Yesterday

How Did Jerry Lawson Change the Course of Video Gaming?

In the 1970s, Jerry Lawson was instrumental in creating the first cartridge-based video game console and the first digital joystick -- and he did it as one of the only Black engineers in Silicon Valley at that time. Learn about Lawson and the Fairchild Channel F in this episode o ... Show More

10m 19s

Aug 25

Why Is Glass Transparent?

Glass windows are as solid as the materials that surround them, yet they let light through. Learn the physics of why glass can be so transparent -- and why it took humans thousands of years to create totally clear glass -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: htt ... Show More

9m 1s

Aug 23

BrainStuff Classics: Should We Retest Licensed Drivers Periodically?

Although some driving skills can deteriorate with age, experienced drivers tend to be the safest drivers. To an extent. Learn when and how experts think drivers should be retested in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-dri ... Show More

7m 3s

Aug 2015

Pigeons: Homing, Passenger, Carrier and Otherwise

Pigeons can get a little confusing. Passengers, messengers, carriers, homing - the list goes on. But when it comes down to it, they're all variations of the same smart bird with a knack for getting home to roost. Learn about these clever creatures in today's episode. Learn more a ... Show More

48m 21s

Feb 2023

Life Kit: Help Save The North American Bird Population

Many of us are off today for President's Day. In the meantime, we want to share this episode from our friends at NPR's Life Kit podcast. In it, they discuss the importance of birds as an "indicator species" – their health helps us understand the health of our environment. Plus, t ... Show More

18m 44s

Apr 2023

What's That Bird Song?

Have you ever wondered what bird you’re hearing? We’re going to discover how to recognize birds by their sound - and what that means for science. Trevor Attenberg is an environmental scientist and science communicator who learned to identify birds without sight, by their sound al ... Show More

23m 26s

Oct 2021

Honey, we shrunk the birds

A recent study of tens of thousands of birds has shown that birds are growing smaller over time. It could be due to climate change, and if so, we ought to consider: How else might humans be altering the literal shape of life on Earth — now and in the future?For more, go to http:/ ... Show More

28m 19s

Sep 2012

City Creatures

City Creatures: Does a crowded street make you care less about your fellow man? Population density manipulates organisms in subtle and shocking ways. Join Robert and Julie as they look at how animals and humans respond to cramped conditions and depleted resources. Learn more abou ... Show More

48m 2s

May 2020

Hummingbirds: Ornery Helicopters of the Animal Kingdom

If you didn’t already know how amazing hummingbirds are, prepare to learn. Not only do they count among their numbers the smallest bird species, they are also lightning fast and have the endurance of a marathoner and a telethoner put together. Learn more about your ad-choices at ... Show More

46m 23s

Jul 2020

For the Birds

In the spring of 1958, when the winter snow melted and the warm sun returned, the birds did not. Birdwatchers, ordinary people, everyone wondered where the birds had gone. Rachel Carson, a journalist and early environmentalist, figured it out — they’d been poisoned by DDT, a pest ... Show More

46m 52s

Mar 2021

The Parrot Episode

If you think parrots are simply mimics that fly, you're wrong. Tune in and learn about these colorful friends today. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

51m 16s

Jan 2024

This Wild Bird Will Lead You To Honey On Command

Honeyguides are wild birds that team up with humans and then lead them to honey. Researchers recently found that the calls these birds respond to are unique and tied to their location. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce talks about this relationship and shares how res ... Show More

13m 3s

Jul 2014

Wind Beneath My Surgical Wings, Part 1

Can science give us the wings we've always envied in birds? Can plastic surgery elevate us to a higher human form? In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss Joseph Rosen's posthuman philosophy and ponder what we'd have to do to transform arms into wings. Learn all about it in thi ... Show More

22m 55s

BrainStuff Classics: How Do City Birds B...