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Saturday, June 08, 2013

The Two-Way

For London Zoo Patrons, It's A Case Of Once Bitten, Twice Shy

A squirrel monkey at the London Zoo, photographed in December.

June 8, 2013 Squirrel monkeys in a "walk-through" enclosure bit more than a dozen visitors over a year-long period, according to a report.

Summary

Thursday, April 25, 2013

The Salt

Monkeys Also Want To Eat Like The Locals

The blue corn's just as tasty as the red corn, but it's not what the locals like.

April 25, 2013 When monkeys move to a new place, they want to eat what the locals are eating, a new study finds. It's among the first to see strong social behaviors in eating among wild animals.

Summary

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

When Humans Mourn: The Mozart Requiem And A Matter Of Scale

A visitor walks through the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, also known as the Holocaust Memorial, in Berlin, Germany.

April 25, 2013 A performance of Mozart's Requiem has commentator Barbara J. King thinking about the ways humans grieve. Of all species on Earth, we alone mourn across time and space for people we have never met.

Summary

Shots - Health News

A Tale Of Mice And Medical Research, Wiped Out By A Superstorm

In this Jan. 18 photo provided by the NYU Langone Medical Center, a technician examines mice to determine their health at the hospital's complex in New York.

April 25, 2013 When Superstorm Sandy flooded lower Manhattan last year, thousands of lab animals drowned and many scientists lost months or even years of work. The specialty animals can be very difficult to replace, but researchers say the loss of animal life is emotionally devastating and difficult to get over.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

Thursday, April 11, 2013

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

When Animals Mourn: Seeing That Grief Is Not Uniquely Human

An elephant at the Emmen, Netherlands, zoo stands at the edge of a ditch in 2009, a day after another elephant fell into the ditch and died.

April 11, 2013 When animals die, their close relatives and friends may be plunged into mourning. Commentator Barbara J. King writes about animal grief in her new book, citing examples seen in animals large and small. She finds solace in the knowledge that humans are not the only animals who feel loss.

Summary

Tuesday, April 02, 2013

The Two-Way

In The Name Of Science, Head-Bobbing Sea Lion Keeps The Beat

Ronan, a 3-year-old female sea lion, has learned to keep a beat, something researchers previously thought was tied to vocal mimicry.

April 2, 2013 The research team at the University of California at Santa Cruz's Pinniped Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory says Ronan is the first nonhuman mammal to show evidence of beat keeping, something previously seen mostly in parrots and cockatoos.

Summary

Thursday, March 28, 2013

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Want To Help Animals? No Vegan Extremism Required

Golden Laced Wyandotte chicken wearing sign reading "I love vegans".

March 28, 2013 Vegans' refrigerators are empty of meat, dairy and eggs. But what if there are animal products in their medicine cabinets? Commentator Barbara J. King considers how far vegans have to go to really make a difference for animals.

Summary

Monday, March 18, 2013

The Two-Way

Indonesian Zoo Breeds Rare Komodo Dragons

Four of seven baby Komodos born at the Surabaya Zoo in Indonesia last week.

March 18, 2013 Seven baby Komodo dragons emerged from their shells at a zoo in Indonesia's East Java province.

Summary

Monday, February 25, 2013

The Two-Way

Underwater Hunger Artist: Giant Isopod Fasts For 4 Years

A giant isopod in Japan has refused to eat for more than four years. This specimen was caught during a NOAA expedition in the Gulf of Mexico by Bob Carney of LSU.

February 25, 2013 From Japan comes news of a giant isopod that knows all there is to know about the hunger game. How else to explain the fasting behavior of the animal that, his minders say, hasn't eaten in more than 1,500 days? The male giant isopod, known simply as No. 1, last ate on Jan. 2, 2009 — or, to put it in perspective, 18 days before President Obama began his first term.

Summary

Thursday, February 07, 2013

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

When We Hunt, Do We Murder?

A deer at sunset

February 7, 2013 Are humans natural hunters? Can animal advocates and people who kill animals for sport comprehend anything of each others' perspectives? Commentator Barbara J. King considers hunting in the United States today.

Summary

Wednesday, February 06, 2013

The Two-Way

Oh, Mama! World's 'Oldest' Bird Has Another Chick

Wisdom (left) and her mate on their nest last November at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.

February 6, 2013 Wisdom, a Laysan albatross who nests at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the North Pacific Ocean, is thought to be at least 62 years old. She's raised an estimated 30 to 35 chicks over the years and flown at least 2 million miles, scientists say.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Friday, January 18, 2013

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Why Do Engineers Put Faces On Their Robots?

The face says it all: Yairo Yau grimaces during a December 2012 match between Sydney FC and the Melbourne Heart in Sydney.

January 18, 2013 The fact is: we find it easy to attribute mind to what looks and acts like a human being and we find it almost impossible to attribute mind to what does not.

Summary

Thursday, January 17, 2013

The Salt

Yes, Virginia, Crabs Likely Feel Pain, But They're Still Delicious

Boiling is the easiest way to dispatch a crustacean, but there are some signs that the creatures can feel pain.

January 17, 2013 Prawns will rub themselves when dabbed with acid. And hermit crabs show stress-related behavior after getting shocked out of their shells. Now scientists find that British shore crabs can learn to avoid an electric shock — a key sign that crustaceans really do experience pain.

Summary

Monday, November 19, 2012

The Two-Way

27 Animals In 'Hobbit' Movie Died At Farm Where They Were Housed

A promotion for J.R.R. Tolkien's classic, which is now being made into a movie trilogy, at the Frankfurt Book Fair last month.

November 19, 2012 Three horses and two dozen smaller animals reportedly died. Wranglers say there were sink holes and other "death traps" on the property. The movie production company later paid for improvements at the farm. Director Peter Jackson's movie premieres later this month.

Summary

Thursday, November 01, 2012

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

After Sandy: The Most Highly Evolved Compassion Of All

Blaine Badick walks through floodwaters with her dogs in Hoboken, N.J., on Wednesday.

November 1, 2012 In the wake of the terrible damage caused by superstorm Sandy, commentator Barbara J. King reflects on the animal rescues underway and asks if we can tap these selfless impulses to create a greater, sustained good.

Summary

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