Image courtesy of NASA

Podcasting from Boston again this week. Elsa brings us the latest mix of science news stories, and they include news about the Voyager 1 spacecraft’s whereabouts. Also, our Music in Science segment is back with psychologist Disa Sauter talking about music she heard in Namibia. Our ongoing Science Forum about the search for extraterrestrial intelligence continues through June 29th. You can stop by the discussion here.

Elsa’s Favorite Science Stories:

Voyager 1 on the Edge: Launched in 1977, the Voyager 1 spacecraft has finally reached the boundary of our solar system. Conditions there are turning out to more tranquil than astronomers expected.
The study.
Science Friday interview with Voyager scientist Ed Stone.
More about the Voyager mission from NASA.

Zombie Ladybird Beetles: Parasites often manipulate their hosts’ behavior in astonishing ways. Here’s a crazy new example, courtesy of a wasp whose larvae develop inside ladybird beetles. When the larva exits the beetle’s body to spin a cocoon, it injects a toxin that turns the beetle into a mindless, twitching bodyguard for the vulnerable wasp pupa. Incredibly, some ladybugs actually recover.
The study.
BBC coverage.
More about the zombie ants Elsa mentioned.
The study of Toxoplasma and human culture.
More on Toxoplasma and human behavior from The Economist.

Skulls, Science and Bias: A set of human skulls, measured more than 150 years ago, is at the center of a long-running debate about bias in science. Researchers have re-measured the skulls and concluded that the anthropologist who first studied them in the mid 1800s didn’t do such a bad job after all. His conclusions may have been skewed, but his measurements were not.
The study.
Wired Science coverage.
The old Scientific American editorial on eugenics.

Music in Science: Psychologist Disa Sauter studies how culture influences the way we express emotions such as surprise, disgust and pleasure. Her work sometimes takes her to remote communities that have no exposure to Western culture. Sauter recalls the music she heard during a trip to Namibia, where she met an isolated group of people called the Himba.
Guest: Disa Sauter is a psychologist at the Max Planck institute for Psycholinguists in the Netherlands.
Music: Omoramba and Aounga, both from the album Namibia: Bushmen and Himba.
See Podcast 52 for the results of Sauter’s work with the Himba.

Leech Hunter: Mark Siddall is a curator in the department of invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History. He collects leeches from remote corners of the globe, to understand their diversity and evolution. Siddall says that understanding the blood-sucking behavior of leeches can inform and help in the development of anti-coagulants for medical uses.
Watch Mark Siddall in the Kingdom of the Leeches, from NOVA scienceNOW.

Siddall in NOVA’s The Secret Life of Scientists.
More on leeches from NOVA.
How does blood clot? Find out in this video.

The Earth’s Cryosphere is Rapidly Melting: That’s according to a new report released recently by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme. Walt Meier is one of the authors. He explains the findings to The World’s Lisa Mullins.

If you heard last week’s podcast, you know that species with big brains relative to their bodies are more successful than small-brained ones in new habitats. That holds true for birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles—all of which often land in unfamiliar environments due to human trade and travel.

Now another study finds that a big brain-to-body ratio helps birds thrive in cities. Among 82 songbird species in France and Switzerland, birds such as magpies that flourish in urban centers are bigger-brained than birds like wood warblers that avoid cities.

In a sense, moving to a city is much like moving to a habitat on the other side of the planet. Both require a species to discover new foods, avoid new predators, and cope with different physical surroundings than those with which it evolved.

But how does a big brain help an animal meet such challenges? Certainly there are dozens upon dozens of studies that link relatively large brains to complex traits such as social group size and innovation (creating new tools and new foods). The authors of the newest studies suggest that it’s this behavioral flexibility that also confers success in new environments.

That may be logical, but behavioral biologist Sue Healy finds the argument frustrating. She’s at the University of St. Andrews in the U.K. In 2007, Healy co-authored a paper that essentially said, enough already with the brain size correlations! These studies tend to treat the brain as a black box. Rarely does anyone know which specific brain areas control a given trait—and individual brain areas are hard to measure. So, whole-brain volume stands in as a proxy.

