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.
Sex, Flies & Alcohol
Sex-deprived male fruit flies consume more alcohol than sexually satisfied flies.
Podcast for 23 March 2012
EVOLUTION & EXTINCTION - What really happened to Australia's missing megafauna, how carnivores lost their sweet tooth, why lovelorn fruit flies resort to alcohol, strategic miscarriages in monkeys, and a new frog species is discovered in plain sight.
Navigating With Smartphones
A combination of smartphones, GPS and radar could help the blind navigate the cities of the future.
Podcast for 16 March 2012
SCIENCE OF SOCIETY - Do wealthier people tend to have fewer scruples? The social costs of mass incarceration. Seeing-eye smartphones for the blind. And, new evidence calls an accepted tenet of science into question. Also: how to make plastic from plants.
Chemical Roundup
Though illegal, the drug LSD may be effective against alcoholism.
Ethics & Social Class
The higher your socioeconomic status, the more prone you may be to unethical behavior.
Podcast for 9 March 2012
NEW MEDICINE - A rare mutation that protects people from diabetes and cancer. How the pancreas "tastes" sugar. And a new implantable microchip that delivers an osteoporosis drug. Also: chimpanzees may yawn for the same reason humans do.
Health Chemistry Roundup
New research suggests that caffeine drinking by breastfeeding mothers may cause irritability in their babies.
Early Tide Maps
A group of 19th century scientists mapped the world’s tides, making the oceans safer for seafaring.
Contagious Yawns
Both humans and chimpanzees can’t resist the urge to yawn when others do.
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.
Language Delays
Screening criteria for language delays in children depend on the culture.
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.
Politics Roundup
Research suggests that conservatives pay more attention to unpleasant images and liberals, to pleasant ones.
Sex Ratio & Spending
The perception that women are scarce may make men less careful with their money.
Podcast for 3 February 2012
BABY SCIENCE - Why babies read lips, and how toddlers' napping habits could affect their mood for the rest of their lives. Also: Do Stradivarius violins really sound better?
Fat Receptors
A protein found in our tongues determines our ability to taste fat.
A Dog’s Eye View of People
One key to our successful long-term relationship with dogs may lie in the eyes.