Podcast
Mysteries of nature: Why do some leaves turn red in the fall? Global warming and the future of rivers. And the music of DNA.
Shaved Hair
A listener asks: If you shave, does hair really grow back thicker and darker than before?
Podcast
A snail hides in plain sight. A high-speed continental collision. And what fossils tell us about future extinctions.
Animal Behavior Roundup
Fish suffer from sleep deprivation just like humans.
Podcast
When plants heat things up. How dolphins sleep. "Healthy" restaurants that aren't. Army ant groupies. And more.
Sleeping Dolphins
A listener asks: Why don't dolphins drown while they sleep?
Fear and Bonding Roundup
The hormone oxytocin helps mothers bond with their babies.
Spider Webs
A listener asks: Can spiders get caught in the webs of other spiders?
Bug Behavior Roundup
Two tiny organisms team up to brew a deadly toxin.
Podcast
Chewing gum that's not sticky. Worms and bacteria team up. Some very hairy genetics. And more.
Woolly DNA
Woolly mammoths went extinct thousands of years ago. But now their genetic past is being resurrected through new DNA techniques.
Animal Attention
Humans may be hard-wired to pay attention to animals, according to a new study.
Life Origins Roundup
A new study suggests that scientists looking for extraterrestrial life should look in interstellar space clouds, made of hydrogen cyanide gas.
Autism Mouse
A new mouse model of autism may be the closest thing yet to replicating the condition in animals.
Wasabi vs. Chili Peppers
A listener asks: Why does wasabi's kick disappear so quickly while the heat of chili peppers can last for much longer?
Podcast
Whale-inspired windmills. Tracing the origins of a killer asteroid. Using vowels to sell. And more.
Plant Gravity
A listener asks: Regardless of how you plant a seed, the roots always grow downward and the shoots upward, so how does the plant orient itself?
Whale Energy
The shape of humpback whale flippers could make wind energy more efficient.
Fossil Roundup
Fossils from Mongolia reveal that velociraptors had feathers.
Podcast
The mosquito's exquisite sense of smell. How genes affect our odor perception. The cognitive skills of apes and toddlers. New analysis of old fossils leads to surprising discoveries. And how forensic scientists get DNA from blood.
Apes vs. Toddlers
Although equivalent in many intellectual tasks, human toddlers are much better than apes in social thinking.
HPV and Neck Cancer
HPV is best known for causing cervical cancer, but it may also be causing head and neck cancers in both sexes.