Podcast
Evolution Special: The history of dogs, butterflies vs. cabbages and the world's largest scorpion. Plus: Could there be life two miles beneath Antarctica?
Butterfly Co-Evolution
Plants of the cabbage family evolved a toxic herbicide to ward off pests. But some insects evolved a way around it.
Podcast
Hurricane Katrina and global warming, your skin and your health, and advances in prosthetics research
Lead Levels
Even at exposures well below federal safety standards, lead can lower IQ.
Katrina Carbon
By killing millions of trees, Hurricane Katrina and future storms may worsen global warming.
Podcast
Science or Nonsense? Science confronts alternative medicine and vaccine myths. Also: Can we learn anything from violent video games?
Social Brains
A new brain study shows that comparing your own financial situation to someone else's can affect your well-being.
Protein Pathways Roundup
Scientists identify a protein that blocks nerve regeneration.
Podcast
Future Survival: A vaccine for antibacterial-resistant staph infections, future crops use space-age technology, and growing green roofs
Bomb Detecting Spray
A new spray makes would-be bombers' hands turn red.
DNA Music Roundup
DNA is more than just an instruction manual for life. In fact, genes may actually function more like a well-orchested symphony.
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.
Autumn Color
Fall colors come in several shades. But why the different colors?
Fear and Bonding Roundup
The hormone oxytocin helps mothers bond with their babies.
Ultrastrong Plastic
Engineers have created a plastic that's as strong as steel, but lighter.
Bug Behavior Roundup
Two tiny organisms team up to brew a deadly toxin.
Woolly DNA
Woolly mammoths went extinct thousands of years ago. But now their genetic past is being resurrected through new DNA techniques.
Non-Stick Chewing Gum
A non-stick chewing gum may eliminate some major cleaning headaches.
Life Origins Roundup
A new study suggests that scientists looking for extraterrestrial life should look in interstellar space clouds, made of hydrogen cyanide gas.
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
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.
Mosquito Mapping
Scientists are mapping chemical receptors that help mosquitoes zero in on their victims.
Smelly Genes
New genetic evidence explains why each person perceives odors differently.