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June 13, 2025
US Health Secretary RFK Jr. fired an entire panel that recommends vaccines. Plus, the EPA moves to expedite cleanup of Superfund sites amid budget cuts. Former President Joe Biden’s diagnosis with an aggressive form of prostate cancer has put a spotlight on prostate cancer screening.
10:38
Environmental Detectives Use Genetic Tools to Track Invasives
A recently developed technique called “environmental DNA” allows invasive species trackers to get a time-sensitive fingerprint of which species are living where—including underwater.
16:44
Forensic Entomologists Hunt Down Insects to Help Catch Criminals
To help piece together a crime scene, forensic entomologists examine the insects found in the area.
20:52
More Than Cornflakes
John Harvey Kellogg and his brother, W.K., are known today for their most famous discovery—corn flakes—but invented many other health foods along the way.
11:43
Rooting Out the Plant Microbiome
Scientists are uncovering the importance of the plant microbiome for fighting off pathogens and increasing crop yields.
17:08
Is MSG Bad for Your Health?
Four decades of scientific studies suggest the food additive MSG may not deserve its toxic reputation.
10:10
Your Home, Your Bacteria
The surfaces in a home reflect the distinct blend of bacteria that inhabit the people that live there.
7:23
How Did the Violin Get Its Shape?
From its role in biological systems to cultural products, “shape is information that can tell us a story,” says biologist Dan Chitwood.
12:04
The Race to Contain, Rather Than Cure, Ebola
With production of experimental treatments slow-going, rapid diagnostic testing could be the best bet for containing the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
6:04
How to Make Quark Soup
Brookhaven National Laboratory cooks up tiny ephemeral batches of quark-gluon soup that are said to be the most “perfect” fluid ever discovered.
27:42
Atul Gawande: On Being Mortal
In his book “Being Mortal,” surgeon Atul Gawande argues that more medicine may not be better medicine in end-of-life care.