One-Atom Linchpin
A single calcium atom can make or break a bacterium's movement – and infectiousness.
Synthetic Blood
Researchers have created synthetic red blood cells in the lab.
Podcast
ANIMALS: DNA analysis confirms virgin birth in sharks, bonobos are forever young, elephant genes fight disease, and mussel glue inspires medical sealants.
Podcast
Sleeping birds, sperm wars, looking for water on distant planets, and the value of "most".
Podcast
MEDICINE: Alzheimer's in the eye, artificial red blood cells, and a microbial Achilles' heel. Also: do toilet seats spread disease?
Microbe Fighting Roundup
A new nasal vaccine could combat malaria.
Food Fraud Fighters
Two high school students expose food-labeling fraud using a simple DNA technique.
Podcast
THE FOOD SHOW - High school students expose food fraud in New York City. Does gelatin really come from cow hooves? And the hormone behind eating when you're already full.
Bone Roundup
Scientists unravel genetic clues that may explain why most of our bones lose density over time, but our skulls do not.
Panda Love Songs
Vocalizations by female giant pandas change to indicate when they are fertile.
Podcast
Mountaintop removal mining's devastating effects on the environment, ancient Martian lakes, an herbal disappointment, fish that punish cheaters, and reading and writing in the brain.
Feather Songs
A South American bird serenades potential mates by rubbing its wing feathers together.
Venomous Dinosaurs
A venomous feathered dinosaur may have eaten its prey alive.
Podcast
People with Alzheimer's disease get less cancer, nearsightedness is on the rise in the U.S., why the bones of the skull don't become brittle, and how an ingredient in clown make-up could protect astronauts from radiation.
Naked Mole Rat Survival
Naked mole rats can survive without oxygen longer than any other mammal.
Running Monkeys
Vigorous exercise helps monkeys avoid symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
Podcast
BRAIN REPORT: Vigorous exercise could stave off Parkinson's disease, oxygen-defying naked mole rats, why alcohol and caffeine make a dangerous combination, and why you can't fool anyone on Facebook.
Flu by the Book
A listener asks if handling library books puts him at an increased risk of contracting an influenza virus.
Insect Engineering Roundup
Insects inspire innovations in cell biology and medicine.
Sick Mummies
Researchers discover signs of heart disease in ancient Egyptian mummies.
Old Flu Antibodies
Outbreaks of the H1N1 virus during the twentieth century left many people with long-term resistance to the swine flu.