The DNA Files, the
award-winning NPR-distributed series that explores the
intriguing world of genetics and its impact on life in
the 21st century, returns to public radio this fall with five new one-hour documentaries. Produced by
Berkeley, California-based SoundVision
Productions®, the shows are anchored
by Peabody- and Emmy-winning correspondent John
Hockenberry.
The new lineup brings tales of food in the age of biotechnology;
how environment works in concert with genetics; the interplay
between the inner mind and the outer
world; comparative
genomics (what do animals tell us about ourselves?);
and the pressure of climate change on the species of
our planet. The DNA Files will air on WSKG Public Radio
on Thursdays at 1 and 7pm beginning November 8
th.
WSKG expands
the national broadcast of The DNA Files with five
locally-produced feature pieces that
will air Thursdays during Morning Edition and All Things
Considered. Topics include a look at research on tree
swallows and climate change; biofilms and the discovery
of a molecule that may help disperse biofilm colonies;
and a visit to a DNA science camp for kids.
This series is produced by Crystal
Sarakas, and is made possible with support
from The DNA Files, a project of SoundVision Productions.
Documentaries:
Beyond Human November
8th at 1 and 7 pm
We humans think we are pretty special creatures within the animal kingdom,
but as scientists try to understand what makes us different from other
animals, they keep running into what makes us the same. We share most
of our DNA with chimps, nearly as much with mice, and a good proportion
with non-mammals such as bees and birds. Researchers examine these
similarities and differences to learn more about the human race.
For
more information: Beyond Human
Rewriting Heredity: Environment and the Genome November
15th at 1 & 7 p.m.
At first, geneticists
thought studies of genes and
inheritance held the answers
to both the cause and treatment
of disease. Now they realize
that genes do not act alone
and that environment — from
our cells to our neighborhoods — works
in concert with our genetics.
Researchers are connecting
just how the minute genetic
variations among people influence
why some are more sensitive
to air pollution or react badly
to some medications, or — as
producer Vicki Monks finds
in her travels between Arizona
and Mexico to compare obesity
rates of Pima Indian communities — how
the variations in our living
conditions can change health
on a molecular level.
For more information: Rewriting Heredity:
Environment and the Genome
The Heat Is On:
Evolution in Action
November 29th at
1 and 7 p.m.
Evolution is
an ongoing process and as
the Earth becomes warmer,
we are seeing changes in
migration patterns of birds,
insects and even in the microbial
life of the oceans. Here
we look at how scientists
track these changes, how
organisms can adapt or not,
and what this means for the
health of the planet. Producer
Adam Burke journeys to Hawaii
and through Australia — the
jungles to the Great Barrier
Reef — to find out how living
things are affected by warming
trends.
For
more information: The Heat Is On: Evolution in Action
Designing the Garden: Food in
the Age of Biotechnology
December 6 at 1 and 7 p.m.
This program looks at the debates surrounding
genetically modified food. Some say manipulating genes
in plants and animals is the solution to world hunger;
others say it's not safe to eat or grow. The Enviropig,
for example developed by researchers in Guelph, Ontario.
The pig is genetically modified to produce less phosphorus,
and might one day make pig farming less harmful to the
environment. The program also travels to India to explore
rice genetically fortified with beta-carotene to ward
off diseases that come from Vitamin A deficiency. Producers:
Julie Grant and Elizabeth Culotta.
For
more information: Designing the
Garden: Food in the Age of Biotechnology
Minding the Brain
December 13 at 1 and 7 p.m.
This program may just change the
way you think about memory and learning.
And it won't just affect your mind; it'll
change your brain — literally. Researchers
today are grappling with the interplay
between the inner mind and the outer world
and looking at how the brain a person is
born with changes in response to the cultural,
social, personal and physical environments
we live in. Producer: Larry Massett
For
more information: Minding the Brain
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