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October 18, 2024
New research sheds light on changes in gray and white matter during pregnancy. Plus, philosopher Susana Monsó unpacks the latest research into how animals like possums, chimps, and ants interpret death. And, 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.
16:37
App Chat: Apps to ‘Smarten Up’ Your Car
Damon Lavrinc, an editor at Jalopnik, talks about driving apps and gadgets.
17:44
Neal Stephenson Versus the Moon
Neal Stephenson’s new novel “Seveneves” blasts humanity into orbit, only to bring them down to earth…five thousand years later.
12:17
Plankton Goes Viral
A multi-year scientific expedition gives scientists new insights into the oceana’s viral communities.
9:19
In Your Skin, a Catalog of Sun-Induced Mutations
“Normal” human skin cells can contain a surprisingly large number of sun-induced mutations in their DNA, a new study has found.
24:40
The Small But Mighty Seed
Biologist Thor Hanson describes the dizzying diversity of seeds. A new documentary, “Seeds of Time,” portrays the fight to save them.
12:04
Retracted Research, 3.3 Million-Year-Old Stone Tool, and Panda Guts
In this week’s news roundup, Rachel Feltman of The Washington Post joins us for a roundup of her top science stories of the week.
5:50
Chicken Beaks and Dinosaur Snouts
Scientists traced the evolution of dinosaurs to birds through the beak of a chicken.
10:52
A Tiny, Living Identification Badge: Your Microbiome
The specific combinations of strains of bacteria that live on and in a person can be used to identify an individual—even up to a year later.
17:23
Emoting With Emoji
A look at what the rise of emoji says about online communication.
12:14
NASA Budget Cuts Impact Earth-Based Science
The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology passed a bill that would cut NASA’s earth science budget by roughly 20 percent.