Dad’s Diversity
Sequencing the DNA of individual sperm helps explain why siblings are often so different.
Toxic Water Roundup
Toxins in water pipes likely caused color blindness in some Massachusetts towns.
Dogs vs. Asthma
Having a dog in the house may help protect babies from developing respiratory synctial virus (RSV) and asthma.
Biodiversity, Allergies & Asthma
People who live around fewer varieties of plants, and whose skin carries fewer kinds of bacteria, are more likely to have allergies.
Internet Symptom Checkers
People draw different conclusions from online symptom checkers, depending on how the symptoms are listed.
Antibiotics and Asthma
Taking antibiotics early in life can lead to asthma, according to a study in mice.
Podcast for 6 April 2012
MEDICINE - A promising new drug that could work on all types of cancer. New evidence linking antibiotic use to asthma. Also, a test that takes the guesswork out of choosing the right antibiotic when one is needed. And, how your biological clock affects your health.
Other Blood Types
New research adds 2 more rare blood type systems to a surprisingly long list.
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.
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.
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.
Podcast for 18 February 2012
AAAS 2012 ANNUAL MEETING SPECIAL - This week, we're coming to you from Vancouver, British Columbia, where scientists are gathering to tackle issues or global importance, such as how to boost crop productivity to feed a growing population, and making cookstoves safer for the world's poor. Also: video games to combat cataracts, and ultra-thin electronics printed with silver ink.
Safer Cookstoves
Cleaner cookstoves could save millions of lives and slow global warming.
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?
A Dog’s Eye View of People
One key to our successful long-term relationship with dogs may lie in the eyes.
Kinder, Gentler Monkeys
Rhesus macaque monkeys become kinder after inhaling the hormone oxytocin.
Toddler Naps
New evidence suggests that napping helps young children regulate their emotions and take pleasure in their activities.
Podcast for 30 December 2011
DRUGS & ROCK 'N ROLL - Predicting drug side-effects before they can harm patients. A blood test for antidepressant effectiveness. Is 27 really an unlucky number for famous musicians? Are collecting and hoarding related? And why babies favor vigilante justice.
Video Game Brains
Violent video games can affect brain activity well after the games are over.
Infantile Justice
Eight-month-old babies seem to favor rewarding good behavior and punishing bad.
Depression Prevention Training
Researchers hope to stave off depression by training kids to gravitate toward positive images.