How is fishing changing our oceans? On the surface, the ocean can seem timeless and unchanging. But appearances can be deceiving because scientists have noticed massive drops in the number of fish in the ocean. Larry Crowder, a professor of marine biology at Duke University, talks about the dramatic effect of overfishing. For example, archeological...

What is the future of the U.S. space program? NASA has just a few launches remaining for the three decade-old space shuttle and the replacement Ares space vehicle may be canceled before it ever lifts off. For the first time since the dawn of the space age, the American manned space program may be coming to a close. Stephen Pyne, a historian and professor...

Can coral reefs survive? Coral reefs are in serious trouble worldwide, endangered by overfishing, pollution, ocean acidification, and climate change. But hope is not yet lost. Dr. John Pandolfi, a marine biologist and professor at the University of Queensland, Australia, talks about how reefs are surprisingly resilient to threats. In a study recently...

One billion animals and counting: the hidden cost of frog legs. Frog legs are eaten all over the United States and Europe, but keeping all of those legs on the plate is wiping out tropical frogs. Dr. Navjot Sodhi, a tropical biologist and professor at the National University of Singapore, talks about the hidden international trade in frog legs. Astonishingly,...

Conventional wisdom says saving threatened species requires closely track their numbers. As a result, conservation biologists around the world spend a lot of time and money keeping track of all sorts of species, from elephants to whales. But is all of this species monitoring getting anywhere for real conservation? Definitely not, says Dr. Hugh Possingham,...

From Thailand to Mexico to India, cuisines from all over the world depend on chili peppers to give meals some zing. But what is the benefit to chili peppers for being so hot? Dr. Josh Tewksbury, an ecologist and professor at the University of Washington, discusses the spicy strategy that peppers use to ensure the survival of their seeds. In a recent...