Archive for May, 2007
Abandoned Boats
Abandoned boats in the San Francisco Bay do more than take up space in marinas and harbors – they're a potential threat to public health. The boats, left to deteriorate, can become a wellspring of pollutants, including leaking battery acid, oil, fuel, and lead from paint. But what do you do with these rusting relics? [...]
Post on May 31, 2007 by Andrea Kissack
Keep focus on the Delta… with or without whales
When a humpback whale and her calf took a wrong turn at the Golden Gate Bridge and headed to Sacramento, it drew a lot of eyes (and news media) to the Delta. But while thousands focused on the plight of the whales, another story was emerging from the Delta– a story that was, as an [...]
Post on May 31, 2007 by Ann Dickinson
Green Irony
Our Executive Director, here at the California Academy of Sciences, recently informed the staff that we are not to provide guests with disposable bottles of water, because it's not sustainable. This simple, but challenging, edict got me thinking about the irony of being green. After all, the Earth has been green for billions of years. [...]
Post on May 30, 2007 by Donovan Rittenbach
My Own Stem Cells
Unlike this cat, my future clone won’t grow beyond a few hundred cells. Last blog I talked about lucky IVF kids who will get to have their own personalized embryonic stem (ES) cells one day. So in the future they'll have cells to help treat their diabetes. Or Alzheimer's. Or Parkinson's. Or… And all of [...]
Post on May 29, 2007 by Dr. Barry Starr
Stem Cell Gold Rush
California's landmark stem cell research program made headlines nationally, but what's the latest story behind the science? QUEST investigates the potential for medical breakthroughs in the next decade and how the Bay Area is leading the way. Leave your comment or question below for Series Producer Josh Rosen on this story. San Francisco Bay Invaders [...]
Post on May 29, 2007 by Josh Rosen
San Francisco Bay Invaders
Scoop a handful of critters out of the San Francisco Bay and you’ll find tourists from far away shores. Invasive kinds of mussels, fish and more are choking out native species, challenging experts around the state to change the human behavior that brings them here. You may view the the "San Francisco Bay Invaders" TV [...]
Post on May 29, 2007 by Amy Miller
Lands End Facelift
The land north of the Cliff House near the old Sutro Baths is getting a multi-million-dollar face life by the National Park Service and local philanthropists. The area, rich in history, and in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge will get new trails, catwalks and other features, making it more accessible to millions of [...]
Post on May 29, 2007 by Craig Rosa
Whalesong and underwater noise pollution
Humpback in Sacramento River. Image source: U.S. Coast GuardFor the past 12 days, residents of the Bay Area have been following the day-to-day saga of two humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) swimming far up to Sacramento River delta. Of course, we don't expect fully ocean-going, marine mammals to wander this far up a freshwater river system, [...]
Post on May 25, 2007 by Nick Pyenson
CSI Mars
Gertrude Weise — a deposit of silica uncovered by the wheel of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit. Credit: NASA/Mars Exploration Rovers. Watching the unfolding story of the exploration of our solar system's fourth planet is like watching an episode of CSI: Mars. Robotic orbiters, like police helicopters, constantly circle the neighborhood while determined rovers doggedly [...]
Post on May 24, 2007 by Ben Burress
Reconsidering Nuclear Power
Not long ago, nuclear power was unthinkable among environmentalists, particularly in California, where a moratorium on new power plants has put a lid on the industry for thirty years. But that sentiment may be changing. You may listen to the "Reconsidering Nuclear Power" Radio report online. Amy Standen is a Reporter for QUEST and Radio [...]
Post on May 24, 2007 by Amy Standen
Here kitty kitty…
Katie had me. With one paw on firmly on my shoulder and the other on my head, her teeth gently explored my hair. I knew if I pushed away, she would tighten her grip, so I sat still and breathed. She stepped back and examined me with her large, green eyes. I stroked the fur [...]
Post on May 23, 2007 by Amy Gotliffe
Astronomy in the News
An artists conception of a planet orbiting a red dwarf star Is it just me, or have we seen a ton of astronomy news coverage in the last month? Lately, it seems like every time I check my inbox, there is a new question from my parents about some great new discovery with a link [...]
Post on May 21, 2007 by Kyle S. Dawson
Why Some Houses Blow
I was talking with Matt Golden of Sustainable Spaces, a home performance contractor in San Francisco, at the annual Affordable Comfort conference in Cleveland last month. Matt is what I like to call a "friend of Home Energy," someone who is enthusiastic about our common cause: making homes healthier and more energy efficient. And Matt [...]
Post on May 18, 2007 by Jim Gunshinan
Legacy of Salt
About four years ago California paid 100 million dollars to Cargill for 16,500 acres of land it owned fringing the SF Bay. For nearly a century, much of the Bay’s southern shoreline had been diked off from the tides and fenced off from the public. Where fertile wetlands once supported diverse wildlife, private companies created [...]
Post on May 17, 2007 by Andrea Kissack
River, Interrupted
Earlier this month, Congress held a hearing on a bill to implement the San Joaquin River restoration settlement. The legislation is one of the final hurdles on the long track to what arguably will be the longest river restoration in North America. At one time the San Joaquin River– California’s 2nd longest — flowed more [...]
Post on May 17, 2007 by Ann Dickinson
The Dark Side of Green
One of our goals at the California Academy of Sciences is to be as green and sustainable as humanly possible. We don't just want to talk about it. We want to live it. But, what we are finding is that going green sounds good on paper, but it can have unintended consequences. Such was the [...]
Post on May 16, 2007 by Donovan Rittenbach
How to make ethical embryonic stem cells
One cell can be safely removed to make an embryonic stem cell line.One kind of stem cell is controversial– embryonic stem (ES) cells. The controversy comes from the fact that scientists have to destroy an embryo to get its stem cells. To people who view the 8-cell embryo as a life, this is not acceptable. [...]
Post on May 14, 2007 by Dr. Barry Starr
Solar flares: flashes with a twist
Sunspot 930 (dark area) and associated X-class solar flare of 12/13/06 (bright). Image Credit: Hinode, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).The Sun doesn't usually make the headlines–not even something like, "Flash! Nuclear explosion as powerful as a billion H-bombs sighted only 93 million miles from Earth!" Let's face it, things like that just don’t seem relevant [...]
Post on May 11, 2007 by Ben Burress
Indoor Air Pollution
Most people think of their house as a sanctuary from toxic air. And yet, according to a 2005 State study, Californians spend $45 billion a year on the health effects of indoor air pollution. California lawmakers have failed to pass legislation that would tighten controls on residential air quality, though laws targeting specific pollutants — [...]
Post on May 11, 2007 by Amy Standen
Gamma Rays and Monsters
Most of us are killed after receiving a large dose of gamma rays. For a select few, the exposure can unleash our inner demons. Image courtesy of http://www.hulkmovie.com/navigation/multimedia.htm. Continuing on the theme of Supernovae from my last posting, I’ll take this opportunity to address an earlier question that was asked by one of my loyal [...]
Post on May 07, 2007 by Kyle S. Dawson
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