The Nature Fix. (starts 1:50) In this spring pledge drive show, we revisit the science show interview about the benefits of getting out in nature.
The Case Against Sugar. (starts 9:40) Best-selling science writer Gary Taubes discusses his new book, which explains what happens when industry funds science . . . and controls the strings to science. It’s a not so sweet story with some bitter truths. Taube’s new book shares some cloak and dagger moments, such as when a researcher in the Denver Metro area uncovered a load of documents from the mid-20th century about tooth decay. The documents showed how the sugar and processed food industry funded dental studies – – and worked with national dental associations to publish research that determined that sugar does not cause cavities. Additionally, Taubes’s new book includes well-documented reasons he argues that it’s sugar consumption, not salt, that leads to high blood pressure. And Taubes contends that sugar consumption, not eating fat, leads to obesity and diabetes.
Hosts: Shelley Schlender and Susan Moran
Producer: Shelley Schlender
Engineer: Shelley Schlender
Executive Producer: Joel Parker
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Today’s feature has How on Earth’s Beth Bennett talking with Dr. Mike Shanahan, a biologist who has a degree in rainforest ecology. He has lived in a national park in Borneo, bred endangered penguins, and investigated illegal bear farms. His writing has appeared in 
Your Brain on Nature (start time: 5:49): You may think it’s a no-brainer: that nature is good for your mental and physical health. After all, a walk in the woods or even an urban park brightens your outlook on life, at least for a little while. Turns out, the notion that being outside in nature boosts our mood, and even our creativity, has historical roots at least as deep as 
Citizen Science (start time: 5:32): For those who would love to track birds and other creatures or to test drinking water quality in their community, for instance, but think it would require a degree in science to contribute to important scientific discoveries, our guest today aims to set the record straight. 
The American Gut project is the largest crowd-sourced project ever: to date, over 80.000 participants have contributed fecal, skin, or oral samples. The ambitious goal is to characterize the microbiota of as many individuals as possible to identify the diverse species living in and on us. Beth interviews Dr Embrietta Hyde, Project Manager of the Gut project about results and progess.
Beth interviews Drs Jane Bock (starts at 16:35) and David Norris (starts at 7:10), co-authors of