Archive for the ‘Food’ Category

  • Water in a Bottle

    Is bottled water safe and pure? Is bottled water better than tap water? Can you overdose on water? And where did the “8 glasses a day” myth originate?


    Thursday, May 22nd, 2003
  • Vaccines You Can Eat

    Edible vaccines offer cheap, easy solution to halt disease in developing countries, but roadblocks remain. Is this an acceptable type of gene-modified food?


    Thursday, November 21st, 2002
  • Cannibals Get New Respect

    Cannibalism reconsidered. Is devouring the relatives a humane way to respond to emotions about death? Do cannibals still roam the Guyana highlands?


    Thursday, October 17th, 2002
  • Plant Breeding: Hope for the World’s Hungry?

    Genetic engineering may not be the best way to make more food; plant breeding remains vital. As grain production flattens, should we be supporting more plant breeders?


    Thursday, September 19th, 2002
  • Obesity: Key Enzyme Found

    Mice lacking the SCD-1 gene can’t get fat and don’t have diabetes. Is this interesting to you?


    Thursday, August 15th, 2002
  • Caloric Restriction and Aging

    Could a drastic restriction on calories extend your lifespan? Hint: It works for fish, flies and monkeys…


    Thursday, August 1st, 2002
  • Diamonds, Chocolate, Mating

    Diamonds, mating and chocolate: three necessities of Valentine’s Day.


    Thursday, February 7th, 2002
  • Potato Peril? Irish Blight Returns

    Fungus that caused Irish potato famine is back, threatening potato crops around the world. How did the blight change world history, and what is being done to prevent another blight?


    Saturday, March 17th, 2001
  • Agriculture Invented: When? How?

    How did agriculture start, and when did it reach chilly Scandinavia? When were crops domesticated, and what were the first crops? How did domestication change crop genes and human society?


    Wednesday, November 22nd, 2000
  • Food: Microbes Kill

    Food-borne diseases sicken 76 million Americans each year. Lots of bugs can make you sick, especially in meat. Does farm use of antibiotics pose a special risk?


    Saturday, November 20th, 1999


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