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Natural Selections
On Natural Selections each week, join a short conversation on the natural world. Topics range from evolutionary biology to geology and wildlife, from climate science to animal and human behavior.
The program is hosted by NCPR news director Martha Foley joined by naturalist Dr. Curt Stager of Paul
Smith's College.
Support for Natural Selections is provided by the Glenn
and Carol Pearsall Adirondack Foundation, dedicated
to improving the quality of life for year-round residents
of the Adirondack Park, and by Paul Smith's, the College of the Adirondacks.
New Book: Deep Future
"The course we take in the coming decades will affect not just the next hundred years, but the next hundred thousand years of life on this planet." --Curt Stager
In bookstores now
Order at: Amazon | Borders
Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Powell's Books
And please remember your local independent booksellers. Find one near you.
Nature features
Curt Stager on On Point
Listen to Dr. Curt Stager as the guest on On Point, 3/24/11, talking about his new book, Deep Future: the Next 100,000 Years of Life on Earth.
Curt's Save the Carbon Blog
Spring, 2012: Just A Fluke, or A Taste of the Future?
Partial ice-out on Lower Saint Regis Lake , March 22, 2012.Record-high March temperatures have driven the ice... more
The weather of 2011: a waste or a wake-up call?
We've been having a difficult time with weather this year in the North Country. But let's not... more
The Power of Moving Water
Spread your arms out sideways and your hands will be roughly one meter apart. Use that span to sculpt an... more
Upper Jay, six days after Irene.
Six days after Irene drove the Ausable River and its tributaries over their banks, Kary and I visited the heavily... more
Irene devastates the Ausable Valley
Former hurricane ("tropical storm") Irene did relatively little damage last Sunday near my home in Paul Smiths, here in... more
Natural HistoryA report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization says insects offer a huge potential for improving the world's food security. Peter Menzel, co-author of <em>Man Eating Bugs</em>, describes some insect-based cuisine and the western...
Sex is nice, but can animals make babies without it? One summer, two little boys, their tutor and the tutor's two friends did an experiment to explore this question. What they discovered, back in 1740, shocked the world.
Food writer Michael Pollan once advised "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Now, he tells us how to cook it. In his new book <em>Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation</em>, he takes a tour of the most time-tested...
Charles Darwin is known as the father of evolution. But another British naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, played a major role in developing the theory of natural selection before fading into obscurity. A trip to what's now Sulawesi in Indonesia,...
Once upon a time, giants roamed the planet — many of them in what is now Utah. A panel of paleontology experts describes some of the state's ancient treasures, from massive long-necked sauropods to the Utahraptor, a predator that would put...
Natural Selections with hosts Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager airs Thursday mornings during The Eight O'Clock Hour.
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Pumpkinseed (top) vs. Bluegill. Photo: Dept. of Environmental Protection MoCo, MD
Natural Selections: Sunfish
Paul Smiths, NY, Mar 07, 2013 — A common sight is fresh water shallows, sunfish provide an excellent opportunity to observe fish behavior. Dr. Curt Stager talks with Martha Foley about the two main varieties, the pumpkinseed and the bluegill. It may be hard to tell one from another, unless of course, you're a sunfish. Go to full article
C3-class Solar Flare, Sept. 8, 2010. Photo: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, CC some rights reserved
Natural Selections: Solar Weather
Paul Smiths, NY, Feb 28, 2013 — Solar weather does more than create light shows at polar latitudes. When the sun acts up, the effects can range from communications interference on earth to lethal doses of radiation for unprotected astronauts. Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager talk about heavenly weather. Go to full article
The treeless summit of Cascade. Archive Photo of the Day by Stuart Delman, Chestertown NY.
Natural Selections: The Treeline
Paul Smiths, NY, Feb 21, 2013 — Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager talk about the timberline, the usually abrupt termination of forest growth above a certain altitude. While it results from a combination of unfavorable factors, the final straw seems to be the length of time free of hard frost. When the growing season is too short to overcome damage from the harsh climate, the trees die out. Go to full article
Wooly mammoths with other Ice Age megafauna. Mauricio Antón, from "Who Killed the Wooly Mammoth," PLOS Biology, 2008. CC, some rights reserved
Natural Selections: Ice Age mammals
Paul Smiths, NY, Feb 07, 2013 — During the last Ice Age North America was home to many varieties of "super-sized" mammals, megafauna. Giant beaver, 'possums, bears, sloths and other creatures joined the more familiar wooly mammoth in the land bridge migration. Dr Curt Stager and Martha Foley look at the question, "Why so big?" Go to full article
Natural Selections: Tryptophan
Paul Smiths, NY, Jan 31, 2013 — Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager talk about tryptophan, and why you may need a new excuse for falling asleep after a turkey dinner. Go to full article
Bumblebee pollinating blueberries. Photo: Athena Rayne Anderson, CC some rights reserved
Natural Selections: Native pollinators
Paul Smiths, NY, Jan 24, 2013 — With the collapse of the population of the European honeybee, introduced to North America in colonial times, many growers are looking for aids in pollinating their crops. But the honeybee may not be the most effective bee. Bumblebees and other native pollinators do a better job on crops like blueberries and cranberries. Martha Foley and Curt Stager discuss. Go to full article
Star-nosed Mole. Photo: US National Park Service.
Natural Selections: More about moles
Paul Smiths, NY, Jan 17, 2013 — Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager talk more about three different types of moles that inhabit the region, and their habits. The Eastern American Mole and the Hairy-tailed Mole prefer dryer soils and consume up to half their weight a day in worms and grubs. Their star-nosed cousin prefers a wetter environment Go to full article
Eastern American Mole. Photo: Kenneth Catania, Vanderbilt University, CC some rights reserved
Natural Selections: Moles
Paul Smiths, NY, Jan 10, 2013 — Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager reveal some interesting facts about the semi-aquatic insectivores that tear up your lawn every year--moles. Go to full article
Mature ginkgo with detail of leaves. Photos: Cayambe (tree) and James Field (leaves). CC some rights reserved
Natural Selections: Ginkgo trees
Paul Smiths, NY, Jan 03, 2013 — Martha Foley and Dr Curt Stager talk about the ginkgo tree--an ancient species native to China. They do not spread naturally anymore, but during the time of the dinosaurs there were many types of ginkgo tree all over the world. Go to full article
Cacao leaves have better disease resistance with the help of endophyte fungi. Photo: Phong Tran, CC some rights reserved
Natural Selections: Fungal Lurkers
Paul Smiths, NY, Dec 27, 2012 — Martha Foley and Dr Curt Stager discuss fungal lurkers--fungi that live inside plants. Fungal lurkers are a new discovery and scientists believe that this type of fungus helps the plant it lives on but may harm animals and people. Go to full article
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