Minding the Brain
(Friday, Nov. 2nd at 8 PM on WSIU Radio)
The double-edged sword of memory.
Neuroscientists and philosophers alike are grappling with the interplay between the inner mind and the outer world, looking at how the brain we are born with changes in response to the cultural, social, personal and physical environments in which we live. This program may just change the way you think about memory and learning and it won't just affect your mind; it'll change your brain -- literally (Producer: Larry Massett).
Rewriting Heredity: Environment and the Genome
(Friday, Nov. 9th at 8 PM on WSIU Radio)
Searching for the genetic control knob.
At first, geneticists thought studies of genes and inheritance held the answers to both the cause and treatment of disease. Now, they realize that genes do not act alone and that environment -- from our cells to our neighborhoods -- works in concert with our genetics. Researchers are connecting just how the minute genetic variations among people influence why some are more sensitive to pollution or how the variations in our living conditions can change health on a molecular level (Producers: John Rieger, Vicki Monks, Jon Kalish).
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Beyond Human
(Friday, Nov. 16th at 8 PM on WSIU Radio)
Comparing the genomes of humans, apes and birds.
People may think humans are pretty special creatures within the animal kingdom, but as scientists try to understand what makes us different from other animals, they keep running into what makes us the same. Humans and chimps share most of their DNA, nearly as much with mice, and a good proportion with non-mammals such as bees and birds. Researchers examine these similarities and differences to learn more about the human race.
Producer: Barrett Golding
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The Heat Is On: Evolution in Action
(Friday, Nov. 23rd at 8 PM on WSIU Radio)
Who wins and who loses on a warming planet.
Evolution is an ongoing process and as the Earth becomes warmer, changes are being seen in migration patterns of birds, insects, and even in the life in the oceans. This program looks at how scientists track these changes, how plants and animals adapt to them or not, and what this means for the health of the planet. From a tiny bog mosquito to the corals of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the program discovers how living things are affected by warming trends.
Producer: Adam Burke
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Designing the Garden: Food in the age of Biotechnology
(Friday, Nov. 30th at 8 PM on WSIU Radio)
High-tech meals at the dinner table.
Some say manipulating genes in plants and animals is the solution to world hunger; others say it's not safe to eat or grow. This program looks at the debates surrounding genetically modified food. The Enviropig, for example, developed by researchers in Guelph, Ontario. The pig is genetically modified to produce less phosphorus, and might one day make pig farming less harmful to the environment. The program also travels to India to explore rice genetically fortified with beta-carotene to ward off diseases that come from Vitamin A deficiency.
Producers: Julie Grant and Elizabeth Culotta
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