Natural Selections

(Jan 2, 2020) Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager reveal some interesting facts about the insectivores that tear up your lawn every year - moles.

The star-nosed mole, one of three species in the region, is semi-aquatic, but all varieties are lightning-fast foragers.

Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager discuss cosmic rays. While many people may think cosmic rays only affect astronauts or satellites - objects in space - computers and other electronic equipment on Earth can be affected, too.

Martha Foley wonders, "Is there a more maligned and mischaracterized animal than the hyena?" Dr. Curt Stager, a hyena fan, gives the real lowdown on this social animal.

What is a flame? Why is it shaped like that? How does it keep going? Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager answer some burning questions about rapid oxidation.

Animals in the wild do not need haircuts; why do humans? And why just on the head?

(Nov 28, 2019) Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager talk about tryptophan, and why you may need a new excuse for falling asleep after a turkey dinner.

The Northern Flicker is one of the most recognizable birds. This distinctly-marked member of the woodpecker family, instead of browsing wood for their food like their relatives, digs for food in the ground. Martha Foley and Curt Stager explore its habits.

In general, plants make food from sunlight, and animals fuel themselves by "burning" oxygen. But some animals think outside the box.

Curt stager and Martha Foley look at a photosynthetic slug that hijacks the genetic machinery of the algae in its diet, and at a jellyfish that needs no oxygen, burning the alternative fuels of hydrogen and sulfur.

All creatures breathe in some fashion, but how the job gets done has changed from fish to amphibian to reptile to mammal.

Curt Stager and Martha Foley chart the evolution of animal respiration.

Natural Selections airs each Thursday morning on NCPR as part of The Eight O'Clock Hour.

(Oct 31, 2019) Bats are remarkably agile in flight, even more so than birds. How do they do that? Martha Foley and Curt Stager discuss the aerobatic anatomy of bats.