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.
Tessellation And Miura Folds
Make an origami fold that can compress rigid materials, and study the tessellation it creates!
Making It in a Futuristic, Flooded New York
Author Kim Stanley Robinson imagines a version of New York City that’s swamped by sea level rise.
6:50
A Proposed Science Budget, Hacking Via Sound, and a Fluorescent Frog
A budget proposal from the White House lays out deep cuts for several science agencies.
5:27
Would You Be On Board With a Self-Driving Ambulance?
A recent study found that the idea of autonomous emergency vehicles made potential patients nervous.
26:33
Kim Stanley Robinson Tackles How to Keep a Drowning City Afloat
In his new novel, “New York 2140,” author Kim Stanley Robinson tackles how a drowning city might adapt and thrive after disastrous sea level rise.
8:21
How Climate Change Threatens Your Breakfast
As the globe warms, maple syrup, tea, and other specialty foods could suffer from lower quality and lower nutritional value.
11:54
Visualizing The Beauty Of Vibrato
Researchers use the tools of quantum physics to quantify the vibration of sound.
17:19
Why Are We Here? Physics Has Answers
Physicist Lawrence Krauss on the substance of the universe, the Higgs Boson, and how we know what we know.
17:19
Do Weather Instruments Need a Robot Repairman?
A robotic spacecraft could improve weather forecasting by fixing satellites in geosynchronous orbit.
What to Expect From Trump’s Environmental Policy
Two environmental law experts discuss threats to the EPA and other agencies.
Gourmet Cooking With Humble Roots
Chef and author Mads Refslund approaches cooking through a low-waste lens.
7:31
Synthetic Yeast, Fake Science News, and the Tully Monster
Researchers have now synthesized over a third of the yeast genome.
27:53
Trump Versus the EPA
How the president and Congress have been quietly and successfully tearing down U.S environmental and climate change policy.
4:37
Making Social Interaction More Like a Game
Apps like Snapchat encourage interaction with features such as “streaks.” But is there a downside to gamifying communication?
12:08
The Microbiome of the Clouds
Certain types of bacteria in the atmosphere can play a role in rain and snow.
6:38
The Science of Tuvan Throat Singing
Tuvan throat singers have developed a technique that allows them to produce two notes at one time.
17:01
Scrap Your Dinner Plans
In their book Scraps, Wilt & Weeds, Mads Refslund and Tama Matsuoka Wong describe creative ways to use the parts of produce that we usually toss away.
17:21
The Invisible Humans Who Sanitize the Internet
Content moderators work behind the scenes to keep graphic content off your feed. But they still have to view it.
Three Recipes for Leftover Produce
Here’s what you can do with kale scraps, carrot tops, and grapefruit peels.