First up on the podcast, News Editor Tim Appenzeller joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about an x-ray image that is upsetting the narrative of DNA’s discovery as told by James Watson. A newly resurfaced photo taken by Rosalind Franklin—photo 49—shows she was aware of the helical structure of DNA and explains why her published image—photo 51—does not have indications of her understanding of its shape.

Next on the show, producer Elah Feder chats with Andreas Nieder, professor of animal physiology and director of the Institute for Neurobiology at the University of Tübingen, about the high speed of bird cognition. It turns out in experimental settings carrion crows make decisions twice as fast as primates. The conversation delves into what could make avian brains ultrafast and the evolutionary advantages of speedy thinking.

Last up this week, poets and scientists get together in books and in real life. Phil Levin and David Hassler discuss their collaboration on a joint effort to create a poetry anthology and a scientific report on the state of nature. They explain how they see science and poetry are connected, and how their ideas will be put into action at an upcoming conference on poetry and science in November.

Also in this segment, Lara Volski reads her poem “The Monarch Bear.”

People in this segment

Phil Levin, professor in sustainability science and director of the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington (UW)
David Hassler, executive director of the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University
Lara Volski, Ph.D. candidate in the People and Wildlife Lab at UW

Works mentioned

Conference details

Poet and science gathering at Kent State

This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy.

Image: Franklin: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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