It’s also unclear which of the many traits linked to big brains are also correlated to one another, and none of the correlations clearly imply causation. In other words, things are a bit murky.

At the very least, Healy would like to see all the brain-related traits—from bonding with a mate to using unpredictable habitats—go into one big statistical analysis to tease out the most important ones for future study. Ideally, that would be followed by experiments that show in greater detail which brain areas vary in size with with those traits.

In the mean time, whole-brain volume serves as a black box proxy for… something, or maybe for different things in different species. Clearly big brains can be helpful for certain things. Until the underlying biology is worked out, brain size can be duly noted as one predictor of how a species may fare in the face of urbanization, climate change or introduction to a new habitat.

But it’s frustrating to rely on proxies instead of detailed experiments. Perhaps we ourselves need still bigger brains to figure it out.

[Photo: Magpies are among the big-brained birds that do well in cities. Credit: Wikimedia user 4028mdk09.]

Elsa Youngsteadt is a regular contributor to The World Science Podcast. She works for Sigma Xi and American Scientist magazine.

This week: Two new studies outline characteristics that help alien species become invasive. India rethinks its ambitious nuclear energy plans. A new study shows what we might have known all along — human language originated in Africa. Yet another study suggests that rules of grammar are far from universal. Also, our ongoing Science Forum discussion about how our physical environments influence human behavior goes until Thursday, April 21st. So, stop by and add your thoughts and questions to the conversation here. (Photo: The Burmese python has invaded parts of the U.S. Credit: U.S. National Park Service.)

India Rethinks its Nuclear Energy Plans: The disaster at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear complex has led India to rethink its increasing reliance on nuclear power. New York Times correspondent Vikas Bajaj tells anchor Marco Werman the demands for power in India are huge and growing. Forty percent of India’s population currently has no access to electricity.
Read the transcript of the interview.
Listen to my story on India’s nuclear energy plans in Podcast no. 91.
Asia’s Push for Nuclear Power — a Wise Bet? An online Science Forum discussion.

Fukushima vs. Chernobyl — Comparison Less Useful Than Ever: Fukushima is nothing like Chernobyl — except, it’s sort of the same. Of course, it’s no nearly as bad — unless it’s worse! If your head’s hurting right now trying to keep track of official evaluations of the scale of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, well, get in line for the aspirin — if not yet the iodine pills. Read more in this blog post by guest blogger Peter Thomson, The World’s environment editor.

The Original Language: The world’s 7,000 languages appear to share a common ancestral tongue, which was spoken in Africa at least 50 thousand years ago. Linguists hadn’t been able to trace the roots of language that far back in time before. But by stripping speech down to its most basic components, such as vowels and consonants, a researcher was able to show how languages changed as humans migrated across the globe.
The study.
The author’s website.
ScienceNOW coverage.
Links to more news stories.

No Universal Grammar: Although all modern languages have common roots, they share few grammatical rules. Linguists had expected that certain rules of syntax would always occur together so that changing one rule would mean changing others in concert, perhaps because of the way the brain works. But a new study suggests that languages evolve in varied ways, governed more by culture than biology. Does this challenge linguist Noam Chomsky’s theory of a universal grammar ? My fellow podcaster, Patrick Cox (host of The World in Words podcast) helps us answer that question.
The study.
The authors’ user-friendly summary.
Wired Science coverage.

Invasive Species: As humans travel around the globe, we bring other animals and plants along. Biologists wish they could better predict which of these species will become invasive in their new habitats–as Burmese pythons have done in Florida. Two recent studies suggest that extra chromosomes (for plants) and big brains (for reptiles and amphibians) help species invade new habitats.
The studies: Plants and reptiles.
More on invasive plants in the U.S..
More on big brains.
Regulating trade could keep out alien invaders.

Click here to listen to our interview with Sheril Kirshenbaum. She was our guest in this Science Forum discussion.

