Life Science

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Robin Wall Kimmerer on What Nature Teaches Us About Giving Back

What if healing the planet starts with changing the way we see it? In this episode of The Big Question, Robin Wall Kimmerer, botanist, author, professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, joins Eva Cornman from the Museum of Science to...
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Could Generative AI Help Humans Talk to Animals?

Imagine unlocking the secrets of the animal kingdom—thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), that future might be closer than we think.
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Is the Southern Ocean Becoming Saltier?

New satellite data reveals a surprising twist: Antarctic sea ice is disappearing, but instead of making the surrounding waters fresher—as scientists would expect—it’s making them saltier.
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Do You Have a Secret Rib?

Is your neck hiding an extra rib? Alex Dainis explains that about 1 in 200 people are born with a cervical rib—a rare, extra rib that forms just above the first rib and extends from the neck. It’s the result of a variation in Hox genes, which normally...
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This Turtle Shell has a Secret Door

Why does this turtle have a secret hinge? Sherbert is an eastern box turtle with an evolutionary advantage: a kinetic hinge on the bottom half of his shell, called a plastron.
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New Discovery: Sea Spider that Eats Methane Deep Under the Ocean!

In the deep ocean off the coast of California, scientists made an astonishing discovery: sea spiders that survive thanks to a unique partnership with bacteria living on their bodies. These bacteria can convert methane—normally a potent greenhouse gas—into...
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CRISPR Transformed Her Life With Sickle Cell Disease

About six or seven months after receiving what she calls her “super cells,” Victoria Grey woke up to a feeling she didn’t recognize — nothing.
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This Alzheimer’s Test Could Change Everything

This DNA test doesn’t predict your future—it helps you understand your risk. Participants took a DNA test revealing their likelihood of overproducing a protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease and were assessed for anxiety, depression, and motivation to live...
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Why Autism Diagnoses Are Rising

Vaccine scientist Dr. Peter Hotez breaks down the latest CDC data showing that 1 in 31 children are now diagnosed with autism by age 8, a huge jump from 1 in 54 just a few years ago.
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This Color Isn’t Real—But Science Makes It Visible

We explore a groundbreaking experiment where scientists used lasers to stimulate a very specific type of cone in the human eye—something that never happens naturally.
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Glowing Oceans? Bioluminescent Plankton Are Back!

From June through the summer, coastal waters will shimmer with the otherworldly glow of bioluminescent plankton—a natural phenomenon caused by microscopic organisms known as dinoflagellates.
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Can Giving Blood Regularly Help Prevent Cancer?

In a new study, researchers found that these frequent blood donors developed changes in their bone marrow that support the production of healthier blood cells. The study explored the long-term health of over 200 individuals who donated blood three times a...
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Can Eating Insects Benefit The Planet? Entomophagy explained!

Would you eat a bug? It might sound strange at first, but eating insects — known as entomophagy — is gaining serious traction as a sustainable and nutritious solution to the world’s growing food challenges.
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Can Bird Flu Spread to Cats and Dogs?

Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is no longer just a concern for birds — it's now affecting cats and dogs too.In this video, Dr. Insoo Hyun explains how the virus is spreading from wild birds to pets, what symptoms to watch for, and how to protect...
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Can You Sleep Less and Still Feel Energized

How can some people feel completely rested with just 4 hours of sleep? The secret might be hidden in their DNA. Alex Dainis explores the fascinating biology of “short sleepers”.