Lifestyle

Ancient DNA sheds light on the past
Molecular biologist Beth Shapiro uses ancient DNA samples to travel through time, looking for clues to what caused the mass extinctions of species like mammoths more than 10,000 years ago. Her research could provide lead to strategies to preserve and protect species today.
Living in a Lustron, the '50s 'house of the future'
In the late 1940s, a dwelling made of prefabricated steel panels called the Lustron, was hailed by promoters as the house of the future. About 19 Lustrons were built in Minnesota, including a handful in the Twin Cities.
The smells of summer
She didn't realize how much of her life revolved around her sense of smell until that sense was gone.
Psychologist explores pleasure in the brain
Why do we like spicy food so hot we can barely eat it? Why do we appreciate artwork more when we know it was created by a famous artist? There are many mysteries about human pleasure, and Yale professor Paul Bloom explores them in a new book.
Dinner Party Download with Gary Shteyngart
This summer, The New Yorker editors named Gary Shteyngart one of the best young fiction writers on Earth. He tells us about his new novel, his distaste for "crunch culture," and his weiner dog, on this week's edition of The Dinner Party Download.