In her new book, The Science of Kissing: What Our Lips Are Telling Us, science writer Sheril Kirshenbaum explores the evolutionary and cultural origins of kissing and why it makes us feel so good.

Species from turtles to lions have animal versions of kisses. Though we may not recognize the head-tapping and neck-nipping that is sometimes involved as conventional kissing, those animal variants can cement social bonds and resolve conflicts. There are cultural variations on human romantic kissing too. Some involve sniffing, and some biting a partner’s eyelashes.

Watch kissing-like behaviors in animals:

But it’s no wonder that mouth-kissing can deliver a complex sensory bonanza. Our lips are fine-tuned to feel, thanks to their original job, testing the texture and temperature of food. As we develop, we use our mouths for nursing and, in some cultures, for passing pre-chewed food to infants. By linking lip stimulation with a feeling of love and security, these behaviors may have laid a foundation for romantic kissing later in life.

A kiss also sets off a carnival of brain chemistry. With a new partner, kissing releases dopamine that contributes to that feeling of craving, obsession and desire. Even when the dopamine rush dies down, kissing releases oxytocin, a chemical that can promote trust and bonding. That’s why Kirshenbaum says she makes it a point to kiss her husband every morning. “Kissing is a very healthy behavior,” she adds. “[It’s] something we should all be doing more of.”

• Do you remember your first kiss?
• Has a kiss ever changed your choice of romantic partner?
• Have you experienced a cross-cultural misunderstanding about kissing?

Read our conversation with Kirshenbaum. It’s just below.

Humanoid robots practice kissing: Is this the future of kissing?

Additional Resources:

• The Intersection blog, co-hosted by Sheril Kirshenbaum and Chris Mooney.
• A review of The Science of Kissing in USA Today.
• Another review written by science blogger SciCurious.
• Read an excerpt from The Science of Kissing.
• A brain in love looks the same in China and the U.S.
• Learn more about the sweaty T-shirt experiment that Sheril mentioned.

This week: You’ll hear all about the history and biology of kissing, from science writer Sheril Kirshenbaum. She’s the author of the new book, The Science of Kissing: What Our Lips are Telling Us. And just in time for Valentine’s day, Kirshenbaum also has some kissing tips for you. She’s also the guest in our latest online discussion. So share your kissing stories and bring all your questions to the discussion. Click here to join the conversation. Also, a new report gives a global view of obesity.

The Science of Kissing: Author Sheril Kirshenbaum talks about her new book, The Science of Kissing: What Our Lips are Telling Us. Click here to read more about her book, and to join an online conversation with her. She’s the guest in our latest online Science Forum discussion.
Guest: Sheril Kirshenbaum
Join our online conversation with Sheril Kirshenbaum.

Global Obesity Epidemic: orldwide, the percentage of adults who are obese has nearly doubled in the past 30 years. That’s according to a new report in The Lancet. Marco Werman speaks with Professor Majid Ezzati of Imperial College London. He led an international team of researchers who examined health data from 199 countries and territories.
Guest: Majid Ezzati
The Study.
Read a transcript of the interview.
The World’s Patrick Cox’s series on Obesity.

Russian Scientists Fail to Reach Lake Vostok: In Podcast no. 102, you heard that Russian scientists were close to drilling a sub-surface freshwater lake in Antarctica. But, Lake Vostok will remain untouched this year. Winter has approached in the Antarctic, forcing the scientists to put a break to their drilling for now. Find out more here and here.
A recent NPR story on Lake Vostok.

No Road in Serengeti: In Podcasts 81 and 84, we told you about a proposed highway to be built through Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. Conservationists and scientists were opposed to the plan because of the potential impact on the conservation of Serengeti’s ecosystem. Now, the Tanzanian government has decided against building the road. Instead it’s proposing to improve the infrastructure outside the park in order to connect places on opposite sides of it. Read more here.

