Algae Biofuel Breakthrough
Scientists have overcome a major challenge in the commercial production of biofuel.
Mice & Autism
A common drug reverses social deficits and repetitive behaviors in mice with autism-like symptoms.
Armadillo Vision
The armadillo’s poor eyesight is helping researchers understand the genes behind certain forms of blindness.
Podcast for 15 November 2013
YOUNG BRAINS - Just how long does the teenage brain take to mature? How teenagers with autism see things differently. And, scientists reverse autistic-like symptoms in adolescent mice. Also: can you put barcodes on brain cells? And, what casino rats can tell us about gambling addiction.
Wellderly
Researchers are studying the genetic factors that keep a small percentage of us extremely healthy, well into old age.
Ant Payola
A Central American tree indirectly pays its ant security system with sweet syrup.
Podcast for 3 November 2013
ANIMAL & HUMAN HEALTH - A special report on the relationship between animal and human health, from pet obesity to cancer in tigers. Also, why spiders have prompted a massive Toyota recall. And, a citizen science project that’s pretty batty.
Cheating Fairywrens
Female fairy wrens are more likely to cheat with males that have red plumage.
Elephants Understand Pointing
Elephants, unlike mammals much more similar to us, seem to instinctively understand pointing gestures.
Podcast for 27 September 2013
INSECTS & SPIDERS - Could spider venom be the next insecticide? Why mosquitoes smell you better at night. And debunking the myth of extracting dinosaur DNA from insects preserved in amber. Also, insect legs that bear an uncanny resemblance to modern machinery.
DNA in Amber
Could scientists really get dinosaur DNA from insects preserved in amber?
Non-Terror Bird
Giant flightless birds with enormous beaks once roamed the earth. Did they feast upon flesh, or gobble up plants?
Bug Soup
Mashed-up mixtures of bugs may be a useful indicator of changes in biodiversity.
Drug & Nutrition Roundup
New research shows that marijuana may be harmful to adolescent brain development.
Ape Memory
Like humans, chimpanzees and orangutans can remember events that took place years in the past.
Dino Tooth Replacement
The world's largest dinosaurs had to replace their teeth constantly to keep up with all their eating.
Evolution of the Fastball
Human anatomy is uniquely evolved to throw spears - and baseballs.
Reverse Vaccine
A “reverse vaccine” may treat type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases.
Foe-Foiling Fairywrens
Young Australian birds learn who their enemies are by watching their parents.
Kin-Seeking Fish
Social fish gravitate toward their relatives even if they've never met.
Podcast for 28 June 2013
BRAINS & BEHAVIOR - When apes take a gamble. The value of precision in negotiations. And a new approach to targeting drug addiction in the brain. Also: what above-ground nuclear tests in the mid-20th century can tell scientists about the brain.
Medieval Leprosy
Researchers have reconstructed the entire genome of Medieval-era leprosy bacteria.
Microbe Roundup
Microscopic organisms represent a vast, unexplored territory for biologists trying to understand the earth’s ecology—including the ecology inside our homes and even our bodies.
Podcast for 14 June 2013
WHEN SCIENCE MEETS HISTORY - Ocean temperature records from a 19th century research ship confirm global warming. Reviving plants hidden under glaciers for centuries. Tracing the genetic origins of the blight that started the Irish Potato Famine. And uncovering evidence of lead pollution in Spain from 4,000 years ago.