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The future may be more amazing than we can imagine (NOTE: Subscribers can still listen to these shows and we will hold John Hogue’s feet to the fire–as usual–any day now!) First, tires that fix their own flats: these could be inspired by a tree called the Weeping Benjamin. When attacked by insects or suffering other mechanical damage, the trees emit a thick mess of latex particles that contain capsules of the protein hevein.read more

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Give him or her music lessons! Those childhood music lessons keep our minds sharper as people age, even if we no longer play the instrument. A study recruited 70 healthy adults age 60 to 83 who were divided into groups based on their levels of musical experience. The musicians performed better on several cognitive tests than individuals who had never studied an instrument or learned how to read music. Psychologist Brenda Hanna-Pladdy says, "Musical activity throughout life may serve as a challenging cognitive exercise, making your brain fitter and more capable of accommodating the challenges of aging.read more