12:12
Polluting Planes, Coked-Out Eels, and the Science of ‘Frass’ (Fake Grass)
What cutting airlines’ carbon emissions could mean, why scientists gave eels cocaine, and the good and bad of artificial turf.
17:27
The Peculiarity of Homo Sapiens
Modern humans are the only surviving hominin from what was once a rich, fairly bushy family tree. But why did we alone survive?
7:53
Will Our Smartphones Know Us Better Than Ourselves?
This week Apple revealed an improved Siri comparable to Android’s Google Now.
8:44
The Silky Wonders of Worm Spit
Bioengineers at Tufts University are crafting silk protein into medical, optical, and bioelectronic materials.
12:06
Repurposing Drugs to Discover New Treatments
Could approved drugs be repurposed to discover new treatments for chronic and rare diseases?
17:43
Climate Skeptics Convene on Capitol Hill
This week, the Tenth International Conference on Climate Change convened in Washington, D.C. But don’t confuse it with the IPCC.
8:21
The Walking…and Falling Robots of DARPA’s Robotics Competition
The DARPA Robotics Competition challenged teams to design robots that could navigate a simulated disaster scenario.
8:09
This Ant Stinks
Two entomologists set out to prove the true scent of the odorous house ant.
11:37
Koala Chlamydia, Pluto’s Moons, and Bad Science Search Results
Rachel Feltman of The Washington Post talks about the week in science, and Christina Warren of Mashable joins to talk about science search results gone wrong.
17:33
What Is Sleep? A ‘Superpower,’ a ‘Power Cleanse’
In his latest “Flame Challenge,” Alan Alda asked people to answer the question: “What is sleep?” We talk with the winning respondents.