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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

The Salt

Adventurous Eating Helped Human Ancestors Boost Odds Of Survival

The first prehistoric chef who looked out at a field of grass in Africa and said, "dinner!" may have helped our ancestors use new resources in new locations.

November 13, 2012 The discovery of new foods by chefs of the prehistoric age may have helped our human ancestors evolve, archeologists say. Hominins that lived about 3 million years ago began eating grasses and sedge, which helped them survive in different environments.

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Krulwich Wonders...

Death, But Softly

Michel de Montaigne

November 13, 2012 The world's first essayist, Michel Montaigne, was out riding one day when he got slammed from the rear, was thrown from his horse, crashed to the ground and for a brief time was, as he puts it, "dead." He described exactly what it felt like. Here's what he learned.

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Energy

Across Pa., Abandoned Wells Litter The Land

An abandoned, unplugged well near the Allegheny National Forest in northwest Pennsylvania.

November 13, 2012 WITFThe state estimates that about 325,000 wells have been drilled since the mid-1800s, but the locations of 200,000 of them are unknown. This proves problematic when new wells occasionally intersect abandoned ones, and gas rockets up to the surface in a geyser.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

Monday, November 12, 2012

Environment

Weighing The Prospects Of The Keystone XL Pipeline

President Obama speaks at the southern site of the Keystone XL pipeline in May in Cushing, Okla. Obama is under pressure to make a decision on the future of the pipeline during his second term.

November 12, 2012 Among the difficult decisions facing President Obama in his second term is whether to give the go-ahead for the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline. Environmentalists want it blocked, while advocates of the project say it will create thousands of jobs and make the country more energy independent.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Krulwich Wonders...

Finnish Underwater Ice Fishing Mystery Finally Solved

That's ordinary air pouring out of the pail.

November 10, 2012 Four million people watched this video filmed beneath the surface of a frozen lake. What really happened on that cold day in Finland can now be revealed, although clever viewers may have already figured out the tricks.

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Friday, November 09, 2012

The Salt

Sky-High Vegetables: Vertical Farming Sprouts In Singapore

Mah Bow Tan, a member of Singapore's Parliament, inspects Chinese cabbage growing at the commercial vertical farm. Troughs of the veggies stack up to 30 feet in the greenhouse.

November 9, 2012 Urban farming goes vertical, as Singapore opens a 30-feet tall greenhouse for bok choy and cabbage. The farm is already producing half a ton of veggies per day for local supermarkets. But are these vertical "farmscrapers" any more efficient than traditional, flat greenhouses?

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It's All Politics

What Earthquakes Can Teach Us About Elections

Allan Lichtman, a professor at American University, discusses his 13 keys to a successful election campaign on April 13 in his office in Washington, D.C.

November 9, 2012 Political historian Allan Lichtman says he sees elections the way geophysicists see earthquakes — as events fundamentally driven by structural factors deep beneath the surface, rather than by superficial events at the surface.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

Thursday, November 08, 2012

The Salt

You Can Thank A Whey Refinery For That Protein Smoothie

Tim Opper, of Cabot Cheese, inspects equipment that separates whey protein from sugar in the company's whey processing plant.

November 8, 2012 Milk isn't just something you drink anymore. It's become a raw material, like crude oil, that's refined into more valuable products, such as sugar for infant formula and protein powder that's used in energy bars.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Krulwich Wonders...

Mathematically Challenging Bagels

A guide to making a Mobius bagel. Cut along the black line.

November 8, 2012 All you need is a bagel, a knife and a high score on your math SAT, and you can do this (unless you're me): You can transform a single bagel into two intertwining, connected parts, one twisted through the other. In other words, a Mobius bagel. Watch and learn.

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