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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.
What Your Genes Can Tell You About Your Memory
Researchers are studying how gene regulation influences memory.
Starfish Blamed For Great Barrier Reef Coral Loss
Crown-of-thorns starfish are partly to blame for the Great Barrier Reef’s alarming loss of coral cover.
The Biology of Birds of Prey
We’ll check in with biologists studying American kestrels, prairie falcons, red-tailed hawks, and other raptors that nest in Idaho’s Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. Plus, bringing back the California condor.
Ice Age Co-Stars: Horses, Camels, and Cheetahs
Move over mammoths—many lesser-known beasts roamed North America during the Ice Age too.
Fires and Invasive Grass Threaten American West
Cheatgrass, an invasive weed, chokes out native sagebrush—and sets the stage for massive blazes.
Analyzing the Evidence on DNA
“All DNA evidence is not created equal,” says Greg Hampikian, Director of the Idaho Innocence Project. He’ll tell us why DNA ‘evidence’ sometimes leads to the wrong conclusion.
The SciFri Book Club Visits ‘Flatland’
Mathematician Ian Stewart joins the September book club meeting for a look at Edwin Abbott’s ‘Flatland.’
What the Doctor Ordered: Building New Body Parts
Spray-on skin, made-to-order muscle, and print-out kidneys aren’t just science fiction anymore.
Printing Solar Panels in the Backyard
A Kickstarter-funded project aims to build a machine to print micro solar panels.
Can Government Bans Tackle Obesity?
Experts debate whether government regulations are an effective way to fight the obesity epidemic.