Chimpanzee Brain Development
The insulation surrounding nerves develops more quickly in chimpanzees than in humans.
Podcast for 5 October 2012
SOUNDS & SIGNALS: We revisit one of Science Update's most memorable podcasts about the science of communication, from 2009: Prairie dogs sound the alarm, turning bed bugs against themselves, bird songs vary by climate, and improving forensic voice comparison.
Backwards Hummingbirds
New research reveals how hummingbirds fly backwards.
Tigers Among People
Tigers in Nepal are adapting to the presence of humans by changing their daily routine.
Podcast for 21 September 2012
ANIMAL CONSERVATION - Nepalese tigers co-exist with people, aggression is giving Tasmanian Devils cancer, tadpoles keep their personalities when they become frogs, and a new monkey species is discovered in Africa.
Tasmanian Devil Bites
Tasmanian Devils may need to tone down their aggression to survive an epidemic.
Frog Personalities
Tadpoles don't lose their personalities when they turn into frogs.
Peacock Hidden Messages
Peacocks communicate with sounds that fall below the range of human hearing.
Chimps and Punishment
Chimps exhibit many human-like social behaviors, but punishing the crimes of others isn't one of them.
Gibbons on Helium
An experiment with helium shows that gibbons can manipulate their vocal tracts like expert opera singers.
Surviving Rabies
Some people in the remote Peruvian Amazon have developed antibodies to rabies.
Robin Hood Rodents
Tropical rodents called agoutis steal cached seeds from each other, and the behavior may have helped a plant species avoid extinction.
Bowhead Whale Songs
Bowhead whales in the Arctic Ocean sing a large variety songs to communicate with other whales.
Podcast for 10 August 2012
Dad's diversity and perilous parenthood.
Parroting Genes
Birds and people have similar genes for learning and producing vocalizations.
Parasites & Suicide Attempts
Researchers find a link between a common parasite and suicide attempts in humans.
The Oldest Rodent
Naked mole rats are the ugly ducklings of medical research. Now a new study suggests that they have an anti-aging potion in their bag of survival tricks.
Foxes & Lyme Disease
Lyme disease correlates with the waning fox population, not an increase in deer.
Rage Blocker
Blocking a brain receptor in mice eliminates pathological aggression.
Vampire Spiders & Frankensquitoes
Scientists mix and match mosquito body parts to discover which traits predatory spiders like most.
Energy Roundup
Scientists are developing brain implants powered by the body’s own sugars.
Drugs from Nature Roundup
Medical researchers tackle deadly diseases with the help of worms and poppies.