The Sweet Song of a Jurassic Katydid

An international team of scientists has reconstructed the sound of an insect, a katydid, that lived in China about 165 million years ago.

Elephants as Possible Solution to Stop Australia’s Wildfires

We are looking for a vast, but sparsely-populated territory of Australia. It borders the Timor Sea to the north and to the south it abuts South Australia.

Video: Scientists Developing New Tech to Fly Through Ash Clouds

Scientists are working to develop a better system for determining whether planes can fly through ash clouds.

Podcast: Stephen Hawking on the Future of Humankind

Hawking on the Future of Humankind: To mark his 70th birthday, physicist Stephen Hawking answered a selection of questions from the listeners of BBC Radio 4′s Today Program.

Listening to the Deep Ocean

Scientists are establishing a worldwide network of deep-sea listening posts connected to the Internet. It allows researchers — and the public — to hear whales, ships, and other underwater sounds. But the US Navy is uneasy because these sounds might reveal the location of its submarines.

Mystery Kidney Disease in Central America

Across Central America, large numbers of men are dying from kidney disease. The cause is unknown, but a growing body of evidence suggests that hard manual labor — especially in the region’s sugarcane fields — is partly to blame.

Podcast: Report on the Fukushima Disaster

This Week: We learn about a new report that provides an in-depth look at the Fukushima disaster, hours and days after north-eastern Japan was struck by an earthquake and tsunami. European scientists have turned to DNA technology to identify illegally harvested fish. What do humans and ants have in common? Warfare, says ant researcher Mark Moffett. He says humans and ants fight in similar ways.

Podcast: The World Population at Seven Billion

On October 31st, world population reached seven billion. That’s according to the latest estimates by the United Nations Population Fund. We explore what that means for the planet and our future in it. We compare family planning programs in two South Asian countries. Also, breaking news about a Dutch science scandal.

Study: The Bigger Your Social Network, the Bigger Your Brain

A new study by researchers in the UK suggests that the size of our social networks affects the structure and function of our brains.

Why Space Junk Needs to be Taken Seriously

Report by the NRC suggests it’s time to take space junk seriously.

How SELCO Labs is Solving Problems in Rural India

SELCO labs is trying to find technological solutions to problems of the rural poor.

Podcast: Developing Hybrid Pigeon Pea

Forum: Are Insects the Food of the Future?

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Join our latest science forum

The World Science Podcast: In Praise of Leeches

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Cancer Deaths in Chernobyl, Brazil Invests in Science

A new analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists provides new, higher numbers for radiation caused cancer deaths in the U.S. Brazil lures back Brazilian scientists working in the U.S. Court rulings may be influenced by whether or not judges are hungry, according to a new study. All in the latest World Science Podcast.