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Aware Am I? Updated: 2012-02-13 08:00:00 Description: ENCORE Humans are pleasure-seekers – from food to sex to fine art. But do we know why we crave what we do? Discover the surprising motivation behind our desires. Also, why our hedonistic cousins, the bonobos, may hold the secret to worl...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Getting a Spacelift Updated: 2012-02-06 08:00:00 Description: I need my space… but oh, how to get there? Whether it’s a mission to Mars or an ascent to an asteroid, we explore the hows of human spaceflight. Also, the whys, as in, why send humans to the final frontier if robots are cheaper? Neil...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Material Whirl Updated: 2012-01-30 08:00:00 Description: What’s the world made of? Here’s a concrete answer: a lot of it is built from a dense, knee-scraping substance that is the most common man-made material. But while concrete may be here to stay, plenty of new materials will come our wa...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Skeptic Check: Energy Vortex Updated: 2012-01-23 08:00:00 Description: “I feel your vibe!” Well, that describes a number of fabled locales that claim to pulse with mysterious energy – perhaps prompting books to fly across the room or airplanes to vanish into thin air. But what’s the science behind it? W...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Wired for Thought Updated: 2012-01-16 08:00:00 Description: A cup of coffee can leave you wired for the day. But a chip in your brain could wire you to a machine forever. Imagine manipulating a mouse without moving a muscle, and doing a Google search with your mind. Welcome to the future of the b...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Cosmos: It's Big, It's Weird Updated: 2012-01-09 08:00:00 Description: It’s all about you. And you, and you, and you and you… that is, if we live in parallel universes. Imagine you doing exactly what you’re doing now, but in an infinite number of universes. Discover the multiverse theory and why repeats...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Light, the Universe, and Everything Updated: 2012-01-02 08:00:00 Description: ENCORE What’s it all about? And we mean ALL. What makes up this vast sprawling cosmos? Why does it exist? Why do we exist? Why is there something rather than nothing? Ow, my head hurts! For possible answers, we travel to the momen...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Skeptic Check: Superstition Updated: 2011-12-26 08:00:00 Description: ENCORE Wait! Before you step outside… is it Friday the 13th? Any black cats prowling around? Broken a mirror lately? Homo sapiens are a superstitious lot. Find out why our brains are wired for irrational belief. Plus, from the 2...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Sensor Sensibility Updated: 2011-12-19 08:00:00 Description: Have you lost your senses? You’ll find them everywhere you look. Sensors respond to external stimuli – light, sound, temperature and much else – to help us make sense (ha!) of our universe. And more are on their way. “Ubiquitous s...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Going Viral Updated: 2011-12-12 08:00:00 Description: The term “bird flu” is a misnomer, scientists say, because almost all human influenza originates in our feathered friends. How it lands in you and spreads is another matter … Hear what it takes for a virus to go global, from a virus h...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Science's Alliances Updated: 2011-12-05 08:00:00 Description: Mom and apple pie. Computers and silicon. Martians and death rays. Some things just go together naturally. But how about science and politics? Science and religion? Science and fiction? These pairings are often unnatural and content...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Skeptic Check: Dubiology Updated: 2011-11-28 08:00:00 Description: There’s no harm talking to your houseplant, but will your chatter really help it grow? We look at various biological claims, from whether plants feel pain to the ability of cats to predict earthquakes. Feline forecasters, anyone? Also, w...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD We've Got You Made Updated: 2011-11-21 08:00:00 Description: ENCORE Wish you could ditch computers? There’s no escape button for that. Computers are not only a part of your daily grind, they may soon be a part of you. We’ll hear from the world’s first cyborg about why we should make nice i...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Blame it on Bacterio Updated: 2011-11-14 08:00:00 Description: Think small! Microbes are tinier than the dot at the end of this sentence, yet they can make humans sicker than dogs, dogs sicker than humans, jump from animal to human and keep scientists guessing when and where the next disease will appea...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD NASA or What? Updated: 2011-11-07 08:00:00 Description: “Making space for everyone” could be NASA’s motto. But as commercial spaceships get ready to blast off, that populist idea is being tested. Space cowboys in the private sector say they’re the ones who can provide unfettered access ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Bug Off! Updated: 2011-10-31 07:00:00 Description: ENCORE What you can’t see … can make you sick. Humans have been battling viruses and bacteria since the beginning of time. The malaria parasite has been keeping deadly company with us for 500,000 years. King Tut had it and so did J...