23:15
The Long Quest to Make Machines Talk
Brad Story, a professor of speech, language, and hearing sciences, walks us through the history of talking machines, and computer scientists Alan Black and Rupal Patel talk about making computerized voices more personal and engaging.
9:02
Sea Turtles Guided Home by Magnetic Sense
Female turtles return to the coastlines where they hatched using the earth’s magnetic fields as a navigational tool.
11:31
The SciFri Book Club Reads ‘The Lost City of Z’
The SciFri Book Club cracks the cover of our winter book pick: David Grann’s non-fiction tale of Amazonian exploration, “The Lost City of Z.”
11:57
Does the ‘Innate Genius’ Stereotype Widen the STEM Gender Gap?
In a new study, academics rated philosophy—where women are earning less than 35 percent of the Ph.D.s—as a field where candidates need raw talent for success.
13:38
Spinning Theories on Planet Rotation
Scientists modeled how an exoplanet’s atmosphere could keep its rotation from locking up.
11:56
Tablets and Smartphones Might Be Sapping Your Sleep
Researchers say using tablets and smartphones before bedtime can shift your circadian rhythms.
11:53
CES 2015: Smart Mirrors, Autonomous Cars, and Safer Home Security
Re/code reviewer Lauren Goode gives her rundown of the best tech at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show.
17:20
Can Diet and Exercise Affect Your Genes?
Researchers are examining how exercise, diet, and your environment play a role in gene expression.
6:27
Sifting Soils for New Approaches to Antibiotics
Researchers report that they’ve isolated a new type of antibiotic compound from soil-dwelling bacteria that previously couldn’t be cultured.
10:13
A Broadway Hit, With an Autistic Math Whiz at Its Center
Actor Alex Sharp talks about playing a 15-year-old math whiz on the Autism spectrum in the hit Broadway play, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.”