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May 24, 2012 Plants, of course, don't have noses. But there is a vine that can smell the difference between a tomato and a stalk of wheat.

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The Fracking Boom: Missing Answers

Pennsylvania Doctors Worry Over Fracking 'Gag Rule'()

Plastic surgeon Amy Pare says it's important for doctors to know what kind of substances patients she's treating might have been exposed to.

May 17, 2012 A new law grants doctors access to information about trade-secret chemicals used in natural gas drilling. Doctors say they need the information to treat patients who may have been exposed to chemicals. But the law also says doctors can't tell anyone else — not even other doctors — about what's in the formulas.

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Dino-Aged Deep-Sea Bacteria Have Been 'Splitting A Pie' For Eons()

Researcher Hans Roy opens a core sample taken from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. A core sample like this one contained bacteria that settled on the seafloor 86 million years ago.

May 17, 2012 Back when the dinosaurs ruled the Earth, some hardy bacteria took up residence at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Eighty six million years later, they're still there. And a new study says they're living out the most Spartan lifestyle known on this planet.

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TED Radio Hour

Marcin Jakubowski: Can We Open-Source Hardware?()

"This is not about creating a set of toys, this is about real, life-sized equipment that a community could use to provide food, housing, energy, on the much more localized scale." — Marcin Jakubowski

May 18, 2012 Using modular parts, wikis and how-to videos, Marcin Jakubowski presents 50 machines — such as a tractor, brick press and circuit board maker — for a do-it-yourself civilization.

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The Fracking Boom: Missing Answers

Town's Effort To Link Fracking And Illness Falls Short()

A working gas well head is fenced in just opposite of a home in Dish, Texas. Dish is about 30 miles north of Fort Worth.

May 16, 2012 Many residents of Dish, Texas, blame the fracking operations that surround their tiny town for a host of health problems — from nosebleeds to cancer. The former mayor was so scared, he left town. But scientists who've studied Dish say there's not enough evidence to link natural gas operations to any illness.

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The Fracking Boom: Missing Answers

Medical Records Could Yield Answers On Fracking()

$William Reigle has fibrosis, a disease that may be aggravated by nearby fracking. He's one of more than 2 million Pennsylvanians who get their health care from Geisinger Health System. The system wants to use its extensive database of patient records to study the health impact of natural gas production.$

May 16, 2012 Is fracking making people sick? The question has ignited a national debate. A proposed study in northern Pennsylvania could help resolve the issue. By mining more than 10 years' worth of patient records, researchers hope to better understand the potential impact of hydraulic fracturing on health.

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