This week:  We’re taking you to Newfoundland for an update on the collapsed Atlantic cod fishery, followed by a quick look at global fisheries. Fisheries are also the topic of our ongoing Science Forum discussion. We’re speaking with Fisheries economist Rashid Sumaila. Join the discussion and learn what you can do to help protect fish species around the world. Also, a brief chat with the author of the new book, Written in Stone.

A Glimmer of Hope for the Atlantic Cod: Some of the world’s most endangered wildlife are obscure species, haunting far-flung corners of the planet, but other endangered creatures are much more familiar. Scotland is the last refuge of a small wild cat that has prowled parts of Great Britain since the last ice age.
Reporter: Jeb Sharp
See Jeb’s slide show from Newfoundland.
Jeb Sharp’s Encounters documentary.

Global Fisheries in Decline: According to a new WWF report, seventy percent of commercial marine fisheries are on the decline. Rashid Sumaila directs the Fisheries Center the the University of British Columbia. He tells us about the problems facing the global fisheries industry, and what consumers can do to encourage sustainable fishing practices. Dr. Sumaila is also the guest in our online Science Forum. Join the discussion here.
Guest:Rashid Sumaila

Written In Stone: Fossils tell a fascinating tale of the process of evolution and our own place in nature. And that’s the topic of the new book, Written in Stone: Evolution, the Fossil Record, and Our Place in Nature. I caught up briefly with Switek, just before he headed out to the New Jersey State Museum to clean a fossil crocodile.
Guest: Brian Switek.
Smithsonian’s Dinosaur Tracking Blog.

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This week: You’ll hear about the environmental costs of China’s growing pork consumption. Also, one scientist’s search for the evolutionary origins of human language. And a little audio treat from India — which is where I’m podcasting from this week.

China’s Pork Boom: China’s appetite for pork is growing fast, and so is the size of Chinese pig farms. The government says that’s good for food safety, but it may not be so good for the environment.
Reported by: Elise Potaka

Evolutionary Roots of Language: Scientists looking for the origins of language often study communication in animals. One such researcher in Klaus Zuberbühler. He’s at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and he’s been studying vocal communication in monkeys in Ivory Coast. Zuberbühler was part of a panel on animal intelligence at the World Science Festival back in June. I caught up with him after the panel and asked him about some of his findings.
Guest: Klaus Zuberbühler
More from the 2010 World Science Festival in Podcast no. 70.
Watch the All Creatures Great and Smart panel from the 2010 World Science Festival.

This week: An update on a story we aired on The World in 2005 – a water pump built into a merry-go-round that many hoped would provide drinking water for impoverished African villages. Also, we visit one Norwegian town that remains enthusiastic about offshore oil drilling. We look at the genetic basis of Tibetans’ adaptation to high altitudes. Elsa brings news about dinosaur eggs and organic agriculture.

Problems with the Playpump: A water pump built into a children’s merry-go-round. The idea was simple: harness the energy of children at play to draw well water up from the ground. It was meant to provide clean water for thousands of African villages. Philanthropists loved the PlayPump project. Until it fell apart.
Guest: Amy Costello.
Watch the video of Amy’s documentary, “Troubled Waters.”
Watch the original 2005 video about the PlayPump.
More about technological failures in developing countries, in Podcast 39.
Our Science Forum discussion about fixing technology fixes.

The Evolution of High Altitude Tolerance in Tibetans: Tibet is known for its mountain peaks and high altitudes. It is also known for its people who can tolerate those high altitudes. It turns out there are real genetic differences between Tibetans and those of us who live closer to sea level. According to a newly published study, those genetic changes occurred over a relatively brief period of evolutionary time.
Guest: Rhitu Chatterjee.
The study.

Mixed Support for Oil Drilling in Norway: Most Norwegians seem to support their government’s moratorium on deepwater drilling, especially after the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. But not all Norwegians feel that way. We visit one Norwegian town where just about everyone says the environmental risks are worth it.
Report by: The World’s Gerry Hadden.
Other countries are rethinking their drilling plans as well. Learn more in an interview with author Michael Klare.
Oil spill coverage from the BBC.
What else is going on in Hammerfest? (The town’s tourist information site.)

