Why Zebras Have Stripes

Guest: Tim Caro, evolutionary ecologist, and Professor of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis

Tim Caro has dedicated nearly a decade of his life trying to definitively solve the mystery of why zebras have stripes. Earlier this year, he published what looks like proof of the answer he was searching for: horseflies hate stripes.

Animating Art on Greek Vases

Guest: Sonya Nevin, ancient historian, author, and Art Director, Panoply Vase Animation Project

Sonya Nevin is part of the duo that runs the Panoply Vase Animation Project, combining her knowledge and expertise of ancient Greek culture with her husband’s animation skills to create entertaining and educational videos that literally bring ancient artifacts to life.

From the Tongue to the Tail: The Incredible Evolutionary Prowess of Snakes

Guest: Kurt Schwenk, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut

After 40 years in the fields of ecology and evolutionary biology, Kurt Schwenk has had numerous run-ins with a huge number of fascinating snake species. He researches the tongues of snakes, and he's also studied some weird adaptations of the tail: like the one that looks like a spider. A snake and spider all in one! Yikes!

Holocaust Story

Guest: Jeff Jacoby, Columnist, The Boston Globe

Jeff Jacoby’s father, Mark Jacoby, is a Holocaust survivor. More than that, though, he is a father, a husband, a practicing Jew, and a happy man.  This is the story of the triumph of faith and the human spirit.