Ryan Rykaczewski describes one of the most massive migrations on the planet, driven by the sun. Image by Tintinnidguy (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons 

#ExplainTheSun  - The Largest Migration on The Planet

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Modern humans are the only surviving hominin from what was once a rich, fairly bushy family tree. But why did we alone survive? We may never have a definitive answer to that question—but we shouldn't be too quick to underestimate the intelligence of our ancestors, says anthropologist Ian Tattersall, author of The Strange Case of the Rickety Cossack and Other Cautionary Tales From Human Evolution. 

His book details the efforts of anthropologists to untangle our messy human lineage, based solely on the subtle differences in the skeletons of our forebears. And it documents anthropologists' evolving theories about our human origins, as well as some of their most spectacular mistakes, such as the characterization of an early Neanderthal fossil as a Cossack horseman afflicted with rickets so severe, he furrowed his brow into a permanent expression of pain. 

The Peculiarity of Homo Sapiens

Once, there was the ordinary incandescent light bulb. It shone brightly, but wasted much of the energy put into it as heat. Then came the compact fluorescent. And as costs have dropped, consumers have increasingly been switching to light-emitting diode (LED) technology for many lighting applications, in an ongoing search for a more efficient bulb. Now, in work published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, researchers report that nanophotonic devices may be able to breathe new life into old incandescent technology. Marin Soljačić and Ognjen Ilic, two authors of the study, explain how they’ve been able to “recycle” some of the incandescent bulb’s wasted heat and re-emit it as visible light, boosting efficiency.

For the Lowly Incandescent Bulb, a Ray of Hope

Science, technology, and other cool stuff from public radio's Science Friday. It's brain fun, for curious people. From WNYC Studios.

The Peculiarity of Homo Sapiens

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