organism caused the potato blight that triggered the Great Famine in Ireland in the 1840s, they didn't know which strain was the culprit. But they do now, thanks to the genes in some 19th century potato samples.

Politics

NPR

Oregon's Cash-Strapped Counties Reject Public Safety Levies

Two Oregon counties have reportedly rejected property tax increases that would have funded law enforcement and public safety services. The counties once received federal timber subsidies, but those days are over — and now they're scrambling to pay for essential services.

Technology

NPR

How That 'Nigerian Email Scam' Got Started

You've probably seen it in your inbox before: Someone who claims to have come into a fortune needs your help. You can share in the profits — if you send along a deposit or your bank account number. Boston Globe correspondent Finn Brunton talks about the history of the "Nigerian prince" or "419" scam, which actually got its start long before email.

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