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What does cheese have to do with technology? What does engineering have to do with biology? And why should we know about it? We’ll slice into these questions to get a taste of what synthetic biology is, how it's already in our lives, and how it got there. Welcome to Life Lab! This is the first part of our five part series about how tiny life can change our world. In Life Lab, we explore the incredible power of synthetic biology to solve some of our biggest challenges - and as

Trash is one of the biggest problems on the planet. But scientists are coming up with solutions that might surprise you. In this Earth Day episode, we meet two researchers who are tackling trash in two very different ways. Kevin Solomon hopes to solve the challenge of recycling plastic with the help of meal worms, and Lily Pollans is figuring out what kids can do to help everyone make less trash. Find out how science can help tackle Earth’s biggest challenges - and how you ca

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: LS Do trees fart? It’s a question that stumped scientists, and sends us on a journey to some serious science! Come with us as we ponder if trees are butts, whether farts are defined by gas or digestive systems, and why “even the smallest fart counts.” You’ll meet Mary Heskel, a plant biologist who wonders if she’s accidentally been studying tree farts, and Melinda Martinez, who studies climate change and happily calls herself a tree fart

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: LS Bacteria are among the simplest forms of life on Earth. One cell is identical to the next, sharing the same DNA. So why do they all act so differently? Turns out, there’s a “cookbook” inside each teeny tiny bacteria cell, and every single bacteria has different ideas about the recipes it wants to make. Mary Dunlop is a biological engineer who’s a creative cook both in the kitchen and the lab - and she’s cooking up her own experiment o

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: LS 5-LS2-1, 3-LS3-2, 4-LS1-1 Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect, Systems and System Models How do whales use their blowholes to breathe, and what keeps them from filling up with water? There’s no better way to find out than getting up close and personal with whales! That’s what marine mammal biologist Justine Hudson did when she collected whale snot from belugas. Snot or “blow” is the watery cloud that sprays up when whales exhale.

Meet the scientist who collected his poop every day for a year.

EDUCATION RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: LS 4-LS1-1 Crosscutting Concepts: Systems and System Models Why do we have snot? Do animals get stuffy noses, too? We delve into the world of thick secretions with the help of Dani Rabiaotti, zoologist and author of “Believe it or Snot: The Definitive Field Guide to Earth’s Slimy Creatures.” You’ll find out why we make so much mucus, and meet the slimiest animals on the planet. Plus, you’ll discover why scientists study slime, even though

EDUCATION RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: LS 3-LS4-1 Crosscutting Concept: Scale, Proportion, and Quantity In this episode, we learn about Mary Anning , one of the most famous female paleontologists to ever live. She made many great discoveries, including dinosaur poop! She was among the first to identify that strange fossil rocks were actually fossilized feces. Although Anning wasn't allowed to join the scientific clubs that would give her credit for her discoveries, she was reco

EDUCATION RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: LS 3-LS4-1 Crosscutting Concept: Scale, Proportion, and Quantity If you ever get the chance to fossil hunting, don't just look for bones or teeth. Keep your eyes peeled for prehistoric poop! Coprolites are a kind of " trace fossil." Separate from "body" fossils, they provide clues to dinosaur behavior. Don't worry, the smell has long since drifted away! It might be hard to identify a coprolite, but these examples still have a fresh "look.

From astronaut diapers to poop transplants, in this episode Lindsay and Marshall explore the very real and very gross science of poop.