veronique lacapra

On human test subjects

Rehman Tungekar — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 14:22:43 +0000

This week, we'll hear about human test subjects, and talk about gender differences in math performance.

Harvesting guano to help Peruvian penguins: Saint Louis Zoo digs in

Véronique LaCapra — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 23:35:23 +0000

Unlike their cold-weather relatives, Humboldt penguins live only in South America, along the rocky Pacific coast of Chile and Peru. The Saint Louis Zoo’s Michael Macek has been monitoring the penguins there, tracking their health and numbers.

New research takes step toward catching Alzheimer's early

VÃ©ronique LaCapra — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 22:39:41 +0000

A new study led by Washington University confirms that the brains of people with a very rare, early-onset form of Alzheimer's disease begin to change long before they first show signs of dementia.

The research brings us a step closer to early diagnosis of the more common type Alzheimer's that produces symptoms after age 60.

Washington University neurologist Dr.

On mid-sized farms

Rehman Tungekar — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 23:23:52 +0000

This week, we’ll hear the final installment of Harvest Public Media’s Farmer of the Future series.

On 'corporate' farming

Rehman Tungekar — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 22:47:17 +0000

On this week's show, we’ll hear the fourth installment of Harvest Public Media’s Farmer of the future series, and hear about the bacteria that live in and on our bodies.

We’re not alone: healthy humans have more microbes than cells

Véronique LaCapra — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 22:32:08 +0000

The bacterium Enterococcus faecalis, which lives in the human gut, is just one type of microbe that was studied as part of the Human Microbiome Project funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Researchers have completed the first comprehensive census of the human “microbiome” — the trillions of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that live in and on our bodies.

Report: frequency of severe storms in Midwest doubled over past 50 years

Véronique LaCapra and VÃ©ronique LaCapra — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:52:20 +0000

A new report from the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization and the Natural Resources Defense Council shows that the frequency of severe storms across the Midwest has doubled over the past 50 years.

The report analyzed precipitation data from more than 200 weather stations in eight Midwestern states.

It found that for the period from 1961 to 2011, the frequency of days with more than 3 inches of rain increased by upwards of 80 percent in both

Report suggests new way to handle Missouri River flooding

Véronique LaCapra — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:20:04 +0000

A new report by the advocacy group American Rivers says when it comes to managing flooding along the Missouri River, the US Army Corps of Engineers should rely on floodplains and wetlands, not levees and dams. But the Corps doesn't see flood management as an "either/or" proposition.

Pioneering scientist reflects on distinguished career

Véronique LaCapra — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:26:08 +0000

Biologist Edward O. Wilson is an emeritus University Research Professor at Harvard. Through his life-long research on the behavior of ants, he has transformed the disciplines of ecology and evolution, developing new theories and pioneering the field of sociobiology.

Taking a closer look at the bacon trend

Rehman Tungekar and Sarah Tucker — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:04:02 +0000

On this week's show, we’ll hear from a pioneer in the field of sociobiology, and take a closer look at an emerging food trend.