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Science

Saturday

Environment

Scientists Use Elephant Seals to Monitor Oceans

Elephant seals live at sea for months at a time, diving several thousand feet below the surface and swimming from northern California to Russia and back again. Now, the amazing creatures are being recruited by scientists.

Scientists Use Elephant Seals to Monitor Oceans

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Environment

A Week to Recognize the Role of Pollinating Insects

This is the first annual National Pollinators Week, designated by the United States Senate and the USDA, to draw attention to the plight of disappearing honeybees and other pollinating insects.

A Week to Recognize the Role of Pollinating Insects

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Environment

Bald Eagles Viewed Differently in Alaska

The bald eagle was taken off the threatened species list this week. In Alaska, bald eagles outnumber people in some places, and are not viewed with the respect they get in the continental United States.

Bald Eagles Viewed Differently in Alaska

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Friday

Driveway Moments

Scientist Studies Brain Process of Songbirds

Sarah Woolley, a professor of behavior neuroscience in the psychology department of Columbia University, studies different species of finches to figure out how the brain recognizes and processes sounds and vocalizations.

Scientist Studies Brain Process of Songbirds

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Scientists Derive New Type of Embryonic Stem Cell

Scientists have derived a new type of mouse stem cell. They say it is a closer match to human cells than the stem cells currently available. Guests discuss what the new discovery could mean for the use of embryonic stem cells in medicine.

Scientists Derive New Type of Embryonic Stem Cell

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Diaper Data Sheds Light on Intestinal Development

Scientists tracking the surprising things that (literally) come out of a baby over the course of a year have been able to trace a timeline of the development of bacterial ecosystems within the human gut. Scientists are learning more about how our intestinal tracts become colonized with bacteria.

Diaper Data Sheds Light on Intestinal Development

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Giant Penguin Fossils Found in Peru

New evidence suggests that giant penguins once lived in a Peruvian desert more than 40 million years ago in the middle and late Eocene period. Researchers in Peru unearthed fossils of two species of ancient penguins, one of which stood over five feet tall and wielded a seven-inch beak.

Giant Penguin Fossils Found in Peru

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Are We One Step Closer to Artificial Life?

Genome pioneer Craig Venter and a team of scientists have successfully turned one species of bacteria into another. Venter says the research could mark the first steps toward being able to create artificial life by inserting an entirely synthetic genome into a bacterial cell.

Are We One Step Closer to Artificial Life?

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Why Is the U.S. Still Overweight?

From Atkins, to The Zone, to Jenny Craig, Americans are trying to slim down. But with so many diets and dieters, why is the nation collectively getting bigger? Gina Kolata, author of the new book Rethinking Thin, talks about why the country's obsession with waistlines isn't translating into weight loss.

Why Is the U.S. Still Overweight?

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Thursday

Environment

Biologist Recounts Path to Bald Eagles' Recovery

The Interior Department will take the American bald eagle off the Endangered Species List next month. Biologist Peter Nye has been tracking the bald eagle for more than 30 years. He talks with Melissa Block about how America's bird will fare off the list.

Hear Biologist Peter Nye

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Business

Bottled Water: A Symbol of U.S. Commerce, Culture

The bottled-water business in the United States is booming. People increasingly are willing to pay for something they can just as easily have for free. Yet many people around the world lack safe, dependable drinking water.

Bottled Water: A Symbol of U.S. Commerce, Culture

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Space

Will Mars Rover Survive the Crater of Doom?

NASA's Mars rover "Opportunity" is scheduled to begin descending a rocky slope into the Red Planet's massive Victoria Crater. This latest trek carries real risk for the long-lived robotic explorer, but it's expected to provide valuable science.

Will Mars Rover Survive the Crater of Doom?

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Environment

Condors Being Poisoned by Hunters' Ammunition

Two studies suggest that condors are being poisoned by lead that they ingest from carcasses and gut piles left by hunters. Now, wildlife officials in Arizona are trying to persuade hunters to switch to lead-free ammunition in an attempt to save the endangered bird.

Condors Being Poisoned by Hunters' Ammunition

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Environment

The Bald Eagle's Bold Comeback

The American bald eagle was taken off the endangered species list Thursday. Dr. Patrick Redig, founder of the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota, talks about the bald eagle's transformation from widely-hunted raptor to one of the primary symbols of the United States.

The Bald Eagle's Bold Comeback

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