Schizophrenia & Creativity
The brains of healthy creative people share some similarities with those of schizophrenia patients.
Spaceflight & Immunity
Long-term space flight may compromise astronauts' immune systems.
Podcast
ANIMALS: Vibrating frogs, confused ducks, forgery-foiling butterflies, and the unsung heroes of the savanna.
Duck Confusion
Some ducks lay their eggs in the nests of other species. But their offspring get confused when they try to figure out what species to mate with.
Podcast
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE: Ecologically-friendly plastic, a cleaner way to produce hydrogen fuel, cell phone air sensors, the perils of spaceflight, the ethical implications of synthetic life, and more.
Mammoth Hemoglobin
Scientists have resurrected a blood protein of the extinct woolly mammoth.
DNA Transfer
Scientists have confirmed that DNA can be transferred between non-mating, multi-cellular species.
Neandertal Genome
A draft sequence of the Neandertal genome sheds light on the question of whether or not our extinct relatives interbred with ancient humans.
Podcast
GENETIC HISTORY - Scientists complete a draft sequence of the Neandertal genome, reconstructing the woolly mammoth's bloody past, and genes that jump from species to species. Also: a low-tech solution to a public-health dilemma in the developing world.
Finch Genes
The zebra finch genome could provide insight into vocal learning in humans.
Hummingbirds & Heliconias
Male and female purple-throated Carib hummingbirds have differently shaped bills and feed on different kinds of flowers.
Oxygen-Free Animals
Scientists have discovered animals that can survive in the absence of oxygen.
Podcast
ANIMAL UPDATE: Birdsong in the genes, hummingbirds and heliconias, a more environmentally friendly pig, and cat-inspired computer circuits.
Personalized Cancer Test
A new test that sequences a patient's entire genetic code could help doctors treat cancer more effectively.
Sizing Up Dogs II
A listener asks whether it's true that large dogs don't live as long as small dogs.
Podcast
Contact lenses that could treat glaucoma, and could you get more out of a 20-minute workout than a 4-hour one? Also, a nose for identification, and why we can't smell deadly carbon monoxide gas.
Big Cold Animals
A new explanation for why animals grow larger at higher latitudes.
Sea Slug Photosynthesis
A species of sea slug begins to harvest energy from the sun after eating algae.
Podcast
MARINE LIFE: Photosynthesizing sea slugs, epileptic sea lions, dolphin viruses and whale diversity.
Germs & Genes
Our genes affect our vulnerability to different kinds of infectious diseases.
Learning Evolution
An innovative exhibition helps children learn the concepts behind biological evolution.
Podcast
COMMUNICATING SCIENCE: The physics of superheroes, teaching evolution to children, science in the theater, and math anxiety in girls.