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?
What Lemurs Can Teach Us About Human Evolution
An excerpt From “The Strange Case of the Rickety Cossack and Other Cautionary Tales From Human Evolution.”
The Story Behind That Iconic Milk Drop Picture
An engineer creates a perfect liquid crown using innovative flash photography.
The Origin Of The Word ‘Sun’
You’ve heard of “heliocentric.” So why don’t we call it the “helio?”
12:04
Retracted Research, 3.3 Million-Year-Old Stone Tool, and Panda Guts
In this week’s news roundup, Rachel Feltman of The Washington Post joins us for a roundup of her top science stories of the week.
24:40
The Small But Mighty Seed
Biologist Thor Hanson describes the dizzying diversity of seeds. A new documentary, “Seeds of Time,” portrays the fight to save them.
17:44
Neal Stephenson Versus the Moon
Neal Stephenson’s new novel “Seveneves” blasts humanity into orbit, only to bring them down to earth…five thousand years later.
A Date Palm Named Methuselah
An excerpt from “The Triumph of Seeds,” by Thor Hanson.
The Fine Art of Toxic Waste
An engineer and an artist are transforming pollution from coal mines into pigments used to tint paint.