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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.
7:45
Pap Test May Detect More Than Just Cervical Cancer
Routine pap tests may be capable of spotting signs of ovarian and uterine cancers.
6:31
Negative Temperatures That Are Hotter Than the Sun
Scientists have cooled potassium gas to one billionth of a degree below absolute zero. But in the quantum world, that’s actually “hotter” than the sun. How is that possible?
16:40
A Journey to the Oort Cloud, Where Comets Are Born
The comet ISON, discovered by two amateur astronomers last year, will zoom past Earth next fall. But where did it come from?
17:03
‘Full Planet, Empty Plates’
In his new book, Lester Brown says the world’s food supply is tightening—and the reasons are many.
5:25
Cold-Water Fish Break the Ice with Antifreeze
Cold-water fish and snow-dwelling insects have evolved antifreeze proteins to avoid icing up. This natural antifreeze also keeps the “ice” out of some ice creams.
5:09
Science Looked Good in 2012
Catfish eating pigeons, water traveling uphill, a blue whale barrel roll, and other science cinema highlights from the year.
41:46
Looking Back on a Year in Science
What are your picks for the top science stories of 2012?
Making Resolutions That Stick
Nearly half of U.S. adults will make year-end resolutions to change for the better in the coming year.
The Renaissance Man Who Got It All Wrong
In A Man of Misconceptions, John Glassie writes of the priest-scientist Athanasius Kircher.
Book Challenges Kids With Science-Based Mysteries
A father/daughter team has written a series of brain-teasers for science-minded students.