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If you were to donate your body to science, what does that mean? Who gets it? What happens to it? Full Focus talks with Dr. Maria Savoia about UCSD's body donation program and the medical discoveries

The device famous for making human voices sound robotic did not originate in the recording studio. As music journalist Dave Tompkins writes in How to Wreck a Nice Beach: The Vocoder From World War II to Hip-Hop, it began as a speech-encoding machine during World War II. Read an excerpt from Tompkins' book about the vocoder and its unexpected history here.

Airs Monday, June 15, 2009 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV

The Tree of Life is commonly associated with Charles Darwin, though its iconography predates the theory of evolution. We speak with a local professor of biology about the perceptions of the Tree of Life before and after Darwin.

Some analysts say diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks give the impression that tough sanctions matter more to the U.S. than striking a deal with Tehran over its nuclear program. But the White House says its engagement strategy is not a ploy and that it will take a serious approach going into talks next week.

Policymakers and scientists are strongly criticizing comments by Michael Griffin, the head of NASA. In an earlier interview with NPR, he said that he's not sure global warming is an issue that the space agency — or humans — need to "wrestle with."

Lice in children have been treated for years with lotions, creams and shampoos. But the little critters are becoming more and more resistant. Now an oral drug already used to treat certain parasites in people appears to kill lice as well. Researchers say it could be an alternative when standard treatments fail.

The Buchinger Clinic in southern Germany is famous for promoting fasting as a cure-all. There is little hard science to back up the program, but that doesn't lessen its appeal to guests from around the globe. About two-thirds are repeat customers.

KPBS and the Watchdog Institute at SDSU spent four months investigating why whooping cough, a disease that was nearly extinct thirty years ago, has infected thousands of people in California and killed 10 babies. Just why it’s made such a vengeful comeback has two of the world’s leading whooping cough experts in disagreement. KPBS Reporter Joanne Faryon raises serious questions about how well the vaccine to prevent the disease works.

An astronaut raised in Lakeside will be at the helm of the shuttle Discovery, which is set to blast off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday. Rick Sturckow, a veteran of three previous space flights, will command the Discovery's 13-day mission to the International Space Station, according to NASA.