Reindeer Vision
Reindeer can detect ultraviolet light with their retinas, which may help them survive dark Arctic winters.
Podcast for 24 June 2011 – Birds of a Feather
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 Nestling Mystery
A listener asks: How do baby birds get enough water when they’re still in the nest?
Brainy Noses
We may owe our large brains in part to the earliest mammals’ sense of smell.
Podcast for 10 June 2011 – Vision & The Brain
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.
Silky Tarantula Feet
Tarantulas produce life-saving silk from their feet.
Toxic Animal Roundup
Cats are transmitting a dangerous brain disease to wildlife.
Brainless Navigation
Although they lack real brains, box jellyfish can follow landmarks above the water's surface.
Starless Starfish
A starfish without arms makes scientists rethink how they classify animals.
Tsunamis & Sealife
A listener asks: What happens to the seafloor and to sealife when tsunamis hit?
Podcast for 20 May 2011 – All That Glitters
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 Dialects
Humpback whale songs undergo rapid cultural evolution in the South Pacific.
Beetle Technology Roundup
Beetles are inspiring new design technologies.
The Smell Hormone
A hormone called ghrelin enhances our sense of smell and increases appetite.
Podcast for 29 April 2011 – Whale Songs & Zebra Stripes
Cultural revolutions in humpback whale songs, a barcode scanner for zebra stripes, a prehistoric toothache, and changing skull sizes in the Iberian Peninsula.
Zebra Barcodes
Zebra stripes resemble barcodes, and could help researchers keep track of each member of the herd.
Sounding Out Insects
An automatic insect detection system that uses a variety of technologies could help monitor insect infestations.
Bird Collisions
A new study suggests that to keep birds from crashing into manmade objects, we need to stop treating them like humans with wings.
Soundscape Ecology
An emerging scientific field studies the ecology of sound.
Everglades Pythons
Invasive Burmese pythons are feasting on native birds in the Everglades.
Gibbon Dialects
Gibbons in Southeast Asia have identifiable regional dialects.
Flamingo Romance
Playing flamingo calls from speakers helps put captive birds in the mood to breed.
Aeroecology
The new science of aeroecology uses modern tools such as radar and thermasl imaging to follow the migrations of flying birds, bats, and insects.