Mapless Monarch Migration
Monarch butterflies migrate from North to South America without a mental map.
Carnivorous Plant Food Webs
Each carnivorous pitcher plant contains a unique food web, depending on what falls in.
Off-Road Robots
Inspired by animals, researchers have created robots that can traverse sand.
Fairy Circles
Mysterious “fairy circles” on African plains are caused by termites, which destroy patches of grass but help the surrounding grass thrive.
Reviving Extinct Species
Using frozen DNA, researchers have created early-stage embryos of an extinct frog.
Podcast for 5 April 2013
LESSONS FROM THE DEAD - Scientists attempt to bring back an extinct frog. Mummies showing signs of heart disease make researchers rethink assumptions about lifestyle and diet. The mysterious death zone within African "fairy circles" explained. Also: a miniature laboratory under the skin monitors blood chemistry.
Electric Flowers
Low-voltage electricity may help guide bees to the right flowers.
Bird Roundup
Cliff swallows are evolving rapidly in response to an urban environment.
Arctic Camels
Camels seem perfectly suited to life in the desert, but they may have evolved those traits in the high Arctic.
Podcast for 15 March 2013
An ancient pigment with futuristic applications, the hidden electricity between flowers and bees, and a new, improved anti-fog coating. Also: the unlikely history of camels.
Alcoholic Insects
Fruit flies sometimes marinate their young in alcohol to protect them from parasitic wasps.
Half-Asleep Seals
Fur seals sleep with one half of their brain at a time.
Podcast for 8 March 2013
INSECTS & ALCOHOL - Insects that arm their offspring with alcohol. Drinking may have a 10 million year history. And the importance of wild insects to the worldwide food supply. Also: prosthetic ears from a 3-D printer and seals that sleep with one eye open.
Pollinators in Peril
Wild pollinators may contribute more to the world’s food supply than domesticated honeybees.
Podcast for 1 March 2013
SWEET SCIENCE - What tomatoes can tell us about cutting back on sugar and a diabetes cure for dogs. Also, behind the mechanics of beatboxing, the evolution of whales, and writing your way to a better relationship.
Hard Labor
Other people help human mothers through the emotional and physical aspects of the birth process, which help decrease the risks of childbirth. But apes have easy births, and prefer to go it alone.
Hard Labor – 2013 AAAS Annual Meeting Coverage
Other people help human mothers through the emotional and physical aspects of the birth process, which help decrease the risks of childbirth. But apes have easy births, and prefer to go it alone.
Ape Psychopathology – 2013 AAAS Annual Meeting Coverage
Chimpanzees in captivity sometimes suffer from simian versions of psychiatric disorders.
Dung Beetle Navigation
Dung beetles use the Milky Way to roll their dung balls in a straight line.
Podcast for 1 February 2013
LIGHT - Lightning bugs inspire LED design. A new type of light makes others look dim by comparison. And, could lightning be related to migraine headaches?
Sensitive Reptile Roundup
Some dinosaurs may have used feathers to show off, much like some modern birds.
Podcast for 18 January 2013
HEARING & SOUND - Why hyenas are anything but funny. Can animals dance to a beat? Using sound to save the whales. And physical fitness worsens hearing, but estrogen improves it. Encore presentation from May 22, 2009.