Science Knocks talks to Dr. Shelley Berger about how she took brains out of carpenter ants, and managed to change their behavior! 
Watch the animated video at https://youtu.be/WMeZYDWSeBA and read the full story at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/05/science/ants-can-change-their-roles-study-finds.html

Carpenter Ants With Shelley Berger

Science Knocks talks to Dr. Piers Mitchell about two thousand year old poop, worms in your tummy, and toilets. Watch the animation at https://youtu.be/0g2y9Xlk8lc and read the full story at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/12/science/parasitic-infections-common-in-roman-times.html or in the science section of The New York Times newspaper.

Roman Toilets With Piers Mitchell

Learn about the bugs that live in our homes from Dr. Matt Bertone as he talks to Sindya Bhanoo, The New York Times Observatory columnist, and her daughter. Full animation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9hy2L9ZkPk

Bugs in Homes,  with Dr. Matt Bertone

Do animals hug and snuggle? Do they make each other feel better? Sindya Bhanoo, The New York Times Observatory columnist, and her daughter talk to Dr. Larry Young to find out. Full animation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGgWZai5IMQ

Prairie Vole hugs, with Dr. Larry Young

Four hundred thousand years ago, hunter-gatherers living in what is now Israel supplemented their diet with roasted tortoises, according to Dr. Ran Berkai of Tel Aviv University. Sindya Bhanoo, The New York Times Observatory columnist, and her daughter talk to Dr. Berkai to find out more. Check out the animation at

Cavemen ate Tortoises!

Everyone loves a good summer tomato. This week, the Science Knocks team talks to Thomas McDaniel of Newcastle University and finds out about how the domesticated tomato differs from the wild tomato. And, we find out how the wild tomato might help us keep the tomatoes we eat free of pesky whiteflies. Full story at http://nyti.ms/1QtAywQ Please take a moment to subscribe to our podcast if you like it!

Wild Tomatoes fight whiteflies, with Thomas McDaniel

Science Knocks is a three minute science podcast hosted by Sindya Bhanoo, Observatory columnist for The New York Times, and her daughter, age four.

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