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Anthropocene and Heard Updated: 2011-10-24 07:00:00 Description: What’s in a name? “Holocene” defines the geologic epoch we’re in. Or were in? Goodbye to “Holocene” and hello “Anthropocene!” Yes, scientists may actually re-name our geologic era as the &...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD What's Your Poison? Updated: 2011-10-17 07:00:00 Description: ENCORE “Aspirin and Old Lace?” Okay, it would take a bottle full of pills in a glass of elderberry wine to really harm you, but aspirin can be deadly. So can too much of anything, including water. Dose is key in toxicology, a...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD What's Your Poison? Updated: 2011-10-10 07:00:00 Description: ENCORE “Aspirin and Old Lace?” Okay, it would take a bottle full of pills in a glass of elderberry wine to really harm you, but aspirin can be deadly. So can too much of anything, including water. Dose is key in toxicology, a...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Skeptic Check, Beast Of Updated: 2011-10-03 07:00:00 Description: Zombies, aliens, Bigfoot, oh my!! We’ve covered – or rather uncovered – them all and more on Skeptic Check, our monthly look of critical thinking. And now we’ve collected enough strange encounters to assemble a sordi...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Rend Me Your Ears Updated: 2011-09-26 07:00:00 Description: ENCORE Shh – can you keep it down? Nope. Not unless you want to do away with civilization. Our buzzing, humming, whirling, machine-driven world is a poster child for technological progress, right? As is hearing loss. It’s driv...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Whodunit, Who'll Do It? Updated: 2011-09-19 07:00:00 Description: The tools of forensics have moved way beyond fingerprint kits. These days, a prosecutor is as likely to wave a fMRI brain scan as a smoking gun as “Exhibit A.” Discover what happens when neuroscience has its day in court. Mea...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Whither the Weather? Updated: 2011-09-12 07:00:00 Description: We all talk about the weather. And now scientists are doing something about it: providing more accurate warnings before big storms hit. Discover how smart technology – with an eye on the sky – is taking monster weather events by storm....more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Seth's Tool Shed Updated: 2011-09-05 07:00:00 Description: Anyone who does gardening knows that life is tough. It’s also ancient – the first living things appeared on this planet nearly as soon as our world was habitable. We consider life on real worlds – like Earth and Mars – as well as f...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Into the Unknown Updated: 2011-08-29 07:00:00 Description: During the great age of exploration men risked their lives to set foot upon unknown lands, whether in the humid jungles of Peru or on the barren ice cap of the South Pole. We’ll hear those dramatic tales… … but also where modern ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Swarm in Here... or Is It Just Me? Updated: 2011-08-22 07:00:00 Description: ENCORE An ant … can’t … move a rubber tree plant… but the colony can. As a group, ants are an efficient, organized, can-do bunch. And a model for humans trying to manage complex systems. Find out about the eerie collective intelli...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Skeptic Check: Plotting Along Updated: 2011-08-15 07:00:00 Description: It’s been ten years since the fall of the Twin Towers, but some still believe that the attack was an inside job. They’re not the only ones to buy into a conspiratorial view of world events. Others deny President Obama’s American birt...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Written in Code Updated: 2011-08-08 07:00:00 Description: ENCORE Genes – what are they good for? Absolutely… something. But not everything. Your “genius” genes need to be turned on – and your environment determines that. Find out how to unleash your inner-Einstein, and what scienti...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Cell! Cell! Updated: 2011-08-02 07:00:00 Description: ENCORE Live forever? Both cancer cells and stem cells can make a claim to immortality. Left unchecked, tumors will grow indefinitely. And stem cells offer the promise of non-stop rejuvenation. We’ll find out whether the surprising disc...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Water the Chances Updated: 2011-07-25 07:00:00 Description: Water, water everywhere. But most of it is sea water – you can’t drink it. Discover the most promising technologies for desalination and why solar cells are key. Also, how astronauts filter “water-closet water” to drink it, a...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Know Laughing Matter Updated: 2011-07-18 07:00:00 Description: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. It’s nearly impossible to fake a laugh. Yet, humans will laugh even if something isn’t funny. Discover the evolutionary function of cracking up and meet the other species that love to giggle (and monkey around). ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD The Big Picture Updated: 2011-07-11 07:00:00 Description: How did life begin? What’s the universe made of, and what’s the nature of consciousness? These are truly some of the biggest puzzlers in science, but answers are in the offing. We consider the modern-day hunt for life beyond Earth, as w...