Solar power is clean, abundant, and becoming cheaper and more efficient all the time. Unfortunately, however, the sun isn't always there when you need it—like when it's cloudy, or it's raining, or it's nighttime. In this Science Update, you'll hear about an ambitious plan to get around that problem.
In this Science Update, you will learn about efforts to make a better vaccine against anthrax.
Floating trash could be a significant way for unwanted organisms to travel to distant lands.
Keeping windows dark might help prevent birds flying into them.
In this Science Update, hear why mercury is showing up in Arctic wildlife at higher rates than other regions.
When you're driving a car, your eyes are in constant motion—scanning the road for signs, pedestrians, and potential hazards. But if you're talking on a cell phone, watch out: it may give you tunnel vision. You'll find out why in this Science Update.
In this Science Update, you'll hear about a daring group of underwater photographers who wear nothing but a layer of blubber.
In this episode, hear from a researcher who believes parrots may develop language-like communication and other abilities in ways similar to humans.
This Science Update looks at the field of taxonomy, one of the oldest practices in biology, and how a group of scientists and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs is trying to bring it into the twenty-first century.
In this Science Update, hear why leeches are still used in hospitals today.
The early 20th century comedian W.C. Fields used to have an old Vaudeville routine where he'd set up to play a game of pool, and he'd hit all the balls in with one shot. It turns out that the balls had strings attached to them, and an accomplice hiding under the table simply pulled the balls into the pockets. In this Science Update, you'll find out if there's a legitimate way to do what W.C. Fields did, without needing special effects.
A study shows that low-flush toilets can develop problems due to aging.
Children who have been physically abused often develop social problems, and a researcher studies why this happens.
Learn how models help scientists study difficult environments like the earth's interior.
Fluorescent lights could be used for more than illumination if their flickering patterns turned into code.
In this Science Update, hear how people may rely on a type of mental map to understand relationships between numbers.
Hear about how certain small fish are managing to survive in highly toxic waters.
Hear about research to try to make long distance space travel more comfortable for astronauts.
Special effects can make moviegoers feel like they’re in another world—perhaps exploring another planet, swimming the ocean depths, or facing down a dinosaur. Those effects are meant to be entertaining, but not necessarily scientifically accurate. In this Science Update, you’ll hear how one of the most popular movies in history managed to achieve both—by accident.
In this Science Update, hear about the effects of groundwater pumping on the health of riverbank ecosystems.
Science Updates are 60-second radio programs presenting current science research, which we explore in a student-friendly way.
