It’s still very hard to define life, but science has made great strides toward revealing many of its characteristics and processes. Here are some basics about the most complex phenomenon we know: life’s origin, characteristics, structure, and states of animacy.
In probably the most extreme environmment on Earth, organisms are thriving. Peter Girguis explains how.....
The persistence of the international wildlife trade is destructive for wildlife, ecosystems, environment, and human health. Maria Ivanova and Candace Famiglietti
Two young scientists at the famous Jack Szostak Lab explain research issues, Matthew Powner and Utay Budin
Get the real facts about those about lion's mane jellyfish near Massachusetts beaches, but get the real science about jellyfish in general: their amazing biology and their role in marine ecosystems. Laurence Madin
How the unique "antifreeze" blood and skeletal mutations of the Antarctic Icefishes provide insights into both climate change adaptations and human disease. H. William Detrich, III
Boston-area artists Susan Heideman and Michelle Lougee discuss their fascinating exhibit, "The Life of Forms."
A cell's size and the proportions of its components are strictly determined, but where do the rules come from? Scientists are still trying to figure that out. Jané Kondev
Was there a human factor in the Ice Age extinctions of large mammals? ............ Sharon Levy
The compelling search for entirely new forms of life elsewhere in our solar system and the universe. David Toomey
An investigation of the two major questions about the origin of life, and their relevance in search for life elsewhere in the universe. Zachary Adam
A toxicologist explains why some organisms thrive in an environment that endangers most species. Emily Monosson
All life depends on a microbial foundation. So does development of new antibiotics. But 99 percent of microbes are unknown. Slava Epstein
How DNA is folded in the cell may shed light on cancer and other diseases. Jané Kondev
The science of neural networks reveals the awesome complexity of normal speech production and also brings help for language disorders. Frank Guenther
Ancient infant teeth reveal the importance of weaning patterns in human evolution. Tanya Smith
A collaboration of ocean and space scientists that will advance our understanding of exo-worlds, such as Enceladus and Europa. Peter Girguis
The acquisition of even one language is very complicated. But there are some --called hyperpolyglotals-- who learn dozens of languages. How does the brain do this? Evelina Fedorenko
Cells make decisions that turn out to be random. Jané Kondev explains the implications of that surprising discovery.
What caused Earth's five mass extinctions --and are we headed for a sixth? Andrew Knoll
How microbes and their communities evolve and what the process means for us. Christopher Marx
A tour of the fascinating world of mushrooms. This is way beyond the supermarket. David Hibbett
Nectar and pollen are sources of food for bees, but some of these sources may also help to reduce certain pathogens. Lynn Adler
The author of "Our Robots, Ourselves" discusses the limits of robot autonomy. David Mindell
Tracing ancient genetic changes through extinctions and speciation events to reconstruct our DNA history. Betul Kacar
a visit to the Barabási Lab at Northeastern University to learn how scale-free complex networks affect scientific perspectives
At the Summons Lab, scientists probe soil and rock samples from both ancient Earth and Mars for bio-molecules. Roger Summons
The cell's self-defense repair kit against hereditary, environmental, and other threats. Sushil Alimchandani
Aaron Bernstein, M.D, MPH and author explains how the unprecedented loss of biodiversity impacts human health.
The "mind" is not an isolated entity; it is connected to a physical-social environment. Alan Jasanoff
Reconstructing the relationship between biological evolution and geology, climate, environment. Andrew Knoll
How photosynthesis --and life-- emerged in Earth's ancient chemical environment. Tanja Bosak and Alexander Petroff
The challenge for genomic studies today is how to manage the vast collection of data. John Quackenbush
Genetic material in ancient fossils yields an amazing profile of extinct organisms. Chris Organ
A leader in the study of exotic microbes at hydrothermal vents explains the significance and the potential of these life forms. Peter Girguis
Molecules in meteorites met with an optimal chemical environment on Earth. Alonso Ricardo
An explanation of how modern genetics analysis confirms ancient human migrations, such as the Indo-Europeans. Nick Patterson
The decimation of honeybee colonies is also a public health warning about pesticides. Chensheng (Alex) Lu
SftP News ROUNDUP Sept 12 - Sept 18 SftP News ROUNDUP Sept 19 - Sept 25
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