Elsa’s Favorite Science Stories:

• Dinosaurs Steamed Their Eggs: Giant herbivorous dinosaurs kept their eggs cozy and warm–but not by sitting on them. A fossil find in Argentina reveals the eggs nestled near geysers and hydrothermal vents.
  The study.
  National Geographic‘s virtual museum of dinosaur eggs and hatchlings.
• Organic Farming–Good News and Bad News: First, the good news. In Washington potato fields, leaving off the synthetic pesticides promotes a higher diversity of predatory insects, which, in turn, provide better protection against the problematic Colorado potato beetle. On the other hand, some natural organic pesticides can actually be harder on the environment than well-chosen synthetic ones. That’s the finding of a new study on chemicals for controlling soybean aphid.
  The potato study.
  The soy study.
  Nature News article.
  More about the organic food industry in Podcast #71.

This week:  Our online conversation with author Ethan Watters continues through next Monday. Don’t forget to stop by the Science Forum discussion with your own comments and questions. Today you’ll hear another story related to this Forum discussion. It’s about treating mental illness in Sudan. Also in today’s show, termites in the Kenyan savanna, celebrity culture among chimps and the ecological impacts of the oil spill.

Treating Mental Illness in Sudan: Traditionally, when people in Sudan suffer mental illness, they seek out exorcists and other spiritual healers. But in Khartoum, a growing number of patients are also seeing Western-style psychiatrists and psychologists. The result is a tense rapprochement between health practitioners who have historically been at odds.
Report by: Hana Baba
Visit our Science Forum discussion with author Ethan Watters. He’s taking your comments and questions about culture and mental health.
The journal PLoS Medicine recently published a series of papers on mental health care in low- and middle-income countries. You can read those articles here.

Elsa’s Favorite Stories:

• Setback to Bt Cotton in China: A 10-year study has some surprising findings about transgenic cotton in China. The Bt cotton variety has a gene for a bacterial toxin that kills a variety of pests–especially caterpillars–that feed on the plants. Bt cotton has allowed farmers to decrease their dependence on broad-spectrum pesticide sprays. But in the absence of such sprays, populations of formerly insignificant pests such as mirid bugs have billowed out of control.
  The study.
  Our Science Forum discussion and coverage of Bt brinjal.
  Read more about the ongoing debate over genetically modified crops in India.
  
• Termites Shape the African Savanna: Termite mounds occur at strikingly regular intervals in the Kenyan savanna–probably because of the way the colonies maintain non-overlapping territories. The effects of these tiny insects ripple up through the savanna ecosystem, ultimately boosting the abundance of plants, lizards and other insects. The hotspots of plant growth associated with termite mounds are visible in satellite photos such as the one at right. (Photo taken from the study.)
  The study.
  More on fungus-farming termites from The New York Times.
  While I was looking for a good termite link, I discovered that some snails farm fungi too! Check it out.
• Celebrity Culture in Chimpanzees: Chimps prefer to mimic high-status members of their social groups, even when the underdogs’ methods obviously work just as well. The study helps explain how chimpanzee culture gets handed down over time, and hints at ancient evolutionary roots for our own tendency to copy prestigious people.
  The study.
  More on chimpanzee culture from the BBC.

Lessons from Global Oil Spills: BP is trying another technique to plug the leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. Let’s hope it works. In the meantime, the spilled oil is already threatening coastal environments.  Oil spills are, sadly, a global phenomenon, and we may be able to learn from previous spills and from the efforts to clean them up.
Guest: Jay Holcomb of the International Bird Rescue Research Center.
Photos of oiled and scrubbed birds from the International Bird Rescue Research Center.
More photos of the oil impact on shore from the Boston Globe.
About BP’s “Top-Kill” technique on NPR. This page also includes a live webcam where you can watch BP’s efforts to plug the oil well.