Storks & Junk Food
Storks in Europe are forgoing migration to Africa because of the ready availability of human food from landfills.
Insects vs. Birds
The loud noise of insects causes some tropical birds to delay the onset of their morning song.
Podcast for 5 August 2011
BATS & DOLPHINS (Encore Presentation): Dolphins that heal themselves, and dolphins that use electroreception in addition to echolocation. Also, How vampire bats find their prey, and how a Cuban plant takes advantage of a bat's ability to echolocate.
Why Are Plants Green?
The dominance of green chlorophyll on Earth may have come after a more purple period.
Sizing Up Spiders
Does a fear of spiders warp our perception of their size?
Giant Armadillos
DNA evidence reveals that the enormous armored glyptodont, an extinct South American mammal, was a close cousin to modern armadillos.
Sleep Deprivation & False Confessions
Sleep deprivation may lead people to confess to things they haven’t done.
Venus Flytrap Math
The carnivorous Venus flytrap avoids wasting energy digesting non-food items it traps by accident with a bit of math.
Exercise & Weight Loss
Intense exercisers may burn no more calories per day than people who don’t exercise regularly.
Hares & Climate Change
Snowshoe hares can’t help turning white in winter, even though climate change is delaying the first snowfall, making them easy prey.
Magnetic Gels Fix Muscles
A muscle-repairing implant may suppress inflammation and grow new tissue.
Arthropods Among Us
Researchers attempt to inventory all of the insects and other creepy crawlies in people’s homes for the first time.
Caffeine Eating Microbes
A major coffee pest consumes otherwise lethal doses of caffeine with help from a few of its friends.
Social Health
How do social relationships affect our biochemistry and health?
Baby Tooth Cavities
Baby teeth fall out eventually. But that doesn't mean cavities in baby teeth should be ignored.
Neanderthal Inheritance
Did modern humans inherit allergies from Neanderthals?
Reversing Blindness in India
A project that restores sight to blind people in India is highlighting the resiliency of the human brain.
Adjustable Nerve Block
A high-tech injectable drug delivery system will allow patients to control their pain relief with near-infrared light.
Top Science Breakthrough of 2015: CRISPR Gene Editing
The top Science Breakthrough of the Year: A low-cost genetic engineering technique is creating both excitement and concern.
Science Breakthroughs of 2015: Kennewick Man’s DNA
Science Breakthroughs of 2015: Kennewick Man’s 8,500-year-old bones are finally sequenced, revealing his genetic ancestry.
Science Breakthroughs of 2015: Homo Naledi
Science Breakthroughs of 2015: The discovery of an extinct human species in a South African cave made headlines this year.
Saliva & Survival
A simple saliva test of antibody levels may serve as a marker for general health.
Kids & Sugar
Some children are much better at detecting sugar in food and drink than others.