Podcast
ANIMALS: Vibrating frogs, confused ducks, forgery-foiling butterflies, and the unsung heroes of the savanna.
Art Laser
Lasers play an increasingly important role in restoring great works of art.
Super Water Repellent
Engineers have tapped the hairs on spider legs to develop the ultimate water-repellent surface.
Physics of Superheroes
Superhero comic books offer surprising lessons in physics.
Podcast
COMMUNICATING SCIENCE: The physics of superheroes, teaching evolution to children, science in the theater, and math anxiety in girls.
Volcanoes on Mercury
Ancient volcanoes found on the planet mercury challenge assumptions about the planet's chemical composition.
Boron Nanotubes
The main ingredient in clown makeup is being used to create a nano-material that could protect astronauts from solar radiation.
Changing Hail
A listener asks if hail changes size as it falls to the ground.
Old Earthquakes
Aftershocks from major earthquakes in the Midwest go on for hundreds of years.
Planetary Alignment Myth
A NASA scientist de-bunks the myth that an alignment of the planets affects gravity on earth.
Gecko Tails
Severed gecko tails can perform surprisingly complex movements – and that may help scientists study spinal injuries.
Rooks & Archimedes
Birds called rooks can use a surprisingly ingenious strategy to get a worm.
Tools as Body Parts
People perceive tools as extensions of their own bodies.
Rammed Earth
The right amount of water can make a green building material super-sturdy.
Virtual Sounds
New computer programs generate real-time, accurate sounds for virtual-reality events.
Color Change Roundup
Color-changing plastics could indicate when they've been structurally damaged.
Life Light
The way light scatters off distant planets may reveal whether life exists on them.
Podcast
COSMIC LIFE: Life on the ancient earth and beyond. The comet theory of the origins of life, how oxygen became abundant enough to support an explosion of life, a new method for locating life on other planets, and refuting the asteroid theory of dinosaur extinction.
Star Distance II
Astronomers calculate the distance to the furthest stars by comparing them to stars they know.
Star Distance I
Astronomers use a concept called parallax to calculate the distance to the nearest stars.
Podcast
How to calculate the distance of stars, new uses for old rocks in the fight against global warming, and why video games might actually be good for your vision.