Since sexual contact can transmit disease, why don't any diseases increase our sex drive? Why is Wednesday pronounced differently than it's spelled? Why do British lawyers and judges still wear powdered wigs? The answers, plus a fond farewell.

There's science behind why reheated coffee is terrible. In the incredible future, we may have better ways to mammogram. Plus, the woman who founded home economics was all kinds of amazing.

Research into missing limbs indicates that our brains control function differently than we thought. Underground mole rats can live without oxygen. Plus, the mysteries of Blood Falls have been solved.

Female Supreme Court justices get interrupted three times as often as male justices. Climbing stairs may be as effective as caffeine at perking you up. Plus, today's teens are doing pretty OK. Really.

Are humans nutritous enough to make cannibalism feasible? Could Trump's proposed border wall be improved with a Hyperloop?. Plus: Should the FBI be able to use everyone's photos in their crime-solving facial recognition program?

Humans are ill-suited to the rigors of space, but augmenting ourselves with technology may create opportunities to explore and colonize worlds beyond our own. In this episode, we experiment in such a future.

Is it time for the United States to have a military Space Force? Weather patterns are getting stuck in place - climate change is to blame. Plus, research shows that a substance in maple syrup has some incredible medicinal properties.

Is scattering ashes technically littering? Will circular runways be the future of airports? Can the TSA search the data in your electronic devices? In this episode, these questions are answered and only two bad puns are made.

Bird excrement was once so valuable to farmers that the U.S. government tried to claim all of it. It's possible to get pregnant a second time when you're already pregnant. Plus: When did we start calling citizens consumers?

Researchers are working to improve the lives of adult picky eaters. We break down who the Secret Service protects, and at what costs to taxpayers. Plus, there's a $700 kit that turns certain cars into self-driving cars -- and it works.

Although cases are rare, a non-zero number of patients have gone to doctors with a leech stuck in their throat over the years. In this special episode, we explore this gross but fascinating circumstance. Music by Eric Matyas www.soundimage.org

and is in such high demand that tons of it are being stolen from beaches. White rhinos use middens as a complex communal message board. Plus, clinical trials need more volunteers -- we explain why.

Ancient armies sometimes used hallucinogenic honey as a bioweapon. New research shows how different squid brains are from human brains. Plus, we break down why hot food seems more satisfying than cold food.

Morality aside, is it ever legal to punch someone in the face? Unrelated: Researchers have identified the brain bits responsible for finding certain sounds incredibly annoying. Plus, highly profane people may be more honest.

Solar flares may be responsible for deadly whale beachings. New research clarifies cosmic radiation exposure for frequent fliers. Plus, purposefully complex terms of service let apps harvest our personal data.

A zebra shark has given birth to viable babies without a mate. Weighted blankets may help people battle anxiety and insomnia. Plus: How much damage would a U.S. boarder wall do to local wildlife?

A proposed anti-aging treatment transfuses young people's plasma into old people's blood. A species of boxer crab clones and carries sea anemones as weapons. Plus, the oldest known ancestor of all vertebrates was a wee sack of teeth.

Tornadoes' centers leave you cold and breathless; now we know how. Underuse and overuse of particular medical treatments is a global problem. Plus, the history and politics behind the importance of a president's first 100 days.

Wonder Woman's iconic themes of truth, matriarchy, and bondage reflect on her fascinating creator. Schools are suspending more students than ever, with lasting effects. Plus: Do smartphones really charge faster in airplane mode?

Research indicates that gun violence is contagious like a disease. Pregnancy causes measurable changes in the brain. Plus, science tells us how frequently we should wash our bath towels.

Future moon settlers could live in caves carved by ancient lunar lava flows. Letting kids lose games can actually help them in the long run. Plus, your fellow airplane passengers are closer to you than ever.

You have some specific genes to thank if you can smell asparagus in urine. Tardigrades were finally observed mating and it's suitably strange. Plus, a software glitch is sending innocent people to prison.

Tiny invertebrates pollinate underwater flowers like bees. Fun party trick: How to taste garlic through your feet. Plus, Stephen Hawking is helping send a probe the size of a cherry tomato to explore another solar system.

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