Ice Melt & Ice Age
A meltdown of Arctic ice may have triggered the last deep freeze in the Northern Hemisphere.
Mucus Roundup
No one likes having mucus, but in some circumstances, it may be able to fight dangerous bacteria.
Blind Mole Rats
The blind mole rat, like its distant cousin the naked mole rat, never gets cancer.
Sleepy Roundup
Researchers think they’re found the cause of hypersomnia, a condition which causes people to feel constantly sedated.
Owning Genes
In an upcoming case, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether diagnostic genes for breast cancer can be patented.
Snake Venom Painkiller
Scientists have isolated a potent painkiller from the venom of the deadly black mamba snake.
Lupus vs. Cancer
Lupus antibodies may become an unlikely ally against cancer.
Listening to Football Helmets
Measuring the acoustical signatures of colliding football helmets could help improve helmet safety.
Podcast for 16 November 2012
BIRDS, BUTTERFLIES & BEETLES - How radar helped solve a migration mystery, why malaria could be heading north, and how dung beetles cool themselves off. Also: a 21st century technology that's helping archaeologists crack an ancient code.
Second-Generation Smoking
Smoking while pregnant may cause DNA damage not just to the developing baby, but to that baby's future children.
UV Disinfectant
Short-wave ultraviolet radiation can clear dangerous germs from hospital rooms.
Electronic Senses Roundup
An electronic nose can sniff out sleep apnea.
Amniotic Fluid Medicine
Cells from amniotic fluid can be reprogrammed more stably than traditional stem cells.
Podcast for 26 October 2012
MEDICAL INNOVATION - Medical implants that just melt away, how cancer research could make the plastics industry less dependent on fossil fuels, and why ultraviolet light is cleaning up hospital rooms. Also: scientists find a surprising new source of re-programmable cells in amniotic fluid. And a new genetic test that could help babies in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Exergame Roundup
Video "exergames" may be helping young people get more exercise.
Medicine Improves Nylon
Cancer research may have just solved a big problem for the nylon industry.
Degradable Medical Implants
Researchers are developing temporary electronic implants that can be absorbed by the body.
Inflammation Roundup
Scientists have identified a key to the soothing qualities of mineral baths.
Malaria Heads North
Global warming may drive malaria northward in coming years.
Long-lived Eunuchs
Over several centuries in Imperial Korea, eunuchs far outlived their non-castrated counterparts.
Podcast for 12 October 2012
WEIRD SCIENCE: Listen to an archival podcast that delves into the weird and wacky side of science: Behind the legend of the chupacabra, does cracking your knuckles cause arthritis? A physiological explanation for near-death experiences, and animals that live without oxygen.
Healthy Viruses Roundup
Most viruses are actually harmless, and some can even help us stay healthy.
Neonatal Genetic Testing
A new technique makes it possible to scan a sick newborn's entire genetic code in 50 hours.
Regeneration Roundup
It was once thought that mammals can’t regenerate tissue in the same way that some reptiles do. But new research suggests this might not entirely be the case.