Sniffing Out The Science Of Smell

There are hundreds of receptors in the human nose that can pick up thousands of odors with each sniff. But how do we make sense of the scents? Smell researchers Stuart Firestein and Donald Wilson discuss the complexities of olfaction and how the brain sorts out what the nose picks up.
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:05:51 -0400

Gulf Spill Reveals New Oil-Eating Bacteria

Researchers reporting in the journal Science say they have discovered a new species of oil-eating bacteria living half a mile down in the Gulf of Mexico. Study author Terry Hazen discusses the finding and what these bacteria might mean for future oil spills.
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:05:42 -0400

Sci-Fi High Tech Comes To Life

The future as imagined in science fiction sometimes becomes a reality. Michael and Denise Okuda, graphic designers for Star Trek, and John Underkoffler, science adviser on Minority Report , talk about envisioning the future.
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:05:27 -0400

Conquering Your Fear Of Bedbugs

With daily reports of bedbugs in movie theaters and clothing stores -- let alone apartment buildings -- bedbug hysteria seems to be reaching new heights. Psychologist Kevin Ochsner studies how people regulate emotion and shares tips for how to get your bedbug fear under control.
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:05:16 -0400

Regulators Give Green Light To Solar, Wind

Construction is now under way on the world's biggest wind farm in California's Mojave Desert. Federal and state regulators have given the green light to several large solar thermal projects in the Mojave as well. Ira Flatow and guests discuss the future of clean energy in the U.S.
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:04:56 -0400

What Now For Federally Funded Stem Cell Work?

A federal judge has blocked President Obama's 2009 executive order expanding embryonic stem cell research. U.S. Rep. Diana DeGett (D-Colo.) and stem cell researcher Rudolph Jaenisch discuss the ruling's impact on scientists, and whether Congress can pass stem cell legislation.
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:04:42 -0400

Atwood On Science, Fiction And 'The Flood'

Margaret Atwood's new book The Year of the Flood describes a dystopic world full of evil corporations, barbaric criminals and science gone wrong. She talks about the real science in the novel and what can be done to keep her fiction from becoming reality.
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:06:00 -0400

Going Green At College

It's back-to-school season and college kids have a lot on their minds: can you compost pizza? What's more sustainable: kegs or cans? Can you have a party with low-flush toilets? Ira Flatow and guests discuss how students and universities are making the college life greener.
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:05:45 -0400

Plastics Piling Up In Atlantic Ocean

Tiny pieces of plastic are aggregating hundreds of miles offshore in concentrations equivalent to those in the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch," according to a Science study. Oceanographer and study author Kara Lavender Law talks about the new questions the study raises.
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:05:36 -0400

Meditation For A Stronger Brain

Researchers say a type of meditation called integrative mind-body training can strengthen connections in certain areas of the brain, even when practiced for as little as 11 hours. Psychologist Michael Posner describes the study, and explains the brain changes he documented.
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:05:26 -0400

Should Science Take Sides In The Gulf?

Some scientists say they're being locked out of research on the oil spill because they refuse to sign confidentiality agreements. Ira Flatow and guests discuss the problems of doing scientific research when a lawsuit is pending. Is there a way to keep science independent?
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:04:46 -0400

Images Show A Shrinking Moon

Scientists say images taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been circling the moon for more than a year, show that the moon contracted about a billion years ago, relatively recently in geologic time. Space scientist Thomas Watters describes the lunar images.
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:04:34 -0400

Science Diction: The Origin Of ’Evolution’

Although Charles Darwin's tome The Origin of Species is associated with the theory of evolution today, Darwin himself preferred terms such as "transmutation by means of natural selection." Science historian Howard Markel discusses how “evolution“ entered the scientific -- and popular -- vocabulary.
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:11:08 -0400

SETI Throws A Party

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute -- SETI -- turns 25 this year, and it's celebrating with "SETIcon." Participants, including SETI father Frank Drake and the director of the Center for SETI Research, Jill Tarter, discuss the conference and their work.
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:10:51 -0400

Study Suggests Earlier Meat-Eating In Hominids

A new study in the journal Nature suggests that the butchering of animals with tools by hominids occurred nearly a million years earlier than thought. Study author Zeresenay Alemseged and anthropologist David DeGusta discuss the finding and what it might mean for human evolution.
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:10:39 -0400

Discovering The Secret, Speedy Life Of Plants

Plants have a reputation for being sedentary, unmoving, planted. But some plants are moving so quickly, their motion is invisible to human eyes. Biologist Joan Edwards and physicist Dwight Whitaker broke out the high-speed cameras to capture the story of exploding peat moss.
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:10:30 -0400

Nissan And GM Bet Americans Ready To Go Electric

By the end of 2010, two mass-market electric cars will be rolling on American highways: the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt. The Volt is a gas-electric hybrid, with an all-electric range of 40 miles, and the Leaf is pure electric, with a range of 100 miles. Are Americans ready to plug in?
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:09:27 -0400

White Shark Sightings On The Rise On East Coast

Marine biologist Greg Skomal of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries says the increase in white shark sightings on the East Coast may be due to booming gray seal populations, which lure the sharks closer to shore, as well as bigger crowds on beaches -- meaning more potential shark-spotters.
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:09:13 -0400

New Ruling Says Users Can Hack Their iPhones

A new government ruling issued last month makes it legal for iPhone users to "jailbreak" their phones so they can potentially choose a different carrier. Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig discusses that and other recent changes to the Digital Millenium Copyright Act.
Date: Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:07:12 -0400

Actress Danica McKellar Solves For 'X'

In her new book Hot X: Algebra Exposed, actress and math advocate Danica McKellar shares her secrets for solving algebra problems -- and navigating high school social life. McKellar discusses the book, and explains why she tailors her math teaching techniques toward girls.
Date: Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:06:55 -0400

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