The Best Medicine: Decoding The Hidden Meanings Of Laughter
This week, a scientific look at what makes us laugh. Here's a hint — a lot of it isn't funny. We talk to neuroscientist (and stand up comedian) Sophie Scott.
Science
Bet On The Bot: AI Beats The Professionals At 6-Player Texas Hold 'Em
Six-player Texas Hold 'em has been too tough for a machine to master — until now. A bot named Pluribus crushed some of the world's best poker players using brash and unorthodox strategies.
Could Mussels Teach Us How To Clean Up Oil Spills?
A review of "mussel-inspired chemistry" points to promising ways we can learn from mussels about how to clean up water.
Norway Surveys Sunken Soviet Submarine
A Norwegian team has found some radioactivity leaking from the sub, which sank in 1989. But they say it poses no threat to the environment.
High-Tide Flooding On The Rise, Especially Along The East Coast, Forecasters Warn
As sea levels rise, coastal flooding that used to happen only during storms is increasingly occurring on sunny days. That has local officials reconsidering everything from zoning to police budgets.
Is 'Race Science' Making A Comeback?
We talked to Angela Saini, author of the new book Superior: The Return of Race Science, about how race isn't real (but you know ... still is) and how race science crept its way into the 21st century.
Plastic Has A Big Carbon Footprint — But That Isn't The Whole Story
Plastic waste litters cities, oceans and even the air. Largely overlooked is how making plastic affects the environment. Plastic is a big contributor to global warming. So are its alternatives.
Snowball The Dancing Cockatoo Vogues And Body Rolls On Beat
A new study finds that Snowball, a dancing cockatoo, has a repertoire of at least 14 different dance moves, suggesting that the predisposition to dance is embedded in our animal brains.
13-Year-Old Scientist's Research Shows Hand Dryers Can Hurt Kids' Ears
Research finds many hand dryers operate at noise levels that are harmful to children. Nora Keegan is the 13-year-old student who did the study in the Canadian journal Paediatrics & Child Health.
How Best To Snag And Destroy Bedbugs?
Vigilance and heat are currently your best weapons against bedbugs, exterminators say. But scientists are working on a way to give the bugs the hook with a strategy inspired by a Balkan folk remedy.