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Are Humans Smarter Than Chimps? Think Again
Author Frans de Waal deconstructs the notion that a chimpanzee’s intelligence is inferior to a human’s.
These Researchers Have Figured Out a New Way to Kill Cancer Cells
The team reports that they’ve figured out how to elude a tumor cell’s defenses.
10 Questions for the Nation’s First Chief Data Scientist
DJ Patil reflects on his first year as chief data scientist in the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Unraveling The Orchid Mantis Mystery
This elusive praying mantis lures insect prey by exploiting flower-like attributes.
How Many Genes Are Necessary to Create a Living Cell?
A team led by biologist Craig Venter found that they only needed 473 genes to create a living, stripped-down version of a cell.
The Week-After SciFri Quiz! 4/12/16
How much do you know about the “Boiling River”?
16 Pieces of Pop Culture About Climate Change, From Atwood to Spielberg to the Pixies
Let’s talk about cli-fi!
The Search for Peru’s ‘Boiling River’
This Peruvian river in the Amazon had long been considered a sacred healing spot for local shamans, but it hadn’t been scientifically explored until recently.
In a Lawless Desert, a Fight Over Water
In his science fiction book, author Paolo Bacigalupi describes a hellish American Southwest that yearns for water.
The Humble Seed, Waiting to Grow
Author Hope Jahren explains how all seeds, seen or unseen, wait patiently for their chance to flourish.
Craig Venter: Biologist and Minimalist Artist
Creating a bacterial cell with the minimal amount of genes.
This Art Installation Pokes Fun at NASA and Space Exploration
New York sculptor Tom Sachs built “A Space Program” entirely out of materials bought from Home Depot.
Welcome To The Emotion Arcade
A new generation of video games engages complex emotions like empathy, complicity, and grief. Game researcher Katherine Isbister gives a newbie gamer a tour of the “Emotion Arcade.”
‘Sackboy’ Solidarity: An Emotional Gaming Experience
Gamers playing “Little Big Planet” engage in a friendly and comical shared emotional experience.
Faces Of The Moon
Images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera reveal a moonscape wrought by geologic forces and celestial bombardment.
The Week-After SciFri Quiz! 3/29/16
How closely did you listen to last week’s show?
A New Way to Fix Cataracts?
Two studies look into using stem cells for eye therapy.
Catching Sonic Wisps of Cataclysmic Mayhem
Author Janna Levin on gravitational waves and how the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatories help us detect them.