Shed Some Light on Thailand's Rare Dolphins - Justine Jackson Ricketts

Many people think of dolphins as active, playful animals who are always jumping and splashing in the waters. But National Geographic grantee Justine Jackson Ricketts says that the rare Irrawaddy dolphins tend to be quieter and stay in the water. She's studying the dolphins' habitat of choice in order to better preserve them.

Egyptian Puppy Mummies - Paul Nicholson

Few creatures provide better companionship to man than dogs. They were created by us, and of all animals on the planet, they seem to have a better understanding of their human companions than any other. So, it's not surprising to assume that Ancient Egypt's gods might like some canine companionship. National Geographic Grantee Paul Nicholson has been exploring a dog burial site at Saqqara, where as many as eight million puppies were offered as tribute to various gods in exchange for divine intervention.

Killing Ancient Forests For Paper - Jan Vertefeuille

America's demands for paper products make the industry a money-maker. In this country alone, we use 80 million tons of paper every year. WWF's Jan Vertefeuille explains that this demand is being filled by companies that clear-cut Sumatra's forests, endangering rare tigers, orangutans and rhinos.

Life Under Da Sea - Sylvia Earle

Ever dreamed of living underwater? Sylvia Earle, National Geographic Explorer in Residence, spent a week living beneath the sea at the Aquarius Underwater Laboratory. Aquarius is a huge cylindrical tank with various rooms sitting 60 feet underwater that was designed for extended underwater reef research. Now part of the reef itself off of Key Largo, this station is critical to conserving the world's reefs which are now half gone. Unfortunately, the future of Aquarius is in question as the federal government has ceased funding. Earle explains her experience and how important it is to keep Aquarius in operation.

Chicago's Thriving Coyotes - Stanley Gehrt

There are coyotes running wild on the streets of Chicago. Initially when Stanley Gehrt started studying the urban coyotes, he thought there would be a few dozen of them, and that they would easily be deterred from making the city their home. But living close to large numbers of people means there are plenty of food sources for the canines, including the city's hundreds of thousands of rats. He was surprised when he discovered that hundreds of the canines make Chicago their home. Gehrt tells Boyd that every major North American city has a population of coyotes and, the animals being as opportunistic as they are, there is very little humans can do about it.

Did Drought Push Genghis Khan into Europe? - Amy Hessl

While studying petrified trees in Mongolia, Amy Hessl made an interesting discovery. It was once thought that Genghis Khan led his Mongolian army across the steppes and into Europe as a result of drought at home. Hessl’s discovery tells us the exact opposite.

Teaching Children To Calculate Risk - Mike Libecki

Mike Libecki was one of National Geographic's candidates for "Adventurer of the Year" in 2013, and it's easy to understand why: the experienced mountaineer led expeditions from places as disparate as Antarctica and the Philippines. Libecki is also a father. He tells Boyd what it's like to raise a child as a risk-taker, and how he handles his daughter wanting to follow in his footsteps, across frozen continents and through lush jungles.