Nutrition Roundup
Eating grapes protects against macular degeneration in mice.
Podcast for 9 September 2011
MARVELS OF EVOLUTION - A prehistoric pregnancy clears up a Mesozoic mystery. The economics of plant-fungi cooperation. How to get six butterflies in one. Counting up the species on earth. And how your stress could be bad news for your mate if you're a finch.
Podcast for 26 August 2011
FEAR, LIES & SHRINKING BRAINS - Why our brains shrink, but chimps' don't, why computers are better at spotting lies than we are, and an enzyme for fear. Also, medical electronics that resemble tattoos, and how organic chicken farms could be a boon to public health.
Aging Brains
Age-related working memory loss may be at least partly reversible.
Podcast for 19 August 2011
WATER EVERYWHERE - Astronomers have discovered the largest cache of water ever, and researchers are developing new software for detecting contamination of municipal water supplies. Also: Round robots to help safeguard nuclear power plants.
Podcast for 15 July 2011
THE SCIENCE OF FACES: when pigeons look at us, and the genes behind how we look at faces. Also: what causes hot flashes, determining your age from your DNA, and the hormone behind stress eating.
Secret Ingredient Roundup
A compound found in apple peels could prevent muscle wasting.
Sarcasm, Lies & Dementia
A new study links a failing sense of irony to a form of early-onset dementia.
Podcast for 25 February 2011: Language & Behavior
The surprising way the brain processes Braille, bilingualism staves off dementia, and new research on stuttering. Also: why being lonely could change how your immune system works, and the relationship between popularity and bullying.
Ringing Brains
Ringing in the ears involves the reward centers of the brain.
Baldness Treatment
Researchers are solving the genetic mystery surrounding male pattern baldness.
Gait & Longevity
Walking speed is a good indicator of overall health in older adults.
HIV Controllers
A small minority of people can fight the HIV virus with their own immune systems. A new study identifies just a few genetic differences that set them apart from those for who the disease has progressed.
Brain Clutter
An inability to clean up cellular waste may contribute to Parkinson's disease.
Extreme Longevity
Researchers have identified some genetic similarities in people who live for over 100 years.
Podcast
ANIMALS: How dolphins breathe, sea snails that hide their gender, the genetics and epigenetics of ant colonies, and looking mad-cow disease in the eye.
Muscle Memory
Exercising when you're young may help your muscles bounce back later in life.
Ovarian Cancer Test
Researchers are developing a highly accurate screening test for ovarian cancer.
Podcast
Cold weather heart attacks, a new test for ovarian cancer, high-elevation adaptations, what the numbers on a bottle of motor oil mean, and a telephone translator.
Sunscreen Timing
A listener asks: how long should you wait after applying sunscreen before going outside?
Podcast
CUTTING-EDGE MEDICINE: Re-growing joints and re-constructing faces, the link between gut bacteria and multiple sclerosis, and octopus venoms that could treat pain.