The New York Academy of Sciences

Latest Episodes:

Why Him, Why Her? May 14, 2010

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What attracts us to a mate? Is "chemistry" really to blame for love at first sight? Biological anthropologist Helen Fisher explains the science behind our mating preferences.

How the Universe Got Its Spots May 07, 2010

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Physicist Janna Levin and artist Laurie Anderson (NASA's first artist in residence) tackle the origins of our universe.

Adventures in Taxidermy Apr 30, 2010

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Writer Melissa Milgrom has a thing for stuffed animals, and we're not talking about your child's teddy bears. She's the author of Still Life and she explains the science of taxidermy.

Why Humans Have Sex Apr 23, 2010

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Evolutionary psychologist David Buss explains the mating rituals and patterns of our quirky species. We might not have colorful peacock tails, but we've got some fancy strategies of our own to make up for it.

Does Chaos Have Meaning? Apr 16, 2010

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Award-winning filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and astrophysicist Piet Hut discuss what chaos is and what it means when it comes to the universe.

Adventures with Sea Monsters Apr 09, 2010

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Eugenie Clark (aka the Shark Lady), recounts her more than 60 years as an ichthyologist. This week, she delves into some of the most extreme sea 'monsters' she's ever seen, like a giant 6-foot crab, and great white sharks.

More than a Yogurt Cup Apr 02, 2010

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Delve into the world of prebiotic and probiotic science. We talk to three people in the field and learn why keeping the good microbes in our bodies happy means a lot for health.

Go Green Ideas Mar 26, 2010

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We visit the Go Green Expo and look at five interesting ways for city slickers to be eco-friendly.

Hypermusic: Ascension Mar 19, 2010

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Harvard physicist Lisa Randall teamed with composer Hector Parra and visual artist Matthew Ritchie to produce an opera based on modern theoretical physics. They performed last week at the Guggenheim and this week, tell us about their experiences.

Meditating Health Mar 12, 2010

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Can meditation have long-term beneficial effects on the plasticity of our brains? Bon meditation practitioner Alejandro Chaoul and oncologist Lorenzo Cohen evaluate the healing potential of meditation in a discussion from the Rubin Museum of Art's Brainwave Festival.