Building a landslide observatory, and the universality of music
You may have seen the aftermath of a landslide, driving along a twisty mountain road—a scattering of rocks and scree impinging on the pavement. And up until now, that’s pretty much how scientists have...
21 Nov 201938min
How to make an Arctic ship ‘vanish,’ and how fast-moving spikes are heating the Sun’s atmosphere
The Polarstern research vessel will spend 1 year locked in an Arctic ice floe. Aboard the ship and on the nearby ice, researchers will take measurements of the ice, air, water, and more in an effort t...
14 Nov 201925min
Unearthing slavery in the Caribbean, and the Catholic Church’s influence on modern psychology
Most historical accounts of slavery were written by colonists and planters. Researchers are now using the tools of archaeology to learn more about the day-to-day lives of enslaved Africans—how they su...
7 Nov 201929min
How measles wipes out immune memory, and detecting small black holes
Measles is a dangerous infection that can kill. As many as 100,000 people die from the disease each year. For those who survive infection, the virus leaves a lasting mark—it appears to wipe out the im...
31 Okt 201921min
A worldwide worm survey, and racial bias in a health care algorithm
Earthworms are easy … to find. But despite their prevalence and importance to ecosystems around the world, there hasn’t been a comprehensive survey of earthworm diversity or population size. This week...
24 Okt 201941min
Trying to find the mind in the brain, and why adults are always criticizing ‘kids these days’
We don’t know where consciousness comes from. And we don’t know whether animals have it, or whether we can detect it in patients in comas. Do neuroscientists even know where to look? A new competition...
17 Okt 201927min
Fossilized dinosaur proteins, and making a fridge from rubber bands
Have you ever tried to scrub off the dark, tarlike residue on a grill? That tough stuff is made up of polymers—basically just byproducts of cooking—and it is so persistent that researchers have found ...
10 Okt 201923min
An app for eye disease, and planting memories in songbirds
Host Sarah Crespi talks with undergraduate student Micheal Munson from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, about a smartphone app that scans photos in the phone’s library for eye disease in kids. And ...
3 Okt 201925min
