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.
14:13
Sea Spray’s Tie To The Sky
New research explores how the ocean’s aerosols can affect the climate, from weather to cloud properties.
8:58
How Older Brains Could Benefit From Marijuana
The research shows promise, but there are a lot of conditions.
7:51
The Comeback Of The New Zealand Sea Lion Pup
The rarest species of sea lion lives on the islands of New Zealand and has made a recent comeback to the mainland.
25:55
Ancient Homo Naledi May Have Walked Alongside Early Humans
New 3D models of Homo naledi fossils help researchers better understand the human family tree.
Dive Into The Depths With Seals
Use this interactive to explore ocean data collected by Elephant Seals as they swam through the North Pacific Ocean.
How To Save The World’s Rarest Sea Lion Pups
After being hunted off the mainland of New Zealand centuries ago, a new generation of the Earth’s rarest sea lions species has miraculously returned.
Model Eclipses
Model solar and lunar eclipses by making your own physical, proportional representations of the Earth and Moon.
7:14
Cassini Acrobatics, Phishing, And The Evolution Of A Skunk
The Cassini spacecraft is in the midst of a series of dives through Saturn’s rings.
4:49
Despite Investment, A Shortage Of Spacesuits
Will NASA finish the next batch in time for future deep-space missions?
7:14
Between A Rock And A Hard Place, Life Thrives
In the driest deserts, hardy bacteria cling to the underside of translucent rocks, eking out an existence where nothing else can.
9:05
What Happens When ‘The Sun Throws A Glitter Bomb’
The interaction of charged particles from the sun with the Earth’s magnetic field can create a dazzling light show in the upper atmosphere.
17:12
Borne To Be Wild
In Jeff VanderMeer’s latest book, a future world overrun by biotech mutants still has hope.
12:01
The Science Behind ‘Hitting The Wall’
Scientists investigate the genetic pathway that leads to better endurance in mice.
15:40
The House That Snot Built
The giant larvacean, a marine invertebrate, uses mucus to filter its food—and it could play a huge role in moving carbon around the ocean.
17:31
The Solar Science That Happens During A Total Eclipse
The solar eclipse provides an opportunity for scientists to study the sun’s atmosphere and polar plumes.
In A Decimated World, Biotech Life Is Borne
In his new novel, Jeff VanderMeer imagines how humans must survive in a city ruined by biotechnology… and a gigantic, genetically engineered bear.
This Neuroscientist Loves The ‘Extremes’ In The Animal Kingdom
Enter Ken Catania’s lab: A curious space filled with fake zombie arms and star-nosed mole portraits.
7:41
A Climate March, The Architecture Of Bureaucracy, And The Tale Of A Hoff-Bot
An archaeological find near Oaxaca, Mexico hints at the rise of bureaucratic government in the Americas.
4:06
Fear Not, Worrywarts, There’s An Upside To Those Thoughts
How to use your worry, rather than letting it use you up.
8:34
Sculpting The Unending Bloom
Artist John Edmark uses the math of spiral geometry found in nature to create sculptures that endlessly bloom.