September 29, 2000

Dirt-Eating Parrots: Health

The eating habits of parrots may provide a solution to one of the world’s most urgent health problems

September 28, 2000

Dirt-Eating Parrots: Humans

People in many parts of the world eat clay on a regular basis. It may sound strange, but scientists say it’s healthy.

September 27, 2000

Dirt-Eating Parrots

Some parrots have an unusual dietary habit that may be keeping them alive –they eat clay.

September 26, 2000

Soybean: Electricity

A vat of soybean oil is bubbling away at a lab in northern Iowa, and it’s not making french fries. This liquid that could lead to safer electric power.

September 25, 2000

Soybean: Uses

Soy sauce, tofu and soy milk aren’t all that soybeans have to offer. Your local electricity utility may find a use for them, too.

September 22, 2000

Rustling Leaves

Trees are part of a venerable tradition of prophecy and folklore.

September 21, 2000

Rubber: Risk

The entire industrialized world is dependent on a crop that could be destroyed by one tiny fungus.

September 20, 2000

Rubber: War

It bounces, stretches and keeps your feet dry in the rain. And it may well have meant the difference between winning and losing World War II.

September 19, 2000

Rubber: Boom

When Henry Ford invented the Model T, he started a gold rush – for the “black gold” of the Amazon.

September 18, 2000

Rubber: Intro

The modern world is completely dependent on a certain elastic substance that was once called “white blood”.

September 15, 2000

Listener Initiative

Pulse of the Planet would like to hear about the special ways that you mark the seasons and cycles of the year. Call 877-Pulse-99.

September 14, 2000

Duck Hunting

Duck hunting season is getting under way now in upstate New York. In this sport, a good hunting buddy is a man’s best friend.

September 13, 2000

Landmine Detection

Scientists are working on a way to find hidden landmines by firing special radar bullets into the ground. It’s a system that could also help find water on Mars.

September 12, 2000

Moose: Mating

Female moose make an unusual sound, and right now is the only time of year you can hear it.

September 11, 2000

Moose: Habits

Unlike Bullwinkle, moose are not particularly gregarious types. In fact they seek each other’s company only during mating season.

September 8, 2000

Africa: Wodaabe – relationships

Their chanting and clicking may not sound romantic to you, but it’s what the Wodaabe men of the Sahara do to attract women.

September 7, 2000

Africa: Surma – Stick fighting

Stick fighting among the Surma tribe of Africa is fierce and violent. But they do it in the name of love.

September 6, 2000

Africa: Surma – Thumb piano

The Surma people of Ethiopia celebrate courtship season with exotic body painting and music played on thumb pianos.

September 5, 2000

Burning Man: Society

There’s nothing quite like the Burning Man Festival, held every Labor Day in a different location. It’s a week of uninhibited creativity that comes to a fiery conclusion.

September 4, 2000

Burning Man

The annual Burning Man Festival is like an alternative city of 20,000 people, teeming with creative energy. But it’s a town that only exists for a week.

September 1, 2000

Iroquois: Ceremonies

Right now, Iroquois people are taking part in the Green Corn ceremony. It ‘s part of a yearlong cycle of seasonal ceremonies.