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Planarians are small flatworms that live in wet and humid areas around the globe. Although these creatures are relatively simple, their small, soft bodies possess one of the most amazing secrets in the animal kingdom. Cut a planarian into as many as 279 pieces and, within a few weeks, each bit will regenerate into a full new worm – head, eyes, digestive system and all. This incredible ability raises interesting questions for philosophers, who might wonder which, if any, of these worms is the ‘original’, and for medical researchers, who are hoping to harness the adaptability of planarian’s powerful regenerative stem cells to help regrow tissue, and potentially even limbs, on humans. Read more about this video at KQED Science.
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Earth science and climate
A biologist on the sorrows of documenting the Great Salt Lake’s collapse
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Design and fashion
Household items are reborn in a ‘visual symphony of everyday objects’
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Music
As a pianist strikes a chord, visualisations of his notes appear in real time
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Thinkers and theories
Jeremy Bentham was consumed by creating a perfect prison. Here’s the result
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Quantum theory
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Space exploration
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Logic and probability
Chew over the prisoner’s dilemma and see if you can find the rational path out
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Architecture
The radically impractical 18th-century architect whose ideas on beauty endure
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Biology
The idea that life on Earth originated elsewhere is not as far out as it seems
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