Asteroid on the Way? Pray

March 29, 2013
That's the (rather unscientific) advice to Congress from NASA chief Charles Bolden, who basically says that if a large asteroid heads towards a big US city--as it recently did in Russia--there's not much else we can do. He told them,... continued

Mystery Cloth

March 29, 2013
In 1998, Virginia artist Athalyn Rose found a large (9 X 15 foot) piece of muslin cloth. Gradually, Biblical images began to appear on it. The images were not painted on either side of this gigantic cloth, but are deeply... continued

Loneliness Can Make You Sick

March 28, 2013
Reduced production of myelin, a type of protective nerve fiber that is lost in diseases like multiple sclerosis, may also play a role in the development of mental illness. Myelin is an insulating material that wraps around the axon, the... continued

Can We Predict the Future?

March 28, 2013
Most so-called pundits are terrible at it (but we have some GOOD ones). But some people know how to do it right --(NOTE: Subscribers can still listen to ALL these wonderful shows). In he March 22nd edition of the New York... continued

What Dogs Know About Us

March 28, 2013
The National Geographic website reports that when a researcher put 84 dogs in separate rooms with food on the floor and told each dog to leave the food alone, their response varied according to whether or not the light was... continued

Gum Doesn’t Help You Lose–It Makes You HUNGRY

March 27, 2013
Chewing gum may keep your jaws (and mind) busy, but it's no substitute for food--in fact, in makes you HUNGRIER. Even worse, it creates a craving for chips, cookies and candy, rather than fruits and vegetables. Gum may evoke thoughts... continued

What We’ve Learned (and Keep Learning) from Nature

March 27, 2013
Nature is the original "inventor"--Nature's designs are giving researchers ideas for new technologies that could help wounds heal, make injections less painful and provide new materials for a variety of purposes. Velcro was inspired by the grappling hooks of burrs.... continued

Fire in the Lake

March 27, 2013
Methane is bubbling out of the bottoms of Arctic lakes, to the extent that, if you put a match to the surface of one of them, they catch on FIRE. Some of it seems to be coming--not from the bottom... continued

Is Perfectionism Genetic?

March 26, 2013
Where does such perfectionism come from? It can either cripple a person, as they strive to reach unattainable goals, or it can cause them to triumph. Psychologists blame parents who overemphasize achievement or make love conditional upon meeting certain goals.... continued

Oil-Rich Saudis Go Solar

March 26, 2013
Saudi Arabia, the world's leading oil producer, has just built a huge solar power plant. Is the country going "green"--or are they running out of oil? They plan to use it to generate one third of their electricity needs by... continued