Radiolab and Point of Inquiry: Of Speed and Viruses

Posted on February 6, 2013October 14, 2021 by Matt Kristoffersen

Just a quick note to let you know about a couple new radio/podcast programs I’m on at the moment.

1. Radiolab. The merry band of Jad Abumrad, Robert Krulwich, and company have put out a new episode all about speed. They got in touch with me after reading a column I wrote about the speed of thought, and I took them on a journey through our not-exactly-light-speed nervous system. They also explore other aspects of speed, such as the agonizingly slow drip of pitch and the superfast world of high-speed stock trading. I’ve embedded the show here.

2. Point of Inquiry: At Science Online this weekend, I sat down for a wide-ranging conversation with Indre Viskontas. We talked about whether viruses are alive, how to do a better job of fighting the flu, and much more. Check it out.

Stereo Mole Noses

Posted on February 5, 2013October 14, 2021 by Matt Kristoffersen

Never underestimate a mole.

It’s easy to have low expectations for these creatures. My own experience with moles is limited to the sight of their carcasses at my doorstep, laid there by our triumphant and generous cat. Stretched out on the cold bluestone, they look like little more than eyeless pouches of fur.

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Pigeons Get a New Look

Posted on February 4, 2013May 21, 2020 by admin

The New York Times, February 4, 2013

Link

In 1855, Charles Darwin took up a new hobby. He started raising pigeons.

In the garden of his country estate, Darwin built a dovecote. He filled it with birds he bought in London from pigeon breeders. He favored the fanciest breeds — pouters, carriers, barbs, fantails, short-faced tumblers and many more.

“The diversity of the breeds is something astonishing,” he wrote a few years later in “On the Origin of Species” — a work greatly informed by his experiments with the birds.

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How Pigeons Cured My Case of YAGS

Posted on February 4, 2013October 14, 2021 by Matt Kristoffersen

In tomorrow’s New York Times, I write about what pigeons taught Darwin about evolution, and what they can teach us over 150 years later. The spur for the story is a new paper in which scientists analyze the genomes of forty different pigeon breeds to understand the molecular secrets behind their remarkable diversity. My story is accompanied by some wonderful photos as well as a podcast in which I talk to my editor, David Corcoran, about the research.

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80. Rare Genes Cause Common Diseases

Posted on January 30, 2013June 10, 2020 by Lori Jia

Discover, January 30, 2013

Link

Ten thousand years ago, there were just 5 million people on Earth, fewer than live in Singapore today. The population has since soared to 7 billion. This rapid growth has left a mark on the human genome, researchers are finding, drastically increasing the number of very rare mutations in our DNA. That realization casts doubt on the long-standing view that just a few genetic mutations underlie many hereditary diseases. In reality, those diseases are probably caused by a wide variety of extremely rare mutations that vary from one person to the next, complicating efforts to understand and treat them at the genetic level.

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