Cheating Fairywrens
Female fairy wrens are more likely to cheat with males that have red plumage.
Podcast for 25 October 2013
OCEAN SCIENCE - Old warships become new habitats. An ocean quadcopter gives researchers a sky-high view of the stormy North Atlantic. And, autonomous underwater vehicles that search for sunken treasure. Also, behind the untimely death of the octopus.
Caterpillar Engineers
Caterpillars build tiny “houses” that shelter other creatures as well.
Elephants Understand Pointing
Elephants, unlike mammals much more similar to us, seem to instinctively understand pointing gestures.
Octopus Life & Death
Octopuses have an unusual reproductive strategy: they die soon after mating.
Insect Weather Prediction
Insects may be able to “predict” the weather by changing their behavior when they sense changes in air pressure.
Podcast for 27 September 2013
INSECTS & SPIDERS - Could spider venom be the next insecticide? Why mosquitoes smell you better at night. And debunking the myth of extracting dinosaur DNA from insects preserved in amber. Also, insect legs that bear an uncanny resemblance to modern machinery.
Underwater Soundscapes
Microphone arrays around the North Pacific allow scientists to listen to the diversity of life under the sea.
Mosquito Smell Cycle
Researchers have discovered that mosquitoes have a better sense of smell at night.
Non-Terror Bird
Giant flightless birds with enormous beaks once roamed the earth. Did they feast upon flesh, or gobble up plants?
Insect Gears
Some insects' legs have gears that look and function like the classic man-made invention.
Whale Tanning
Whales tan and suffer sunburn-like skin damage, which could indicate changes in UV radiation over the oceans.
Birds Fight Global Warming
The highly efficient lungs of birds are inspiring climate-friendly carbon-capturing filters.
Ugly Animal Preservation Society
The Ugly Animal Preservation Society uses humor to raise awareness about nature's less attractive endangered animals.
Podcast for 6 September 2013
The Ugly Animal Preservation society uses humor to raise awareness about conservation. Why whales have to worry about sunburns. And an ancient terror bird that wasn't so terrible after all. Also: transplanting gut bacteria from obese humans makes mice fat.
Seal Bombs
Underwater explosions scare sea lions away from commercial fishing operations. But the noise could be impacting whales and dolphins.
Food Reward Circuit
A molecule in the gut controls the brain's response to food, and its absence could lead to overeating and obesity.
Podcast for 16 August 2013
OCEAN LIFE - Scientists test a 3-D underwater microscope. How oxygen led to the rise of ocean carnivores. And why some fish are going back to school. Also, can computers be funny?
3-D Underwater Microscope
Scientists are testing a new 3-D underwater microscope to study tiny marine predators.
Fish Schools
Making fish hatcheries more mentally stimulating may increase the fish's chance of survival in the wild.
Oxygen & Carnivores
Rising oxygen levels during the Cambrian period allowed for the rise of ocean carnivores and the subsequent explosion of animal diversity.
Podcast for 2 August 2013
NATURE & HEALTH - Scientists look to the oceans for new antibiotics. The full moon affects sleep patterns. And, how paleo is the so-called "Paleo" diet? Also: How apes remember events.
Ape Memory
Like humans, chimpanzees and orangutans can remember events that took place years in the past.
Dino Tooth Replacement
The world's largest dinosaurs had to replace their teeth constantly to keep up with all their eating.