The Science of Brewing: It's beer that made Milwaukee famous -- and in this hour, live from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Ira and guests raise a glass to the science of brewing beer. How do yeast, water, hops and grain combine to form a lager, pilsner, or ale? (first broadcast Friday, May 16, 2008)

Great Lakes Water Issues: The five Great Lakes, Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior, are said to hold one-fifth of the world's surface fresh water. In this hour, live from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, we'll talk about issues facing Great Lakes water and what the communities surr (first broadcast Friday, May 16, 2008)

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An AIDS Anniversary: Ira and guests look back on 25 years of research into HIV and AIDS, and talk about work towards HIV vaccines. (first broadcast Friday, May 9, 2008)

The Dry Sahara: What made the Sahara Desert go dry -- and is there any water there left to be found? (first broadcast Friday, May 9, 2008)

The Missing Memristor?: We'll find out about a new basic electronic structure called the 'memristor,' and why it has electronics developers excited. (first broadcast Friday, May 9, 2008)

Weedkiller Worries: Researchers report that the common weedkiller atrazine may be able to disrupt hormonal signaling in humans. (first broadcast Friday, May 9, 2008)

Eat Local? Or Eat Differently?: When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, what you eat may be more important than where that food comes from, a new study finds. (first broadcast Friday, May 9, 2008)

Digital TV Transition: What's going on with the transition to digital television -- and will you need to adjust your sets? (first broadcast Friday, May 9, 2008)

Life Expectancy Dips for Some in the US: We'll talk with one of the authors of a new study that finds that for some people, in some parts of the US, life expectancy is on the way down, not up. (first broadcast Friday, May 2, 2008)

Gene Therapy for Blindness: Researchers report some success in using a gene therapy technique to treat one form of congenital blindness. We'll talk about the research. (first broadcast Friday, May 2, 2008)

Calculating Your Carbon: How large is your 'carbon footprint' -- the amount you contribute to greenhouse gas emissions? We'll talk to a researcher looking at energy usage around the country, from homeless people to the rich and famous. (first broadcast Friday, May 2, 2008)

Looking Inside the Human Brain: What's really going on inside your head? We'll talk with scientists using functional magnetic resonance imaging to study the workings of the human brain. (first broadcast Friday, May 2, 2008)

Salty Water for Better Tomatoes?: Researchers report that growing cherry tomatoes in salty water can make them tastier and richer in antioxidants. (first broadcast Friday, May 2, 2008)

Building Social Robots: Sure, robots can weld car parts or stack cartons on an assembly line. But can they develop friendships with people? In this hour, Ira talks with inventors developing robots with personalities. How soon will it be before social, lovable robots enter our ho (first broadcast Friday, April 25, 2008)

More Evidence for Dinosaur / Bird Link: Analysis of proteins found in a scrap of collagen from a 68-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex leg bone provides strong evidence for the idea that dinosaurs are the ancestors of modern-day birds. (first broadcast Friday, April 25, 2008)

Towards Test-Tube Meat?: This week, animal rights group PETA announced the group would offer a million-dollar prize for the development of commercially-viable 'test-tube meat' -- real meat grown through a lab process, not from a live animal. We'll talk about the possibility, and (first broadcast Friday, April 25, 2008)

Tiny Beetle, Big Impact: An increase in the numbers of mountain pine beetles feeding on trees in Canada could turn the carbon-sink forests into greenhouse gas liabilities. We'll talk with a scientist about how a tiny beetle could have a significant impact on the carbon balance in (first broadcast Friday, April 25, 2008)

Bat Die-Off Mystery: Bat experts are struggling to explain what's causing a massive die-off in hibernating bats across parts of the Northeast. (first broadcast Friday, April 18, 2008)

Jeffrey Sachs: Common Wealth: In this segment, Ira talks with Jeffrey Sachs, author of the new book "Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet." (first broadcast Friday, April 18, 2008)

Water Power Cracks Ice Sheet: Researchers working on the Greenland Ice Sheet describe a flow of water exceeding that of Niagara Falls. (first broadcast Friday, April 18, 2008)