NPR: Science Friday Podcast: Episodes
In May, <em>Science Friday</em> visited Wisconsin and rounded up the region's best brewmasters. They shared their beer-making secrets and explained why Wisconsin's resources and heritage make it a brewing hotspot. <em>Show originally broadcast May 16, 2008.</em>
Why is it so important to have turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving? Psychologists discuss how mood, memory and sense of smell can influence what ends up on the dinner table. Find out why aromas trigger vivid memories and how the brain tricks the stomach into overeating.
What do studies on potato chips, puzzle-solving slime mold and jumping fleas have in common? Each was awarded an Ig Nobel prize by the editors of the humor magazine <em>Annals of Improbable Research</em>. <em>Annals</em> editor Marc Abrahams is emcee of this broadcast of the awards ceremony.
From the bottom of the sea to the bottom of the globe, scientists are looking for life in Earth's most extreme environments. A marine scientist on the R/V Atlantis and a microbiologist studying life in Antarctica recount their adventures, and what their research has in common.
Scientists found 5,600 different species or strains of bacteria living in human intestines, making gut bacteria 10 times more diverse than expected. David Relman, one of the authors of the study, explains the findings and how a common antibiotic disrupts this bacterial community.
Bob Brier, mummy expert, Egyptologist and co-author of <em>The Secret of the Great Pyramid,</em> discusses theories about how the ancient Egyptians managed to build the Great Pyramid. New research suggests a ramp inside the pyramid may have been the key to its construction.
<em>Science Friday</em> director Charles Bergquist stops in at the 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems for a look at new car technologies. Down the road, cars may be able to drive themselves ... but will they be able to parallel park?
Experts discuss the future of electric cars, and whether bailout money with "green strings" attached might jolt Detroit into focusing on plug-in and hybrid cars. Find out about Tesla's slick plug-in sports car and a hybrid handcrafted for even more savings at the pump.
More than 45 years ago, primatologist Jane Goodall observed wild chimpanzees making and using tools — a finding that dramatically changed the field of primate research. Goodall discusses her career and what lies ahead in the field of evolutionary science.
Researchers report that listening to joyful music can cause blood vessels to dilate, increasing blood flow — which is good for cardiovascular health. Michael Miller, principal investigator of the study, explains the brain-body link and which songs may make for healthy hearts.
Mechanical engineers Seth Lichter and Mark Weislogel wondered what would happen if they popped water balloons aboard NASA's low-gravity aircraft. Aside from the "fun factor," as Weislogel puts it, the results demonstrate some basic principles of physics.
Researchers have figured out just how bleach kills bacteria, according to a new study in the journal <em>Cell</em>. Ursula Jakob, one of the authors of the paper, explains how bleach does its dirty work and how this information might be put to good use.
A study in <em>The New England Journal of Medicine</em> suggests that the drug Crestor, typically used for reducing cholesterol levels, may reduce the risk of heart disease for people with normal cholesterol levels. But do the potential benefits offset the risks and cost of the drugs?
Two independent research teams have detected exoplanets through unconventional methods — by taking snapshots using visible and infrared light. Astronomer James Graham discusses the findings — including what the exoplanets might tell us about the formation of planets and solar systems.
With the election behind him, President-elect Barack Obama is beginning to assemble his transition team. From energy policy to heath care, how will Obama approach science, technology and health issues? Which programs do you think should be on his agenda?
Eighty-four teams of students from 21 countries are gathering at MIT to compete in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. The teams have been working since the summer to construct biological machine systems — and operate them within living cells.
A new interdisciplinary online-only journal from the American Institute of Physics is focusing on the burgeoning renewable- and sustainable-energy fields. The peer-reviewed <em>Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy</em> will feature a blog, top news stories and multimedia features.
Mark Newman, professor of physics at the University of Michigan, has a new spin on an old map. He created a program to make cartograms — maps in which states are drawn with their size proportional to their population, rather than their acreage.
Two papers published in the journal <em>Cell Metabolism</em> present different approaches to controlling glucose levels in people with Type 2 diabetes — the form of diabetes in which the body gradually loses the ability to use insulin to control sugar levels in the blood.
A genetics team sequenced DNA from both cancerous and normal tissue from a patient with the white blood cell cancer. The researchers then compared the two sequences to identify 10 mutated genes that appear to be associated with the formation of the cancer.