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November 22, 2024
On the 50th anniversary of Lucy’s discovery, paleoanthropologists reflect on what she means to science, and what she taught us about ourselves. Plus, divers have recovered seeds of a long-lost rye variety from a 146-year-old shipwreck in Lake Huron. And, just in time for Thanksgiving, a potato researcher explains potato varieties, potato nutrition, and some tubular tuber facts.
25:55
The Limits of Artificial Intelligence
Scientists have unveiled a robot that can sustain injury to one of its six legs, think for a few minutes, and devise a more efficient way to walk.
11:59
How Did the Beefsteak Tomato Get So Beefy?
Biologist Zach Lippman describes the genetics behind the oversized beefsteak tomato.
24:16
One Year Aboard The Space Station
Astronaut Scott Kelly—aboard the International Space Station—and his Earth-bound twin brother, Mark, talk about the effects of living in space for one year.
10:24
Chew on This: Jaw Fossils Provide Evidence of New Hominin
Scientists uncover evidence of new hominin species in the Afar region of Ethiopia.
11:52
The Thirty-Meter Telescope, A Cancer-Killing Virus, and a Fossil Find
Hawaii Public Radio reporter Molly Solomon talks about a new proposal for Hawaii’s Thirty-Meter Telescope, and reporter Rachel Feltman sums up the week in science news.
16:37
App Chat: Apps to ‘Smarten Up’ Your Car
Damon Lavrinc, an editor at Jalopnik, talks about driving apps and gadgets.
17:44
Neal Stephenson Versus the Moon
Neal Stephenson’s new novel “Seveneves” blasts humanity into orbit, only to bring them down to earth…five thousand years later.
12:17
Plankton Goes Viral
A multi-year scientific expedition gives scientists new insights into the oceana’s viral communities.
9:19
In Your Skin, a Catalog of Sun-Induced Mutations
“Normal” human skin cells can contain a surprisingly large number of sun-induced mutations in their DNA, a new study has found.
24:40
The Small But Mighty Seed
Biologist Thor Hanson describes the dizzying diversity of seeds. A new documentary, “Seeds of Time,” portrays the fight to save them.