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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.
11:53
A Decade After the Genome, Scientists Map the ‘Proteome’
Nearly all the body’s cells contain identical DNA. So why does a neuron grow up so differently than a liver cell? Proteins, says Akhilesh Pandey, a professor at the Johns Hopkins University.
8:45
The Lineup of Cancer Threats Is Changing
A recent study projects that by 2030, pancreatic cancer will become the second most deadly type of cancer in the U.S. after lung cancer.
16:13
Why Do Some Songs Stick in Our Heads?
“Earworms” are song fragments that get stuck in our mind.
8:27
Laser Blast Can Regrow Teeth, in Rats
Zapping dental stem cells with lasers appears to switch on production of new dentin, the hard stuff under tooth enamel.
12:01
How Touch Helps Us Emotionally Experience the World
Researchers describe a type of nerve that helps us understand social interactions and emotion.
6:01
New Meteor Shower May Offer Skygazers a Treat…Or Not
Late Friday night, Earth will sail through debris left by the comet 209P/LINEAR. Scientists are calling the shower the Camelopardalids.
10:36
Customizing Your Cryptocurrency With Altcoins
ZeroCash, Litecoin, and SolarCoin are digital currency alternatives to Bitcoin.
29:15
Are Microbes Winning the Antibiotic Arms Race?
We’re running out of antibiotics, and drug companies have little incentive to develop new ones. Can we save the ones we already have?
17:01
Why Science and the Humanities Are Better Together
Biographer Walter Isaacson explains why the future belongs to those who can merge the arts and the sciences.
17:21
The Debate Over Net Neutrality
What does the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality plan mean for consumers?