Archive for April, 2007
Of Arctic sea cows and Russian fur-traders
Drawing of a Steller's Sea Cow circa mid 18th centuryWhen we think about kelp forests, we envision froclicking sea otters, kelp fronds, sea urchins and a suite of other nearshore marine organisms. And, until a few hundred years ago, a 30 foot-long dugong. This isn't a joke: Steller's sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas) was a North [...]
Post on Apr 27, 2007 by Nick Pyenson
Hinode means sunrise
A typical, Earth-sized sunspot as seen by Hinode. Credit: Hinode, National Astronomical Observtory of Japan (NAOJ)A new day has dawned– so to speak… Last September, the Japanese space agency, JAXA, launched a new solar observatory satellite, originally designated as "Solar-B." Upon its successful launch, the spacecraft was bestowed its nickname, Hinode (pronounced “heh NO day”), [...]
Post on Apr 27, 2007 by Ben Burress
Relaxing the rules on toxic reporting
For the past two decades, U.S. factories that put toxic chemicals into the air and water had to report them, in detail, to the federal government and the public. The Bush Administration recently lowered those requirements by rewriting Environmental Protection Agency rules. That means, in California alone, as much as 6-hundred thousand pounds of toxic [...]
Post on Apr 26, 2007 by David Gorn
Can I keep him?
American Robin fledglingFor five years, I was the ZooCamp (www.oaklandzoo.org) director at the Oakland Zoo, a fantastic camp serving preschool to high school and offering campers a week of nature activities, animal observations, hands-on learning and fun. Along with our strategically planned activities always came those unplanned teaching moments that only nature can offer. Like [...]
Post on Apr 25, 2007 by Amy Gotliffe
Nobel Laureate George Smoot and the origin of the Universe
QUEST TV talks with George Smoot, big bang researcher at UC Berkeley and winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics. You may watch the George Smoot TV story online. Sudden Oak Death and Science of Big Waves (episode #108), which also features this short story, airs tonight on QUEST at 7:30pm on KQED 9, [...]
Post on Apr 24, 2007 by Josh Rosen
Plant Plague: Sudden Oak Death
Devastating over 1 million oak trees across Northern California in the past 10 years, Sudden Oak Death is a killer with no cure. But biologists now are looking to the trees' genetics for a solution. You may also watch this story online in its entirety, and see additional photos in our flickr photo set. Sudden [...]
Post on Apr 24, 2007 by Amy Miller
Science of Big Waves
A monster lurks just off the coast of Northern California. Known as "Maverick's," this surf break north of Half Moon Bay generates some of the biggest waves in the world, and draws the big wave surfers that live for them. But what makes these waves so big? QUEST talks with scientists who are getting to [...]
Post on Apr 24, 2007 by Chris Bauer
Why does it … matter? Part II
Half hour exposure of star trails above the Keck Telescopes taken by yours trulyThe dark matter that I discussed in my last post is quite bizarre, but makes up only a small fraction of the universe. The dominant material in the universe actually appears to be some kind of "dark energy". Since no one has [...]
Post on Apr 23, 2007 by Kyle S. Dawson
Energy efficiency: get your ducts in a row
Getting ready for the summer? Want to be more comfortable and save some money? Then pay attention. A good percentage (up to 30% by some estimates) of energy for heating and cooling homes is lost through leaky ducts. The California Energy Commission rightly figures that connecting a high efficiency furnace to leaky ducts is like [...]
Post on Apr 20, 2007 by Jim Gunshinan
Discuss the "Earth Day Special: The History of Environmental Justice" radio report
Thirty-seven years after the first Earth Day, studies are still finding that people of color and low-income families have higher rates of exposure to hazardous waste sites and industrial polluters than the general population. A debate continues over why that is and just what to do about it. QUEST radio takes a look at the [...]
Post on Apr 19, 2007 by Amy Standen
The Diablo is in the details
Students play in caves at rock city. Photo by Jason StalterMount Diablo is a monstrous conniption fit of a geological formation that erupted into Northern California’s landscape 165 million years ago. It juts out of nowhere in the gentle rolling curves of a line of hills that runs from San Jose up to Martinez. At [...]
Post on Apr 19, 2007 by Donovan Rittenbach
The Once and Future Bay
The spot where I am sitting used to be Bay. And yet these days– even from my second story office window at the old Hamilton Army Airfield– you can’t see water. In fact, you’d have to walk past a couple blocks of houses, climb a levee, cross acres of abandoned and weed-studded runways, and scramble [...]
Post on Apr 18, 2007 by Ann Dickinson
Seeing red
Did you know most mammals are red-green colorblind? Part of what makes primates special is that most of us can tell the difference between red and green. In humans this difference is due to a single gene, the long wave cone photopigment gene. But is this gene enough? Or are there other changes in our [...]
Post on Apr 16, 2007 by Dr. Barry Starr
Fly By Night, SOFIA
Artwork of SOFIA with backdrop of astronomical objects; Credit: NASA/USRA.Soon, the nighttime Bay Area skies may be graced with a new astronomical wonder– and I'm not talking about a celestial object or event. I'm talking about something that’s a bit of a cross between an astronomical observatory, a stealth aircraft, and a NASA spacecraft… I’m [...]
Post on Apr 13, 2007 by Ben Burress
Discuss the "Ask a Scientist: Science Cafés" radio report
The Bay Area has long been known for its intellectual and cultural scene. Beat poets, musicians and visual artists have all visited the city's bars and coffee houses. Now, Scientists are stepping out of the lab and into cafes where enthusiastic crowds sip on a beer or cappuccino and listen to lectures on black holes, [...]
Post on Apr 12, 2007 by Andrea Kissack
Bay Area herpetology: salamanders, part 2
Last post, I introduced one of the classic examples of a ring species: the distribution of Ensatina species in California. Basically, Ensatina species are distributed in a great ring all around the Central Valley, with some species extending along the coastal ranges both north and south, and with other species distributed in the Sierra Nevadas. [...]
Post on Apr 12, 2007 by Nick Pyenson
Earth Day Special: Where We've Been, Where We're Headed
Who are your SF Bay environmental heroes? Let us know in your comments below. Deadly smog, piles of burning garbage, no recycling – on the first Earth Day in 1970, the Bay Area looked vastly different than it does today. But much of the progress since then is thanks to a small, but dedicated group [...]
Post on Apr 11, 2007 by Josh Rosen
Why does it … matter?
A work for SFMOMA?Standing on Earth and looking out into space, it’s easy to assume that you have it figured out. There are stars, gases, metals– all 'normal matter' that we can see, made up of electrons and protons. From this vantage point, there is no reason to believe that there is anything else out [...]
Post on Apr 09, 2007 by Kyle S. Dawson
Cold Water Works
Many people, especially those with college-bound children, look forward to the annual issue of U.S. News and World Report that lists the top universities and colleges in the nation. Business-minded people eagerly await the latest issue of Fortune magazine, and the more literary among us look forward to reading the latest fiction in The New [...]
Post on Apr 06, 2007 by Jim Gunshinan
Discuss the "Drive by Extinction" Radio report
The Checkerspot Butterfly was once a vibrant part of spring in San Mateo County, but today's it's hard to spot a single one. Exhaust fumes from Highway 280 have contributed to the decline of this tiny butterfly, making it a victim of what is called "drive-by extinction." QUEST follows a biologist in Edgewood Park and [...]
Post on Apr 05, 2007 by Andrea Kissack
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