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Ultimate Hook Up Updated: 2011-07-04 07:00:00 Description: Imagine moving things with your mind. Not with telekinesis, but with the future tools of brain science. Meet a pioneer in the field of computer-to-brain connection and discover the blurry boundary where the mind ends and the machine begins...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Skeptic Check: They're Baack! Updated: 2011-06-27 07:00:00 Description: Could you have had a past life? Is it possible that some part of you is the reincarnation of a person – or maybe an animal – that lived long ago? We’ll hear the story of a young boy who started having nightmares about a plane crash. ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Alien Invasion Updated: 2011-06-20 07:00:00 Description: ENCORE They’re heeeere! Yes, aliens are wreaking havoc and destruction throughout the land. But these aliens are Arizona beetles, and the land is in California, where the invasive insects are a serious problem. And what of space-faring ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD No Expiration Date Updated: 2011-06-13 07:00:00 Description: We all have to go sometime, and that final hour is the mother of all deadlines. But scientists are working to file an extension. Discover how far we can push the human expiration date. Plus, the animal with the shortest lifespan and the ch...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Space Archaeology Updated: 2011-06-06 07:00:00 Description: Indiana Jones meets Star Trek in the field of space archaeology. Satellites scan ancient ruins so that scientists can map them without disturbing one grain of sand. Discover how some archaeologists forsake their spades and brushes in favor ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Remembers Only Updated: 2011-05-30 07:00:00 Description: You must remember this… wait, wait… I had it… on the tip of my tongue… (Memory is a tricky thing and most of us would like to improve it)… oh, yes: Discover the secrets of stupefying, knock-your-socks-off recall by a U.S. ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD [Rectangular Container] Thinking Updated: 2011-05-23 07:00:00 Description: By thinking different, scientists can make extrordinary breakthroughs. Learn about the creative cogitation that led to the discovery of dark matter and the invention of a.c. power grids, disinfectant, and the Greek “death ray.” Also, w...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Physics Phrontiers Updated: 2011-05-16 07:00:00 Description: ENCORE Physics means getting physical if you’re tackling the biggest, most mysterious questions in the universe. Stoic scientists endure the driest, darkest, coldest spots on the planet to find out how it all began and why there’s some...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Thanks for the Memories Updated: 2011-05-09 07:00:00 Description: ENCORE Memories are slippery things – some are crystal clear, others more like a muddy pool, and some… well, they seem to vanish completely. Scientists admit that memory is all very complicated, but one piece of the puzzle lies in how ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Skeptic Check: Mayhem and Octoberhem Updated: 2011-05-02 07:00:00 Description: The end is nigh. Only, on which nigh should we rely? According to billboards, Judgment Day is in May and the end of the world follows months later. But other authorities claim 2012 as the apocalyptic year, as predicted by the ancient May...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Fuel's Paradise Updated: 2011-04-25 07:00:00 Description: You know the joke about the car and the snail. Look at that escargot? Well, snails may be the only thing not powering the automobiles of the future. Trees, grass, algae, even the garbage you toss on the sidewalk has potential for conversi...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Big, Really Big Updated: 2011-04-18 07:00:00 Description: The universe is big – really big.* Galaxies, for instance, are often large enough to hold a trillion stars. But how did these heavenly heavyweights come to be? Hear how still-mysterious dark matter is implicated in the birth of galaxies...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Skeptic Check: Swimming in Denial Updated: 2011-04-11 07:00:00 Description: ENCORE Public distrust of science is higher than at any time since the Enlightenment. New Yorker writer Michael Specter argues how our anti-science bias and our irrationalism about everything from genetically modified foods to climate cha...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Sex and the SETI Updated: 2011-04-04 07:00:00 Description: ENCORE Birds do it. Bees do it. But no one sings about how they do it. And frankly, not even Cole Porter can make bedroom behavior that involves decapitating your mate sound romantic. And what rhymes with “cannibalism?” But the ani...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD ¡A.I. Caramba! Updated: 2011-03-28 07:00:00 Description: When the IBM computer, Watson, snatched the “Jeopardy” title from its human competition, that raised the question of just how smart are machines? Could artificial intelligence ever beat humans at their own game… of being human? Hear...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD |
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