Animal Anatomy

To better understand the inner workings of our bodies and to trace the origins of many of today's most common diseases, we have to turn to unexpected sources: worms, flies, and even fish.

When the Titanic was built, many people thought the massive ship was unsinkable. Today it rests on the ocean floor. Learn about why ships sink and how past disasters and modern technology have led to safer ships.

It's hurricane season. Scientists have detected a storm at sea, and it's growing. Learn about how these monster storms form, how scientists track them, and how people respond to their destruction.

Random Facts You Should Know: WTF Edition is jam-packed with fun and strange facts that you will be itching to unpack in any conversation to impress those around you. Whether you enjoy listening through these by yourself, with a partner, or with a group, you are bound to lose track of time while having a laugh and learning something new.

When Jennifer Doudna was a sixth grader in Hilo, Hawaii, she came home from school one afternoon and found a book on her bed. It was The Double Helix, James Watson’s account of how he and Francis Crick had discovered the structure of DNA, the spiral-staircase molecule that carries the genetic instruction code for all forms of life. This book guided Jennifer Doudna to focus her studies not on DNA, but on what seemed to take a backseat in biochemistry: figuring out the structure of RNA, a closely related molecule that enables the genetic instructions coded in DNA to express themselves.

A quiet revolution has been underway in recent years, with study after study revealing substantial same-sex sexual behavior in animals. Join celebrated author Eliot Schrefer on an exploration of queer behavior in the animal world—from albatrosses to bonobos to clownfish to doodlebugs. In sharp and witty prose Schrefer uses science, history, anthropology, and sociology to illustrate the diversity of sexual behavior in the animal world. Interviews with researchers in the field offer additional insights for readers and aspiring scientists.

Dogs are amazing creatures with amazing bodies! Discover how fur protects their delicate skin, and which body parts gives them balance. Did you know dogs can wiggle their ears in many directions? Learn more facts about dogs and how their unique anatomy is different from other animals.

The rumbling ground could only mean one thing: an earthquake. Learn about where and how earthquakes form, how scientists predict them, how structures are built to withstand them, and more.

Sickness is a fact of everyday life. But when sickness spreads from person to person rapidly, a deadly pandemic could result. Find out the causes behind major pandemics of history, such as the Spanish flu and the Bubonic plague. Then go behind the scenes to meet the people who are working hard every day to stop pandemics before they start.

Air travel is one of the safest methods of transportation, but when a disaster happens, it captures the public's imagination. Learn about how airplanes are built, how researchers investigate a crash, how engineers are making planes safer, and more.

Have you ever wondered what’s inside that “thing” on the plant? What about what lives in the hole in the tree or what lives inside that “pile of leaves or sticks?” Explore and learn what some of these natural history objects are in this latest book by Nature Photographer and Naturalist Mary Holland.

Scrub all you want, but you'll never get your body entirely clean. From rash causing itch mites to bacteria swimming in your stomach, meet the tiny creatures hitching a ride on your body.

Transform the love you have for horses into a deep and lasting bond that is forged from optimal care for your horse’s health, a knowledge of the equine mind, and key strategies for communicating with your horse. Finally! Your lifelong dream has become a reality—you are about to own your very first horse. If you are a horse lover, it is very difficult to describe the unique sense of freedom and joy that arises every time you go horse riding.

Listeners will be fascinated by the many ways animals use their tails - to move on land, swim, warn others, steer, hold onto things, keep warm, balance, fly, attract a mate, and even to defend themselves! Apparently tails are not just for wagging when happy. Following Animal Eyes, Animal Mouths (NSTA/CBC Outstanding Trade Science Award), and Animal Legs, Mary Holland continues her Animal Anatomy and Adaptations series by exploring the many ways animals use their tails.

The story of evolution as you’ve never heard it before. What’s the easiest way to tell species apart? Check their genitals. Researching private parts was long considered taboo, but scientists are now beginning to understand that the wild diversity of sex organs across species can tell us a lot about evolution. Menno Schilthuizen invites listeners to join him as he uncovers the ways the shapes and functions of genitalia have been molded by complex Darwinian struggles.

Swiss equestrian William "Zen" Griegg skyrockets to the top of the European show jumping circuit. As he sets his sights on the 2000 Olympic Games, his beloved horse Tiger is abducted en route to a competition in the United States. Zen's father, Sigmund Griegg, again teams with American Alana Eastwood to solve an international mystery that leads them from a secret tunnel in the Owl Mountains of Poland, through the art galleries of Zürich, to the Hamilton Farm Equestrian Center in Gladstone, New Jersey.

Den Hufen lauschen. Das Hörbuch zeigt alles Wichtige an Huf und Gliedmaße, sowie die Grundlagen der Hufpflege, der Hufbearbeitung und des Hufbeschlags. Von der Biomechanik bis hin zur Huforthopädie, wird alles an vielen Bildern und Zeichnungen leicht verständlich erklärt. Den Hufen zu lauschen kann man lernen, wenn man die Details sehen und zuordnen kann. Wie das geht, zeigt die Hufschmiedin mit Informationen aus der Erfahrung, für die tägliche Praxis aller interessierten Pferdefreunde und Hufbearbeiter.

¿Qué tienen en común y en qué se diferencian los cangrejos y las langostas? Aunque ambos animales viven en el océano, uno prefiere nadar y el otro caminar. Uno puede ser encontrado en pozas costeras y el otro en alta mar. Ambos tienen esqueletos en la parte externa de sus cuerpos. ¡Hay mucho más sobre estos animales además de ser un buen alimento para nosotros! Aprende sobre estos crustáceos fascinantes en la edición más reciente de la serie de Un libro de comparaciones y contrastes.

Las focas y los leones marinos tienen un aspecto similar y algunas veces es complicado saber cuál es cuál. Ambos mamíferos marinos nadan con aletas y pueden encontrarse en océanos alrededor del mundo. Uno tiene orejas visibles, mientras que las orejas del otro no son externas. Uno atraviesa el agua utilizando sus aletas traseras, mientras que el otro usa sus aletas frontales para nadar. Ya sobre tierra, uno rebota hacia sus alrededores, mientras que el otro puede “caminar” sobre sus aletas.

¿Sabías que hay más insectos que cualquier otro grupo de animales? La diversidad de insectos es asombrosa. ¿Qué tienen en común las hormigas con las abejas? ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre una mariposa y una polilla? ¿Cómo están relacionados los gorgojos y las mariquitas? Algunos insectos tienen un par de alas, otros tienen dos pares y hay algunos que no tienen alas. Algunos insectos, aunque no todos, tienen un caparazón duro y externo (exoesqueleto). Aprende en qué se parecen y diferencian los insectos en esta nueva entrega de la serie de Comparaciones y Contrastes.