Lightning & Migraine
Migraine headaches are associated with lightning storms.
Podcast for 21 December 2012
THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT - What a scallop's cough can tell us about environmental health, how melting Arctic ice may have caused the earth's last big freeze, and why climate change may have undone the Maya empire. Also: using weather forecasting techniques to predict flu outbreaks, and revisiting the apocalypse myth surrounding the fictional planet Nibiru.
Climate Change & The Maya
Climate change may have unraveled the sophisticated Maya empire.
Paleotempestology Roundup
The new science of paleotempestology studies ocean sediment to uncover ancient hurricanes.
Seeing Inside Fukushima
Cosmic rays called muons could help detect uranium in damaged Japanese nuclear reactors.
Malaria Heads North
Global warming may drive malaria northward in coming years.
Rainforests & Rainfall
Deforestation can lead to droughts hundreds of miles away.
Wind Roundup
Airborne wind turbines have the potential to meet half of the world’s energy needs by 2030.
Pollution Scrubbing Roundup
Newly developed materials can pull carbon dioxide out of the air.
Podcast for 3 August 2012
INVENTION - More lifelike robots. Headlights that can see past raindrops. And a pair of goggles that could improve your memory. Also, scientists have developed the world's lightest material.
Smart Headlights
“Smart” headlights improve visibility by illuminating the road ahead, but not raindrops or snowflakes.
Podcast for 11 May 2012
BIRDS & DINOSAURS - Scientists discover T. Rex's feathered cousin, did dino gas warm the ancient earth? And giant fleas that may have pestered the prehistoric giants. Also: why the amorous pursuits of an Australian bird has turned it into a horticulturalist, and how ravens keep track of friend and foe.
Dinosaur Roundup
Dinosaurs may have contributed to ancient global warming.
Penguins from Space
Researchers have estimated the total number of Emperor Penguins in Antarctica using satellite images.
Raindrop Fossils
Raindrop impressions, preserved for 2.7 billion years, reveal clues about the early Earth's climate.
Podcast for 13 April 2012
CHEMISTRY & LIFE - What 2-billion-year-old raindrop fossils can tell us about conditions on the early earth. What science is revealing about the artwork of Leonardo da Vinci and Vincent Van Gogh. And a breakthrough in materials science technology yields plastic that can repair itself.
Extremely Tiny Horses
Ancient horses shrank when global temperatures rose.
Podcast for 18 February 2012
AAAS 2012 ANNUAL MEETING SPECIAL - This week, we're coming to you from Vancouver, British Columbia, where scientists are gathering to tackle issues or global importance, such as how to boost crop productivity to feed a growing population, and making cookstoves safer for the world's poor. Also: video games to combat cataracts, and ultra-thin electronics printed with silver ink.
Safer Cookstoves
Cleaner cookstoves could save millions of lives and slow global warming.
Podcast for 10 February 2012
Are cyclones and earthquakes related? Why recent bad winters may be the result of global warming. And what life might be like on a planet with two stars. Also: we answer a listener's question about the temperature of the sun.
Warming & Winter
Arctic warming may actually be keeping winters cold for now, while raising temperatures in the other three seasons.
Earthquakes & Cyclones
Bad storms in Taiwan and Haiti may have contributed to earthquakes there.