08/28/2015

Urban Ecosystems, Turing Nanopatterns, and Serving Sizes

11:48 minutes

The amount of green space can affect the distribution of wildlife in urban areas, but what role do socioeconomic features play in determining the ecology of cities? Researchers from Urban Wildlife Institute in Chicago mapped out how coyotes, raccoons, and opossums were affected by the “concrete jungle.” Brandon Keim, a freelance science reporter, discusses this story and other science news from the week.
Plus, think back to the last time you were snacking on a bag of chips. Did you turn the bag over—after many mouthfuls of salty, crunchy goodness—to the Nutrition Facts label, only to find that it contained more than one serving size? Twenty years after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) introduced the Nutrition Facts label, it now plans to update serving sizes in accordance with the amount of food people are really eating these days. But some are concerned that this change won’t lead to more informed consumers, but rather, increased consumption. Roberto Ferdman, a reporter for The Washington Post’s Wonkblog, explains the good and bad of the FDA’s move to overhaul serving sizes.

Segment Guests

Brandon Keim

Freelance journalist Brandon Keim is a blogger for Anthropocene Magazine based in New York, New York.

Roberto Ferdman

Roberto Ferdman writes about food policy and economics for The Washington Post and is based in New York, New York.

Meet the Producers and Host

About Alexa Lim

Alexa Lim was a senior producer for Science Friday. Her favorite stories involve space, sound, and strange animal discoveries.

About Becky Fogel

Becky Fogel is a newscast host and producer at Texas Standard, a daily news show broadcast by KUT in Austin, Texas. She was formerly Science Friday’s production assistant.