Multimedia
Futures in Biotech 67: Triceratopping Egg Mountain
September 18, 2010 2:32 am Podcasts CommentsHost: Marc Pelletier Dinosaur hunting with the man who inspired Jurassic Park. Guest: Dr. Jack Horner, curator of Paleontology at the Museum of the Rockies and Montana State University Regents' Professor of Paleontology We invite you to read, add to, and amend our show notes. Comments and...
Teaching Doctors To Be Better Listeners
September 17, 2010 4:37 pm Podcasts CommentsIf doctors listen more carefully to patients' conversations about work and family life, they can pick up clues that lead to better treatment, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Author Dr. Alan Schwartz talks about training doctors to be better listeners.
How We Pay Attention
September 17, 2010 4:37 pm Podcasts CommentsCan you remember everything you see when you walk into a room? Why does our memory deceive us, even when we're confident we're paying attention? Psychologists Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons discuss what grabs our focus, and why.
To Spur Innovation, Offer Millions In Cash Prizes
September 17, 2010 4:37 pm Podcasts CommentsJust as Charles Lindbergh was tempted to fly nonstop to Paris in hopes of winning a $25,000 prize, the U.S. government is offering millions of dollars in prize money to lure innovators into building better lightbulbs, cheaper satellite-launching spacecraft and more fuel-efficient cars.
Why Are These Crows So Good With Tools?
September 17, 2010 4:37 pm Podcasts CommentsNew Caledonian crows are among only a handful of species that have been shown to use tools. They use twigs to fish out beetle larvae from dead trees. Reporting in Science, Christian Rutz and colleagues explore why the birds evolved this rare trait.
White House Says ‘No’ To Solar Panel
September 17, 2010 4:36 pm Podcasts CommentsEnvironmentalist Bill McKibben was hoping the Obama administration would reinstall a solar panel President Jimmy Carter once had on the White House. McKibben took the panel to Washington, D.C., but administration officials declined to put the panel back on the White House roof.
Does The Universe Have a 'Dark Flow?'
September 17, 2010 4:36 pm Podcasts CommentsUsing measurements of the cosmic microwave background, researchers say, there’s evidence that galaxy clusters are being pulled along by a force outside the visible universe. Theoretical physicist Michael Turner explains this “dark flow” and other recent cosmology news.
The Calculus Around You
September 17, 2010 4:36 pm Podcasts CommentsIn her new book The Calculus Diaries, writer Jennifer Ouellette describes the development of calculus, from Archimedes to Newton, and shows how calculus is a part of everyday life -- from amusement park rides and Vegas craps tables, to dieting and figuring out gas mileage.
The Origins Of The Word 'Cell'
September 17, 2010 4:36 pm Podcasts CommentsIn the 1660s, Robert Hooke looked through a primitive microscope at a thinly cut piece of cork. He saw a series of walled boxes that reminded him of the tiny rooms, or cellula, occupied by monks. Medical historian Dr. Howard Markel discusses Hooke's coining of the word "cell."
Futures in Biotech 66: The Homebrew Genomics Club
September 12, 2010 8:33 am Podcasts CommentsHosts: Marc Pelletier and Andre Nantel A first hand account on the genesis of the Human Genome Project. Guest: Dr. David Botstein, Director, Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University We invite you to read, add to, and amend our show notes. Comments and...
Tracking Coastal Erosion From Storms
September 10, 2010 2:32 pm Podcasts CommentsNew data from sensitive airborne altimetry combined with undersea sensors is giving scientists better insight into how major storms can rapidly reshape coastlines. Reporter Sid Perkins discusses his Science News article on the scouring power of major storms.
When To Test For Prostate Cancer?
September 10, 2010 2:32 pm Podcasts CommentsAds urge men of a certain age to get screened for prostate cancer. But is "test early, test often" the best approach? Otis Brawley of the American Cancer Society and Mark Scholz, author of Invasion Of The Prostate Snatchers, discuss other approaches.
Happy Birthday, Buckyballs!
September 10, 2010 2:32 pm Podcasts CommentsTwenty-five years ago this month, researchers first identified buckminsterfullerenes -- a previously undiscovered form of carbon shaped like a tiny soccer ball. Harry Kroto, who shared the Nobel Prize for the discovery, explains what's been learned about fullerenes since.
Scientists Study What Makes A Man A Good Dancer
September 10, 2010 2:32 pm Podcasts CommentsEvolutionary psychologist Nick Neave filmed men dancing, converted the videos into dancing avatars and asked women to rate the avatars' dancing ability. The researchers found that the highly rated male dancers had some moves in common. Some advice: Shake that right knee.
Does The 'Energy Star' Label Need An Update?
September 10, 2010 2:32 pm Podcasts CommentsA review in Consumer Reports says it's good news so many products have become energy efficient but calls for strengthening Energy Star standards to guide consumers to truly efficient products. Ira Flatow and guests discuss that report and overlooked ways people can save energy at home.
