2019-03-01
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Hundreds of Tiny Milky Ways
November 15, 2011Using its near-infrared vision to peer 9 billion years back in time, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has uncovered an extraordinary population of tiny, young galaxies that are brimming with star formation. Most of these galaxies are a hundred times less... continued
Who’s Broke? (It’s Not Who You Think it Is)
November 14, 2011In theory, older people and people with higher levels of education should be more financially stable and have an easier time affording their homes, but since the economy has become such a horror show, new research suggests that's not the... continued
Why Africa Has the Most Twins
November 14, 2011"Twinning" is genetic and the central African country of Benin has the highest twin birthrate, while Asia and Latin America have much lower rates of twinning. Benin has almost 30 twins for every 1,000 births. Europe, the US and Australia--where... continued
Breaking the Coded Writings of an Ancient Secret Society
November 12, 2011Scientists are fond of trying to break codes--and sometimes they succeed. One manuscript they've been working on seems straight out of fiction: a strange handwritten message in abstract symbols and Roman letters meticulously covering 105 yellowing pages, hidden in the... continued
If You Like Harry Potter and Star Trek, You’re Different
November 12, 2011If you like fantasy, you're a DIFFERENT KIND OF PERSON from your neighbors. Psychologists have recently discovered that people experience fantasy differently, which explains why some people enjoy it more than others. Psychologist Russell Webster conducted two studies: one involving... continued
Detecting Crimes BEFORE They Happen
November 12, 2011If we could do this, we would be faced with the necessity of arresting and incarcerating technically "innocent" people, which would upend our entire constitution and body of laws, in the same way that torturing suspects at Guantanamo has. This... continued
The Concussion Season is Back
November 10, 2011Football is the leading cause of sports-related concussions in the US. The aftereffects of football concussions can lead players to take desperate meaures. Researchers were surprised when they performed impact tests on 21st-century American football helmets and compared them with... continued
What Kind of Pot DOESN’T Make You High?
November 10, 2011Changes to a single enzyme in the genetic code of the marijuana plant can turn its high-inducing properties into something that's not psychoactive (handy if you want to use it to make rope, instead of smoke it). Marijuana and hemp... continued
Is a Strange Date Lucky or UNlucky?
November 10, 2011The date of 11:11:11--Is it lucky? (NOTE: Subscribers can still listen to this show). Physicist Eric Carlson has made a special study of numerology. He thinks that one of the reasons people might think so repetition, and says, "Our brains are... continued
Are You One of the Lonely Ones?
November 10, 2011Are you lonely? Join he club: Although the average Facebook user has some 130 "friends," in reality, Americans have, on average, slightly more than two confidantes, down from three 25 years ago. Sociologist Matthew Brashears says that although the social... continued