The Oldest Oldies
Some of the first sound recordings ever made are finally being heard again.
Critter Chemicals Roundup
Some of the most potent antibiotics and insecticides come from animals. Researchers have identified some promising new candidates, derived from ants …
Video Game Brains
Violent video games can affect brain activity well after the games are over.
Collecting & Hoarding
A listener asks why some people become collectors and hoarders.
Eye-Witness Accuracy
Tracking witnesses’ eye movements may help reveal what they’ve really seen.
Old Brains
Preserved brains from the early 20th century may shed light on mental illness.
New Materials Roundup
New fabric coatings could allow clothes to clean and disinfect themselves simply by hanging out in the sun.
Infantile Justice
Eight-month-old babies seem to favor rewarding good behavior and punishing bad.
Eye Training for Surgeons
Surgeons, like athletes, may benefit from learning to use their eyes like experts.
Fastest Spinning Star
A powerful telescope has detected the fastest rotating star yet.
Taxi Driver Brains
The brains of would-be London taxi drivers get bigger during their multi-year training for the job.
Solar Energy Roundup
Researchers have created a combination of fool’s gold and silicon that could be used to make inexpensive solar cells.
Depression Prevention Training
Researchers hope to stave off depression by training kids to gravitate toward positive images.
Starving Fat Cells
A drug that cuts of the blood supply to fat cells resulted in significant weight loss in obese monkeys.
Wasp Face Processing
Paper wasps, which can recognize each other, seem to process faces in ways similar to humans.
Placebos & Pain
Can the placebo effect be harnessed to help people with chronic pain?
DNA Fingerprint Roundup
New uses for DNA fingerprinting include tracking deadly tse-tse flies and identifying species from ancient soil samples.
Dryer Lint Pollution
Drying polyester clothing in a machine may contribute to plastic pollution at sea.
Supercooled Water
On a molecular level, water doesn't have to become ice until minus-55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dreams & Emotions
REM sleep, in which dreams occur, also may help take the edge off painful memories.
Monarch Genome
Scientists have sequenced the Monarch butterfly’s genome, to better understand its epic migrations.
Energy Technology Roundup
Researchers unveil new designs for longer-life batteries.
Building With Viruses
Researchers have turned viruses into molecular building blocks.
Giant Beaver Sounds
The giant beaver went extinct about 10,000 years ago, but it left behind clues to the sounds it may have used to communicate with.