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April 26, 2024
For her new book, Aarathi Prasad spent years researching the past and future of silk—and even grew her own silkworms. Plus, an array of new products monitors users’ brain waves using caps or headbands. That neural data has few privacy protections. And, bonobo males may not live up to their reputation as calmer, more peaceful great apes.
12:13
Polio-free Nigeria, Ant Cooperation, and Tweet Takedowns
Brooke Borel, of Popular Science and the blog Our Modern Plagues, shares this week’s top science news.
17:32
Deconstructing School Discipline
Researchers rethink discipline in an effort to break down the “school-to-prison” pipeline.
8:00
Can Intestinal Bacteria Shape Response to Early-Life Stress?
A new study investigates the link between the gut and the brain in mice.
8:18
So Flashy: The Chemistry Behind a Firefly’s Glow
Scientists work to understand the chemistry and benefit of firefly flashes.
11:37
A Device to Visualize Your Climate Change Future
In Marin County, California, augmented reality binoculars are helping locals visualize sea level rise—and plan for it.
20:18
Wearable Technology Goes Way Back
Google Glass, Fitbits, and the Apple Watch are just the latest products in a long evolution of wearable technology.
7:59
Black-Market Marijuana Farming Is Far From Green
Illegal pot farms north of San Francisco are repeating many of the environmental sins of the logging era, like clear-cutting and road building.
11:56
An HIV Mystery, the Search for E.T., and a Bug Bite Itch Zapper
BuzzFeed News science editor Virginia Hughes shares her top stories from this week in science, and astronomer Seth Shostack debates the pros and cons of attempting to contact E.T.
17:31
Tips and Hacks for Navigating Recreational Drones
From pocket-size drones to camera-equipped quadcopters, drone educator Steve Cohen navigates us through tips for buying and building personal drones.
7:41
Can Studying Dolphins Give Insight Into Human Disease?
Dolphins can switch in and out of a metabolic syndrome that resembles pre-diabetes in humans.