Eureka!

In our Mother's Day episode of Eureka!, we hear what matters most about being a mom — from the horse's mouth and from the mouths of babes. Dietrich Volkmann, teaching professor of theriogenology, tells the story of a foal named Ren, whose complicated birth at MU's Veterinary Health Center led to a happy adoption by a surrogate mare. By Dale Smith. Preschoolers at Mizzou's on-campus Childhood Development Lab tells what they like most about their moms. By Erik Potter.

Our Valentine's Day episode of Eureka! focuses on food and love — how food can help you find love, how sharing food can be an act of love. You'll hear from: A Mizzou alumnus and professional foodie, Theo Hahn, on how to woo with food; A professor of food writing, Nina Furstenau, on the role food plays in our cultural identity; And a rural sociologist, Anne Cafer, on how witnessing food insecurity changed her life forever.

This Eureka! Bite, a mini episode, addresses what scientists are learning about cravings. Using irresistible cookie dough, Mizzou psychological sciences professor Matthew Will and his team discovered the chemical circuits and mechanisms in the brain that separate food consumption from cravings. Knowing more about these mechanisms could help researchers develop drugs that reduce overeating.

We tend to think of robot stories as an invention of modern science fiction. But Signe Cohen, a professor of religious studies, has found many of them in ancient Buddhist and Hindu texts from India. The stories address very current questions about the abuse of power and what it means to be human. Also in the show, drop in on the new Architectural Robotics class, where Engineering Professor Marjori Skubic is melding the field of design with electrical and computer engineering. And hear how plant scientist Felix Fritschi and engineer Guilherme DeSouza are speeding crop research using robots. Music Chris Stephens, a graduate student in musical geography, performs the sitar. Anand Prahlad, a professor of English, performs the mbira.   Learn more about this episode and robot research at Mizzou »

Episode 1: HIV/AIDS In this episode of Eureka!, we bring you three stories of how Mizzou faculty researchers — a nurse, a social scientist and a biochemist — are reaching out to communities in Missouri and across the globe to fight HIV and AIDS. Maithe Enriquez, an associate professor in MU’s Sinclair School of Nursing, runs a peer-led intervention program designed to help people with HIV and AIDS stay on their medication. Enid Schatz, an associate professor in health sciences and women’s and gender studies, investigates the effects of HIV/AIDS on older people and on family structures in South Africa. Bill Folk, a professor of biochemistry and an adjunct professor of public health, examines the indigenous botanicals used to treat HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. Folk gave the 2015 Corps of Discovery lecture. Listen.   Learn more about this episode and HIV/AIDS research at Mizzou »