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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.
7:11
When a Seven-Foot-Long Arthropod Swam the Seas
Fossils found in Morocco might help explain how modern-day insects, crustaceans, and other arthropods got their shapes.
10:01
Puzzling Polio-like Paralysis Baffles Doctors
Doctors are trying to piece together a puzzling polio-like paralysis that might be associated with a respiratory illness.
11:52
As Ebola Infection Rates Decline, Will Vaccine Search Continue?
Will momentum for developing an Ebola vaccine and treatment stay on track as infection rates decrease?
0:39
Mysteries of the Mars Plume
Wayne Jaeschke, a patent attorney and amateur astronomer, captured a photo of a wispy cloud rising 120 miles into the Martian atmosphere.
15:39
Balancing Surveillance: Privacy and Security in the Digital Age
Is it possible to keep our personal information secure in the digital age?
12:08
Fossil Jaw Turns Back Clock on Human Evolution
A newly discovered fossil jaw pushes the date of Homo’s evolution back to 2.8 million years ago.
17:27
The Interstellar Tourist’s Guide to Exoplanets
Exoplanet hunter Sara Seager explains how biosignature gases could help identify life on exoplanets, and The Takeaway’s John Hockenberry takes Ira on a futuristic tour of exoplanet vacation destinations.
14:31
Avoid the Doctor—For Your Health
How much medical care is too much medical care?
9:03
Dawn Arrives at Ceres
Mission director and chief engineer Marc Rayman gives an update on the Dawn mission, scheduled to arrive in orbit around dwarf planet Ceres this week.
22:06
One Hundred Years of General Relativity
Albert Einstein published his theory of general relativity on December 2, 1915.