WAMU 88.5 : The Kojo Nnamdi Show

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"Kingdom of Rarities"

February 19, 2013
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Why are some creatures, like robins, so common, while others, like the maned wolf, so rare? Surprisingly, human activity isn't to blame in most cases. Rarity, it turns out, is very common in nature, and of the estimated 15 million species on Earth, most are very few in number. One wildlife biologist is tracking the planet's rarest animals in hopes of understanding why they’re scarce and what it means for other species. We explore his research, and how technology is helping catalog the world's biodiversity.

Arts & Culture

NPR

Fictional 'Mothers' Reveal Facts Of A Painful Adoption Process

After years trying to conceive, novelist Jennifer Gilmore and her husband decided to adopt. What they thought would be a relatively simple process was instead a long and painful one. In her latest novel, Gilmore channels these autobiographical experiences into fiction.

Food

NPR

How Genomics Solved The Mystery Of Ireland's Great Famine

Although scientists have known that a funguslike organism caused the potato blight that triggered the Great Famine in Ireland in the 1840s, they didn't know which strain was the culprit. But they do now, thanks to the genes in some 19th century potato samples.

Politics

NPR

With White House Bogged Down By Scandal, GOP Looks For Boost

As criticism of the Obama administration over a string of scandals grows, conservatives see an opportunity to gain momentum for 2014 races. Host Neal Conan and Political Junkie Ken Rudin talk with political science professor Jack Pitney about the GOP and the re-emergence of the Tea Party. Plus: the week in politics from Anthony Weiner's New York mayoral candidacy to the Senate immigration bill.

Technology

NPR

Apple CEO Defends Tax Practices At Senate Hearing

Apple CEO Tim Cook faced tough questions on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. He defended a tax strategy that allows Apple to avoid taxes on tens of billions of dollars of profits. Cook also called on the Congress to lower the U.S. corporate tax rate.

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