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.
16:32
Your Arm Position Can Make Blood Pressure Readings Inaccurate
Blood pressure categories are based on patients who are sitting in a certain position. But not every doctor’s office takes readings that way.
11:56
CAR-T Cell Therapies Show Promise For Autoimmune Diseases
In a Chinese study, donor CAR-T cells sent autoimmune diseases into remission. There’s hope that the therapy is scalable.
17:56
Oliver Sacks Searched The Brain For The Origins Of Music
On Science Friday’s 33rd anniversary, excerpts from a classic interview with neurologist and author Dr. Oliver Sacks about music and the brain.
8:47
Math Enthusiast Finds The Largest Known Prime Number
This ginormous number has a whopping 41,024,320 digits, which isn’t very helpful for mathematicians but is certainly exciting for math nerds.
6:56
Measuring The Effects Of Early Life Adversity—In Marmots
Scientists used decades of yellow-bellied marmot research to find a way to measure how adverse events affect wild animals’ survival.
16:36
Why Do We Keep Widening Highways If It Doesn’t Reduce Traffic?
Decades of research shows that expanding highways, despite its promise to reduce congestion, actually increases travel times.
Why More Highway Lanes Means More Traffic
As highways have become almost ubiquitous in the US, motorists travel faster and farther—resulting in more traffic.
Road Ecologists Want You To Fall In Love With Infrastructure
Why ask, “Why did the chicken cross the road?” when you can instead consider, “Why did the road cross the land?”
12:03
Maine Offshore Wind Auction Draws Few Bids
Two years ago, energy companies scrambled for offshore wind contracts. At a recent auction, the demand was significantly lower.
16:48
Gender-Affirming Care Is On The Line In This Election
Gender-affirming care is lifesaving treatment for many transgender people. Its availability could drastically change after the election.
12:15
Chickens Have Friendships, Memories, And Reputations
Author and naturalist Sy Montgomery discusses chicken intelligence and her experience raising a flock in New Hampshire.
24:46
The Clean Air Act Has Saved Millions Of Lives—But Gaps Remain
The legislation gave the U.S. some of the world’s cleanest air. But with industrial zones and climate change, it’s not protecting everyone.
10:34
Tourist Photos From Antarctica May Help Map Penguin Colonies
Snapshots from over the years could provide researchers with valuable data about how penguin colonies have shifted.
17:24
How Does Long-Distance Running Affect Your Body?
Running a marathon is a major physical feat. One expert answers listener questions about how it impacts the body and mind.
Intertwining The Lives Of Moths And Humans Through Music
A pair of musicians wrote a concept album inspired by moths—and found that humans have more in common with the insects than they expected.
12:15
Do Fossil Prints Show Dinosaur Flight Evolved More Than Once?
Some paleontologists argue the ancient footprints found in South Korea show flight may have evolved in multiple dinosaur lineages.
17:07
The Science Behind Third-Trimester Abortions
Abortions later in pregnancy are the most stigmatized, leading to misinformation and a hesitancy to talk openly about why people have them.
5:12
After California’s Park Fire, A Second Bloom of Milkweed
This is great news for the nearly-extinct monarch butterflies, which will pass through the area as they migrate back to Mexico.
12:00
Inside The ‘Creepy’ Procedure That Taps Into Young Blood
To find out how blood affects aging, scientists can surgically connect two animals and let blood circulate between them.
12:13
Biodiversity’s Biggest Event Is Underway In Colombia
COP16 will tackle questions like who should profit from non-human DNA, and who is responsible for financing critical conservation projects.