Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Batter Up!
Ira and guests talk about the physics and materials science that go into the making of a baseball bat.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Battling Blight
Learn from a tomato farmer in Pennsylvania describe his battle with late blight during the summer of 2009.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: The Secretly Speedy Life of Plants
Plants have a reputation for staying put. But some plants are moving so quickly, we can't see their motions. Biologist Joan Edwards and physicist Dwight Whitaker broke out the high-speed cameras to capture the story of exploding peat...
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Bees Emerging After a Hard Winter
Apiculturist Eric Mussen discusses the plight of the modern honeybee and the threats the tiny pollinators face from disease and pesticides.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Getting the Springtime Buzz on Bees
A look at research into the behavior of bees as they work at pollinating flowers. Caffeine, which is present in nectar, turns out to be something that helps bees to remember types of flowers they have visited. Aired Mar. 8, 2013 [29:21 min]
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: The Fabulous Fungi
In this hour of Science Friday, we'll take a look at all things fungal -- from shiitakes to mold, and everything in between.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: The Future of Fast Acting Depression Medication
Find out about studies of the drug Ketamine, and how it affects the brain and depression.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Researchers Solve Checkers, Once and for All
Researchers report in the journal Science that after sorting through 500 billion billion possible moves, they've been able to create a computer program that will never lose a game of checkers.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Most Cited Science
In academic circles, citations are a measure of success. We'll talk about some of the year's most-cited papers, and why other scientists found them so noteworthy.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Elephant Health
Research published this week indicates that elephants in protected areas in the wild live longer, healthier lives than those in captivity. [23 mins. 10 secs.]
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: New Frontiers in Wireless Energy Transfer
A talk with a researcher who lit up a 60-watt bulb from seven feet away with no wires thinks he can make laptops and cell phones recharge themselves.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: What's a Planet, Anyway?
Even after astronomers voted to remove Pluto from the list of planets in our solar system in 2006, the controversy over what should be called a planet continues. Listen to this episode to find out why this is still an issue.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Mars Rovers Battle Storms on the Red Planet
In this segment, guest host Joe Palca checks in on the Mars rovers, and gets a preview of the Mars Phoenix mission.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Monarch Migration Molecular Mechanism
What drives monarch butterflies to undertake a mass migration, traveling thousands of miles to pine groves in Mexico? New research takes a look at a complex circadian clock mechanism in the butterfly brain, a molecular tool that allows...
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: New Fcc Rules Give Consumers More Choice
Science Friday looks at the decision to require a certain amount of open access to one part of the radio spectrum, and what it could mean for wireless technology.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: New Research Sheds Light on Placebo Effect
What happens in the brain when you take a placebo? In this segment, Ira talks with a researcher using brain imaging studies to try to track down the root of the placebo effect.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Small and Unsafe? Concerns About Nanotechnology
A former EPA administrator talks with Ira about why he thinks the agency is not prepared to protect the environment from any hazards that nanotechnology might produce.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Investigating Katrina Hospital Deaths
Paul Raeburn talks with Dr. Sheri Fink about what happened at Memorial Medical Center after Katrina.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: New u.s. Climate Change Goals?
President Bush announced a set of national goals related to climate change and called for a stop to growth in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. This episode talks about the goals proposed by the White House, and why some say they don't...
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: The Funny Side of Global Warming?
Joe Palca talks with science cartoonist Sidney Harris to see how funny can serious science like climate change be.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Michael Pollan in Defense of Food
Science Friday talks with author Michael Pollan about his latest book, "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto." He suggests that people can improve their eating by following this simple rule: Don't eat anything that your...
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: The Science of Polling
What makes a poll reliable, and how should political and current issue polls be conducted? Find out with this episode of Science Friday.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Your Feedback: Science Election Issues
What issues should Presidential campaigns address? Science Friday solicits thoughts on the most important science-related issues in election campaigns.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Conflicts of Interest
How deep are the ties between on-campus research and private companies? By creating public/private partnerships involving academic research, are we risking scientific integrity?