Stories on the dangers of masked-bandit bathrooms and microbiotic clues to why some cancer patients respond better to immunotherapy

Stories on our Breakthrough of the Year, top online stories, and science books to hit or miss

Questioning our assumptions on autonomous vehicles, and dolphins and whales that can protect themselves from loud noise

Shaping DNA into ever larger and more complex shapes and making strides in gun control research—without federal funding

Podcast: Debunking yeti DNA, and prehistoric women’s manual labor exceeded that of modern athletes, according to their bones

Ancient dog drawings show leashes, and how Earth might be viewed as a “topological insulator”—a designation usually reserved for the quantum level

The search for early signs of schizophrenia and how written languages adapt—or don’t

Measuring the influence of randomized news stories on Twitter. Plus, a roundup from the daily news site

On this week’s show: A neuron-targeting virus is behind a lifesaving gene therapy for infants. Plus, a roundup from the daily news site

On this week’s show: Can machines achieve consciousness? Plus, a roundup from the daily news site and our monthly books segement