Thought-Controlled Robot
Two patients with near-total paralysis have learned to control a robotic arm with their thoughts.
Penguins from Space
Researchers have estimated the total number of Emperor Penguins in Antarctica using satellite images.
Light Circuits
Researchers are designing faster, smaller circuits that use light instead of electricity.
Podcast for 30 March 2012
GERMS & PEOPLE - Does opening the windows spread germs around? Why health-related websites may be scaring people unnecessarily. And, how the heart burns fat.
Navigating With Smartphones
A combination of smartphones, GPS and radar could help the blind navigate the cities of the future.
Podcast for 2 March 2012
ALL ABOUT LANGUAGE - Neuroscientists are beginning to reconstruct what we've heard by listening to brainwaves, how scientists measure language delays around the world, using technology to keep endangered languages vibrant, and a musical instrument that allows you to sing...with your hands, Also: decoding the secret language of worms.
Brain Voices
Scientists are beginning to reconstruct the words people hear based on electrical activity in their brains.
Endangered Voices
Digital technology and social media are helping save endangered languages.
Video Games vs. Cataracts
Playing certain types of video games can improve the vision of people who were born with cataracts.
The Oldest Oldies
Some of the first sound recordings ever made are finally being heard again.
Video Game Brains
Violent video games can affect brain activity well after the games are over.
Eye-Witness Accuracy
Tracking witnesses’ eye movements may help reveal what they’ve really seen.
Twitter Mood
Sociologists analyzed Twitter posts to track daily and seasonal mood swings around the world.
Mind Movies
A computer algorithm partially reconstructs movies from patterns of brain activity in people watching them.
Podcast for 30 September 2011
HORMONES & BEHAVIOR - Testosterone and fatherhood, the genetics of oxytocin and depression, gender and spatial reasoning revisited, where taste is found in the brain, and more.
Football & Artificial Intelligence
Computer scientists used football footage to develop a sophisticated kind of artificial intelligence.
Opinion Spam
A computer program can distinguish real hotel reviews from fake ones.
Podcast for 26 August 2011
FEAR, LIES & SHRINKING BRAINS - Why our brains shrink, but chimps' don't, why computers are better at spotting lies than we are, and an enzyme for fear. Also, medical electronics that resemble tattoos, and how organic chicken farms could be a boon to public health.
Safe Water Software
New software can quickly flag tainted water supplies.
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.
Hybrid Brain-Computer Interfaces
New research lets people with severe disabilities rapidly switch between different communication and assistive devices.