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.
Frank Drake Is Still Searching for E.T.
More than 50 years later, the renowned astronomer is surprised by the cultural impact of his Drake Equation.
What Does a Rotisserie Chicken Have in Common With the Apollo Spacecraft?
And other facts you may not know from the Apollo missions.
12:13
The Women Who Brought Us Apollo 11
Forty-eight years ago, we witnessed Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon, thanks to a remarkable group of female coders.
5:01
The Shocking Behavior of Leaping Eels
Eels have been known to jump out of water to shock animals as big as horses.
17:38
Life In The Wrong Political Bubble
New research says being politically isolated hurts our relationships. What’s the best way to bridge the divide?
12:11
Storing Digital Data With an ‘Atomic Abacus’
If you want to pack the maximum amount of digital data into the smallest space, why not start with the smallest bits available: atoms?
34:39
Predicting the Future of Robotics
A look at the past and future of robot technology.
4:59
Free Access to Scientific Research Comes at a Cost
Congress wants to make federally funded research available for free. But someone will have to pay.
7:21
Protoplanet Moon Impact, Drunk Lorises, and More
In this week’s news roundup, Rachel Feltman from the Washington Post’s Speaking of Science blog talks about the protoplanet impact that may have created the moon’s Imbrium Basin.
Can I Recycle That? Five Tips for Better Sorting
Pointers for sifting through your paper and plastics.
When Eels Attack!
Electric eels zap fish and other underwater prey, but what would make them leap out of the water and shock an animal like a horse?
A Heritage Site That’s Out Of This World
This Apollo 11 poster will have you dreaming of a lunar vacation.
Still Birds Take Flight
Deborah Samuel’s photographs bring life to the ornithology collection at the Royal Ontario Museum.
16:24
The Real Science In The New Ghostbusters
How physicists made a movie about ghosts a bit more realistic.
4:31
A Climate Tradeoff for Fuel-Efficient Engines?
Fuel-efficient direct injection engines are taking over the market for new vehicles. Here’s why they might be an imperfect solution.
17:35
Sorting Out Your Recycling Questions
Darby Hoover from the Natural Resources Defense Council answers your blue and green bin questions.
17:11
The Health Costs Of Racism
Research suggests that even hearing about racist incidents can cause mental and physical health problems for people of color.
12:20
Tracking Online Terrorist Networks With Mathematical Models
Researchers tracked the growth and decline of online extremist networks through models typically used to map complex systems in the natural world.
17:38
Will Pokémon Go Push Augmented Reality Forward?
Tracking the ways that augmented reality could transform how we interact with the digital world.