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Twenty-six years after Robert Dixon Jr. went to prison for acting as an accessory to murder, friends and family swear that he is a new man, one committed to redeeming the second half of his life. But according to a test that holds incredible power — some say too much — in the U.S. justice system, Dixon is a psychopath, incapable of reform.

Airs Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV

The Kyoto Prize, Japan's highest private award for global achievement, is sometimes referred to as the Japanese Nobel. This year's laureates in Computer Science, Cancer research and Social Philosophy will be honored with a Gala and they will also give lectures at local universities.

How have butterfly wings influenced the next generation of cell phone screens? We speak to a representative from Qualcomm about their nature-inspired mirasol displays, and discuss how the company is investing in education programs focused on biomimicry.

A new study shows that between the ages of 4 and 7 months, children's brains begin to respond to voices and emotions in an increasingly "adult" way. By tracking these changes scientists may be able to find new ways to diagnose early developmental problems, like autism.

A UCSD professor says liberal or conservative politics might run in your family. KPBS Reporter Tom Fudge explains.

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.

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."

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

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.