logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2023
8m 59s

Sea squirts and 'skeeters in our science...

NPR
About this episode
Science in the headlines: An amazingly preserved sea squirt fossil that could tell us something about human evolution, a new effort to fight malaria by genetically modifying mosquitos and why archeologists are rethinking a discovery about a Copper-age leader. All Things Considered host Adrian Florido nerds-out on those stories with Short Wave host Regina G. Barber and science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel.

Have questions about science in the news? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
Sea Camp: To Mine Or Not To Mine
Deep sea mining for rare earth elements could start as early as 2026, even as 38 countries have called for a moratorium on it. The metals that companies are targeting are used in many green technologies like electric cars and wind turbines – but mining them is destructive to the ... Show More
13m 17s
Aug 22
Could labs replace your natural chocolate?
Chocolate may fill grocery store shelves around the world, but the raw product that powers chocolate is far more selective. The majority of chocolate farms are found in West Africa and South America – just 20 degrees north or south of the equator. Each farm produces chocolate of ... Show More
8m 50s
Aug 20
The Yellowstone Wolf Controversy
Thirty years ago, park rangers reintroduced grey wolves into Yellowstone National Park. They wanted to restore the ecosystem and get the elk population, which had decimated the plant community, in check. And it worked – or so the popular narrative suggests. But is it really so si ... Show More
13m 55s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2023
The science stories you missed over the past four weeks
In this episode of the Nature Podcast, we catch up on some science stories from the holiday period by diving into the Nature Briefing.We’ll hear: how Brazil’s President Lula has started to make good on his pro-environment promises; a new theory for why giant ichthyosaurs congrega ... Show More
23m 39s
Feb 2010
Do animals use toilet paper?
We investigate the toilet habits of the animal kingdom this week as well as taking a pot shot at which way a dirty golf ball swings in mid air, answering whether warmer waters attract more sharks and if there's a genetic basis to intelligence. We also get an update on what geolog ... Show More
59m 9s
Jan 2013
I'm a Tasmanian Devil, Get Me Out Of Here!
How can science save the Tasmanian Devil? New research reveals why an infectious cancer that's spreading amongst the animals isn't attacked by the immune system. Plus, the quantum basis of smell, reading a fish's thoughts and are scientists on the verge of a cure for the common c ... Show More
58m 1s
Jan 2024
The science stories you missed over the holiday period
In this episode of the Nature Podcast, we catch up on some science stories from the holiday period by diving into the Nature Briefing.We chat about: an extra-warm sweater inspired by polar bear fur; the fossil find revealing what a juvenile tyrannosaur liked to snack on; why scie ... Show More
29m 42s
Jun 2021
Des météo-tsunamis en Méditerranée (Fds#28)
Pour cette semaine du 7 juin : des nombres préhistoriques, des météo-tsunamis, des ondes radio ultra énergétiques, des supers lymphocytes et des organismes marins multicellulaires revenant à la vie. Bonne écoute, et bon week-end ! 👉Abonnez-vous sur vos apps et plateformes audio ... Show More
5m 34s
Jun 2024
On Thin Ice: Supercharged Phytoplankton (Part 1)
All aboard the Nathaniel B. Palmer, a research vessel making its way through the waters of West Antarctica. Journalist Sofia Moutinho is joining a team of chemists trying to find out how glacial melting is changing ocean chemistry—and what those changes might mean for the global ... Show More
21 m
Apr 2023
Science superpower?
The government has launched a new 10-point plan designed, it said to “cement the UK’s place as a global science and technology superpower”. We speak with Sir Paul Nurse, director of the Francis Crick Institute, for his take on the government's plan and the findings of his own rev ... Show More
29m 14s