Gold & Deforestation
Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest increases as gold prices rise.
Fruit & Flies Roundup
A delicious, but neglected fruit could get its day in the sun again with a bit of genetic engineering.
Celery Roses
Splicing a celery gene into roses and other blooms could make them last longer.
Podcast for 18 March 2011
An early screening test for autism, a car controlled by thoughts, the safety of fruit seeds, blaming the hero, and testing an ancient Egyptian prosthetic.
Bats & Carnivorous Plants
At least one carnivorous plant appears to have lost its taste for insects in favor of bat guano.
Science Illiteracy Roundup
A new study reflects an alarming lack of science literacy among U.S. college students.
Lightning Bug Roundup
Fireflies could help doctors deliver the right dose of heparin to prevent blood clots.
Crops & Carbon
Replacing native plants with crops diminishes the Earth's ability to store carbon.
Fearless Aphids
Habituating crop-munching aphids to their own distress pheromone may make them more vulnerable to ladybugs.
Podcast
ANIMAL UPDATE: Arctic fish respond to climate change, bees that aren't as busy as you'd think, adding some romance to the lives of flamingos, and training dogs to sniff out invasive plants.
Flowers & Rainfall
Flowering plants keep the world cooler and wetter than it would be otherwise.
Podcast
HEALTH & THE ENVIRONMENT: Cutting down the Amazon rainforest leads to increased rates of malaria, tracking plastic debris in the Atlantic Ocean, choosing between "organic" and synthetic pesticides, and more.
Podcast
How plants know it's spring, color vision in bees, how pigeon flocks make decisions, and hermit crab shell games.
Plants vs. Insects Roundup
A protein in coffee beans is an effective pesticide.
Environmental Health Roundup
Despite looking green and attractive, many parks may actually create more pollution than they prevent.
Disappointing Ginkgo
Researchers report that ginkgo biloba is ineffective against cognitive decline in older adults.
Gelatin Source
Reality Check investigates the urban legend that gelatin is made from cow hooves.
Podcast
THE FOOD SHOW - High school students expose food fraud in New York City. Does gelatin really come from cow hooves? And the hormone behind eating when you're already full.
Ancient Pollination
Millions of years before flowers evolved, insects were pollinating non-flowering plants.
Podcast
Ancient insect pollinators, your body's unique microbes, a marine creature that could fix broken bones. Also: does chewing gum really take years to digest?
Ancient Fibers
Ancient flax fibers found in a cave suggests humans may have been turning the plant into clothing or rope as far back as 36,000 years ago.
Fall Color Differences
A new hypothesis explains why fall colors differ in the U.S. and northern Europe.
Early Climate Change
Humans may have affected the Earth's climate thousands of years ago.