August 1, 2018 |
Color Blind Glasses
- New eyeglasses can reduce color blindness.
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May 15, 2018 |
Shrimp-Inspired Navigation
- The mantis shrimp’s ability to see circular polarized light inspires an underwater GPS system.
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May 4, 2018 |
Wind Temperature
- Moving air feels colder than still air, but what does the thermometer say?
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April 18, 2018 |
Atomic Tweezers
- Optical tweezers let scientists combine single atoms into molecules.
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April 11, 2018 |
Baseball on the Moon
- Could a well-thrown baseball sail from the moon’s surface into orbit?
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December 1, 2017 |
Snow White
- A listener asks: What makes snow white?
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October 31, 2017 |
Solar Butterflies
- A butterfly’s wings inspires more efficient solar cells.
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March 9, 2017 |
Mountain High
- Have you ever been to a high altitude and found yourself gasping for breath? One listener asked why that happens.
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March 6, 2017 |
The Mpemba Effect
- A strange phenomenon of freezing water has baffled scientists for decades.
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December 8, 2016 |
Physics of Tomorrow
- In a special issue of Physics Today, scientists speculate about the physics of the 22nd century.
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November 30, 2016 |
Similar Snowflakes
- A listener asks: Why do snowflakes appear so similar to each other?
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November 28, 2016 |
Star Distance
- Astronomers calculate the distance to the furthest stars by comparing them to stars they know.
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October 27, 2016 |
Restoring Touch
- Scientists are learning the complex nerve signals that allow us to experience the sensation of touch.
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August 29, 2016 |
Weather Bombs
- Storm-induced seismic waves may help scientists see Earth’s interior.
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August 25, 2016 |
Tree Ring Clocks
- Spikes in radiation caused by historic solar flares could help archaeologists precisely date ancient events.
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August 11, 2016 |
Earthquakes & Ancient Temples
- Geologists in India are measuring damage to ancient temples in order to better understand past earthquakes.
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August 8, 2016 |
Sunflowers in Motion
- Sunflowers have an internal clock to guide their growth.
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August 1, 2016 |
Jupiter’s Hot Spot
- Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is heating the gas giant’s upper atmosphere from below.
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July 8, 2016 |
Metal in Microwaves
- If metal isn’t supposed to go in microwave ovens, why do some of them have metal racks?
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June 16, 2016 |
Glowing Slime
- Glowing blue slime from the sea could be useful in biomedical research.
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April 18, 2016 |
Silver Ants Keep Cool
- Ultra-reflective silver ants stay cool in desert temperatures topping 120˚ Fahrenheit.
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March 30, 2016 |
Pluto’s Origins
- A violent collision between two worlds may have given rise to Pluto and its satellites.
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February 16, 2016 |
Hands-on Physics
- Experiencing physics phenomena first-hand can boost students’ learning of the subject, and leads to changes in the brain.
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February 8, 2016 |
Untying Laces
- Why won’t shoelaces stay tied?
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January 14, 2016 |
Light & Energy Roundup
- Engineers demonstrate a new way to harvest the wasted energy of an incandescent light bulb.
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December 30, 2015 |
Science Breakthroughs of 2015: Deep Mantle Plumes
- Science Breakthroughs of 2015: Seismic imaging reveals the existence of plumes of hot rock reaching deep into Earth’s mantle.
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December 10, 2015 |
Knuckle Cracking
- Cracking your knuckles sets off a tiny “firework explosion” in the joint.
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October 26, 2015 |
Magnetic Monarch Migration
- Monarch butterflies use the Earth’s magnetic field to guide their migration.
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October 23, 2015 |
Energy from Body Heat
- Our bodies produce a surprising amount of heat, which could be turned into electricity.
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July 29, 2015 |
Cooling from Nature
- Engineers are designing more efficient cooling systems inspired by physical processes in nature.
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July 23, 2015 |
Bright Clouds
- Marine microorganisms make clouds brighter and more reflective.
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July 22, 2015 |
Jumping Robots
- A soft-bodied, high-jumping robot really gets around.
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July 2, 2015 |
Muon Inspection
- A cosmic way to see inside concrete and metal objects.
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January 28, 2015 |
Rescuing Ancient Scrolls
- Physicists decipher ancient scrolls that were burned and buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius 2,000 years ago.
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January 19, 2015 |
High Flying Geese
- The world’s champion high-altitude migratory bird uses a unique “roller-coaster” flight strategy to save energy,
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September 2, 2014 |
Recycled Solar Panels
- Engineers are creating highly efficient solar cells from recycled lead-acid car batteries.
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July 31, 2014 |
Bat Light
- Bats navigate using polarized light.
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March 13, 2014 |
Wind Temperature
- Moving air feels colder than still air, but what does the thermometer say?
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December 25, 2013 |
Far-Out Mega Planet
- An enormous planet, orbiting a star at a tremendous distance, challenges theories of planet formation.
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December 4, 2013 |
Metal in Microwaves
- If metal isn’t supposed to go in microwave ovens, why do some of them have metal racks?
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November 27, 2013 |
Glowing Slime
- Glowing blue slime from the sea could be useful in biomedical research.
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August 27, 2013 |
Seal Bombs
- Underwater explosions scare sea lions away from commercial fishing operations. But the noise could be impacting whales and dolphins.
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August 26, 2013 |
Metal in Microwaves
- If metal isn't supposed to go in microwave ovens, why do some of them have metal racks?
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July 15, 2013 |
Evolution of the Fastball
- Human anatomy is uniquely evolved to throw spears - and baseballs.
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June 27, 2013 |
Expanding Under Pressure
- Under the right conditions, a material can actually expand and become less dense under pressure.
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May 23, 2013 |
How Fluoride Works
- Fluoride protects teeth in surprising ways.
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May 21, 2013 |
Aging Color Vision
- Our eyes’ ability to detect color deteriorates with age, but our brains compensate.
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May 17, 2013 |
Podcast for 17 May 2013
- VISION SCIENCE - A camera modeled after the compound eyes of insects. How the brain compensates for worsening color vision as we age. And, could electrical simulation to the brain improve math performance? Also: Young people are still flocking to tanning booths, despite the risk of developing life-threatening melanoma.
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May 13, 2013 |
Insect-Inspired Camera
- The compound eyes of insects have inspired the design of a new camera.
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April 30, 2013 |
Podcast for 19 April 2013
- GIANT SNAILS & ANCIENT TREES - Giant aliens attack Florida, unsticking geckos, the worlds within carnivorous plants, and mapless migrant monarchs.
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