Podcast for 1 July 2011
A failing grade for fat substitutes, a master regulator gene for fat, a brainwave that helps control …
Nature Roundup
Scientists are sequencing the genomes of thousands of insect species.
Brain Folding Gene
A tiny fragment of a single gene makes or breaks the all-important folding of brain tissue.
Rainbow Polymer
Color-shifting polymers could make money and other documents harder to copy.
Deaf Vision
The retinas of people who have been deaf from birth enhance their peripheral vision.
Reindeer Vision
Reindeer can detect ultraviolet light with their retinas, which may help them survive dark Arctic …
Podcast for 24 June 2011 – Birds of a Feather
The genes behind unfaithful finches, mapping the diversity of bird plumage colors, what feathers can …
Secret Ingredient Roundup
A compound found in apple peels could prevent muscle wasting.
A Nestling Mystery
A listener asks: How do baby birds get enough water when they’re still in the nest?
Neanderthal Hands
Evidence from ancient teeth suggests that most Neanderthals were right-handed, like us.
Barbie Effect
To study how we perceive our environment, scientists created the illusion of being either Barbie …
Blind Echolocation
Blind people who can echolocate use their brain's visual center to do so.