Science Update
Sharing Science | Satisfying Curiosity | Debunking BS
The genes behind unfaithful finches, mapping the diversity of bird plumage colors, what feathers can tell us about pollution, and what baby birds drink. Also: could living with a dog or cat decrease a child's risk of developing allergies?
A listener asks: How do baby birds get enough water when they’re still in the nest?
We may owe our large brains in part to the earliest mammals’ sense of smell.
What reindeer can see that we can't. How some blind people are using echolocation to navigate the world. And, how the retinas of deaf people change their experience of the world. Also: better noses spelled bigger brains for ancient mammals, and: what the teeth of Neanderthals tell us about their hands.
Tarantulas produce life-saving silk from their feet.
Cats are transmitting a dangerous brain disease to wildlife.
Although they lack real brains, box jellyfish can follow landmarks above the water's surface.
A starfish without arms makes scientists rethink how they classify animals.
A listener asks: What happens to the seafloor and to sealife when tsunamis hit?
The soaring price of gold drives deforestation in the Amazon, colonoscopies laced with gold could help detect cancer, and honey protects against antibiotic resistance. Also: a starless starfish, and a jellyfish that navigates without a brain.
Humpback whale songs undergo rapid cultural evolution in the South Pacific.
Beetles are inspiring new design technologies.
A hormone called ghrelin enhances our sense of smell and increases appetite.
Cultural revolutions in humpback whale songs, a barcode scanner for zebra stripes, a prehistoric toothache, and changing skull sizes in the Iberian Peninsula.
Zebra stripes resemble barcodes, and could help researchers keep track of each member of the herd.
An automatic insect detection system that uses a variety of technologies could help monitor insect infestations.
A new study suggests that to keep birds from crashing into manmade objects, we need to stop treating them like humans with wings.
An emerging scientific field studies the ecology of sound.
Invasive Burmese pythons are feasting on native birds in the Everglades.
Gibbons in Southeast Asia have identifiable regional dialects.
Playing flamingo calls from speakers helps put captive birds in the mood to breed.
The new science of aeroecology uses modern tools such as radar and thermasl imaging to follow the migrations of flying birds, bats, and insects.
