Archive for September, 2007
Champion divers of the deep-sea
Photo Credit: John CalambokidisChances are, if you've ever been swimming, you understand that it's hard to dive deep. But marine mammals do it all the time — and they dive to depths beyond our imagination. Sperm whales, beaked whales, elephant seals all have an amazing ability for deep-diving, and along with that, fascinating specializations to [...]
Post on Sep 28, 2007 by Nick Pyenson
The Unaided Eye
The Andromeda Galaxy, the most distant object visible to the unaided eye. Credit: Conrad JungVery often, the term "naked eye" is used to describe what can be seen with human eyes alone, unaided by tools like telescopes, microscopes, infrared cameras, ultraviolet detectors, and so on. Back in the mid 20th Century, then director of Chabot [...]
Post on Sep 28, 2007 by Ben Burress
Oysters on the Outs
At Point Reyes National Seashore, environmental ideology has run into hard science, with a tug-of-war for management of an estuary coming down to the question of what is the most ecologically healthy thing to do. On its face, it's a legal battle between the National Park Service, which owns the land, and an oyster farmer, [...]
Post on Sep 27, 2007 by Charlie Foster
Bird brains (a eulogy of sorts)
Image from Wikipedia, originally from socialfiction.orgI'm in mourning: In early September, Alex the African grey parrot mysteriously died. I never met Alex personally, but I've heard him speak. Yes, he spoke. He also counted. And he could tell you which of a pair of keys was the bigger one, or the yellow one. He was [...]
Post on Sep 27, 2007 by Robin Marks
Rascal Rabbits
What is soft, furry, clean, and curious and actually makes a decent pet? A rabbit. Yep, rabbits are one of the few species that we take on our Oakland Zoo ZooMobile outings and feel it is ok to choose as pets, with proper care and preparations, of course (not so much for the hedgehogs). While [...]
Post on Sep 26, 2007 by Amy Gotliffe
Producer's Notes for Big Avatar on Campus
It's a virtual world, but the transactions are real. Go inside Second Life, an online game where millions of people are creating digital personalities called avatars and are living virtual lives– meeting other avatars, going to events, and even buying property with real money. You may view the "Second Life: Big Avatar on Campus" TV [...]
Post on Sep 25, 2007 by Sheraz Sadiq
Do-it-Yourself Science: The Maker Faire
It's been called "Burning Man for science geeks." The annual Maker Faire attracts thousands of amateur inventors and scientists, displaying their home-made prototypes and gadget hacks. In a world where the technological race is speeding up, the Maker movement has revealed that the do-it-yourself culture is in no danger of dying out. You may view [...]
Post on Sep 25, 2007 by Josh Rosen
Into the Inferno: The Science of Fire
In dry years, fires in California cost billions of dollars and often result in lost lives. QUEST goes inside the fire season, looking at how the history of forest management could be feeding today's flames. You may view the "Into the Inferno: The Science of Fire" TV story online, as well as find additional links [...]
Post on Sep 25, 2007 by Chris Bauer
Testing the Limits of Optical Telescopes
As I continue to answer questions from my earlier solicitation, I am going to skip ahead to the question: "How large would a cherry clafouti near the Moon's equator have to be to be easily identifiable as a cherry clafouti, assuming clear conditions of observation?" At first glance, this appears to be an absurd question, [...]
Post on Sep 24, 2007 by Kyle S. Dawson
Leaky Downlights Waste Home Energy
Ori Skloot of Advanced Home Energy in Berkeley (www.advancedhomeenergy.com) came to my house and took care of my recessed-can problem. California houses, especially the new ones, have a lot of recessed-can lights, also known as downlights. New California houses have an average of six downlights in their kitchens alone! My house was built without them [...]
Post on Sep 21, 2007 by Jim Gunshinan
Perilous Diesel
Much of what we eat and buy comes through the Port of Oakland, the fourth busiest port in the country. But at what cost? Nearby residents have some of the highest asthma rates in the state. Now, local community groups are working with the Port and local regulators to change that. You may listen to [...]
Post on Sep 20, 2007 by Amy Standen
Extra! Extra! Keeping climate change in the headlines
Global climate change is arguably the biggest news story of our times. But from a glance at the headlines, you might not know it. Recently I attended the Society of Environmental Journalists conference at Stanford, an annual national gathering that brings together journalists, environmental scientists, policymakers, and activists to discuss environmental issues– and how the [...]
Post on Sep 20, 2007 by Ann Dickinson
The Heart of the Academy
Academy volunteer at work"A few years ago I was working 40 hours a week for good pay: now I’m working longer hours for no pay, and life has never been better." – Henri Lese, Chair of the Docent Admin Committee and retired chemical engineer This dedication and passion about volunteering is not an anomaly. In [...]
Post on Sep 19, 2007 by Cat
Sea 3-D: Charting the Ocean Floor
Using sound and laser technology, researchers have begun to reveal the secrets of the ocean floor from the Sonoma Coast to Monterey Bay. By creating complex 3-D maps, they're hoping to learn more about waves and achieve ambitious conservation goals. You may view the "Sea 3-D: Charting the Ocean Floor" TV story online, as well [...]
Post on Sep 18, 2007 by Joan Johnson
Watching the Brain at Work: MRIs and Beyond
The human brain was once a black box, but scientists are finding ways to peer inside and explore some of our most complicated thought processes. Using MRI scanners in innovative ways, Stanford scientists are learning how children's brains process words when they read. You may view the "Watching the Brain at Work" TV story online, [...]
Post on Sep 18, 2007 by Gabriela Quirós
From Salt Ponds to Wetlands
For more than 100 years, the southern shoreline of San Francisco Bay has been a center for industrial salt production. Now, in an attempt to roll back the clock, federal and state biologists are working on a 40-year, $1 billion project to restore the ponds to healthy wetlands for fish, wildlife and public recreation. QUEST [...]
Post on Sep 18, 2007 by Chris Bauer
The 6-Billion-Base Athlete
"We can rebuild him. We have the technology." Remember that opening line from the Six Million Dollar Man? Soon we'll be able to genetically rebuild people. Or at least add some cool new features… Let’s say we wanted to make an athlete stronger or able to run for a longer amount of time. One way [...]
Post on Sep 17, 2007 by Dr. Barry Starr
Lights in the Sky
Credit: H.E. Bond, E. Nelan, M. Burleigh, J.B. Holberg, STScI, NASA; The bright star Sirius, seen through the Hubble Space Telescope. It's time to talk about those lights in the sky. "What does he mean?" you’re thinking, "This is an astronomy blog; isn't astronomy all about those lights in the sky?" I'm not talking about [...]
Post on Sep 14, 2007 by Ben Burress
Knowledge is ephemeral
On Labor Day at the Exploratorium, visiting artist Aeneas Wilder witnessed museum visitors toppling a sculpture he'd spent many painstaking days to create in our Seeing gallery. Earlier this summer, Aeneas carefully stacked pieces of specially measured wood, one at a time, until he'd constructed an enormous cage-like sphere. (To get a sense of its [...]
Post on Sep 13, 2007 by Robin Marks
Bushmeat in the Bay Area
The lush forested areas of central and western Africa are commonly referred to as "the bush." The diverse forms of wildlife found in the bush–including great apes, elephants, and forest antelope–have long served as a primary food source for the inhabitants of the region. This bushmeat is an important food and trade item for poor [...]
Post on Sep 12, 2007 by Amy Gotliffe
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