November 22, 2024
On the 50th anniversary of Lucy’s discovery, paleoanthropologists reflect on 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, a potato researcher explains potato varieties, potato nutrition, and some tubular tuber facts.
Children Of Invention
From a worry shredder to an odd sock sorter, Little Inventors brings kids’ ideas to life.
SciFri Extra: Remembering Murray Gell-Mann
A 1994 conversation with Nobel physicist Murray Gell-Mann, who died recently at the age of 89.
John Urschel Learns The ‘Secret Code’ Of Calculus
Calculus helped retired NFL player John Urschel “move from a world that was static to a world that could move and flow.”
6:38
What’s Whipping Up The Strong Tornado Season?
Blame the jet stream and climate change. Plus: More stories in this week’s News Roundup.
5:20
When A Dominant Herbicide Becomes Less Effective, What Next?
The herbicide glyphosate, found in products such as Roundup, has become a crucial tool on midwestern farms—but weeds are becoming resistant.
5:56
All The Single (Salamander) Ladies
Some populations of the mole salamander survive—and thrive without having any males of its own species to reproduce with.
12:18
Climate Wars Heat Up In Washington
Republican lawmakers are warming up to talking about climate change, but the Trump administration is striking back.
17:10
Former NFL Player Tackles Football And Math
At 26, John Urschel left the NFL to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics.
16:15
Revisiting A Once-Great Scientific Idea
Mainstream physicists once believed light was simply a disturbance of the “luminiferous ether”—before the idea fell from grace.
27:51
Spoiler Alert! When Does Food Actually Go Bad?
Puzzled by sell-by dates, freezer burn, and just how long you can eat your food? Don’t be a food failure—you’re not alone.
Remembering The Eclipse That Forever Changed Physics
A century ago, an eclipse proved Einstein right—and altered our understanding of the universe.
7:35
Under The Sea: Future Factories And A New Volcano
It was a big news week under the sea.
4:08
Hoping For A Sunny Future, The Navajo Tribe Turns To Solar
As the last coal-fired power plant plans to shut down at the end of the year, the Navajo Tribe is embracing renewables.
16:57
Battling An Ebola Outbreak In A War Zone
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, distrust of the government and healthcare workers are hampering efforts to contain the current outbreak.
16:10
In New Climate Change Play, The Story’s The Thing
A playwright explores what kinds of narratives we need to stir action on climate.
45:34
Beekeeping Tips—From Bees!
How wild honey bees can teach us better ways to cultivate them. Plus, could probiotics help beef up bees’ immune systems?
Househunting For Honey Bees
How do bees figure out where to put their next hive? As we learn in this excerpt from “The Lives of Bees” by Thomas D. Seeley, it requires a bit of househunting.
The Unisexuals: A Story of Salamanders and Sex
What does a world look like without males or sexual reproduction?
11:29
Coal Remains Popular Worldwide, But Is In Decline
A new report says that for the first time, we’ve closed more new coal plants than the world has opened.
12:15
New Horizons Spots A Spinning ‘Snowman’ Out In Space
MU69 is one of the reddest objects we’ve explored in the solar system, built from two skipping-stone-shaped bodies, each the size of small cities.