Podcast
FLU REPORT: Why older people are at less risk of contracting the H1N1 flu virus, how to avoid the flu, and can you get the flu from a library book? Also: ancient mummies with heart disease and harmful bacteria discovered in cigarettes.
Human Microbial Diversity
Every person may have a very different mix of microbes living inside them.
Sandcastle Worm Glue
A small sea creature inspires a potentially useful medical glue.
Ancient Pollination
Millions of years before flowers evolved, insects were pollinating non-flowering plants.
Medical Aging Roundup
A protective enzyme may be the key to long life.
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?
Cancer Roundup
Researchers have discovered a gene in the naked mole rat that protects them from developing cancer.
Bat Syndrome
Researchers unveil a bold plan to save endangered bats from a deadly fungus.
Whale Clicks
Researchers are learning how sperm whales avoid interrupting each others' echolocation signals while they hunt for prey.
Podcast
Satellites for human rights, a sprinter's anatomical advantage, the face of aggression, and newborns with accents.
Sleep Deprivation
Researchers discover how to reverse the cognitive effects of sleep deprivation in mice.
Election Testosterone
The 2008 presidential election affected male voters' testosterone levels.
Reptile Roundup
Huge snakes are invading southern Florida and wreaking havoc on the native wildlife there.
Podcast
Rescuing the brain from sleep deprivation, too much light can be depressing, sobering news in the treatment of chronic illness, and an installment of our new series, Reality Check.
Vegetarian Spiders
A population of spiders in Mexico subsists almost entirely on plants.
Podcast
Lies parents tell their children. Is comfort food a fallacy? Imitating the dog's nose. And computer-facilitated brain-to-brain communication.
Infected Shower Heads
Shower heads can harbor bacteria that may threaten some people's health.
Podcast
Debunking 2012 doomsday hype, developing a better rocket fuel, vegetarian spiders, and the genetics of aggression in Africanized bees.
Plasmobots
Slime molds can be coaxed to assemble or transport small objects and perform basic computations.
Facial Contrast
Cosmetics enhance facial contrast, a quality that makes faces appear more feminine.
Ardipithicus Fossil
Scientists unveil details about Ardipithicus, a possible human ancestor.