Archive for April, 2008
Producer's Notes - Alzheimer's: Is the Cure in the Genes?
By 2050, as our population ages, 15 million Americans will suffer from Alzheimer's disease – triple today's number. There is no cure for Alzheimer's, but several treatments can help alleviate its symptoms, and many research projects aim to understand the disease better and find a way to fight it. In this QUEST story, we visited [...]
Post on Apr 08, 2008 by Gabriela Quirós
Producer's Notes - Biofuels: Beyond Ethanol
A sample of switchgrass at Sandia National LaboratoriesIt doesn't need to be said that there's a heated debate about how to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions with actions that lessen our society's carbon footprint. Biofuels like ethanol or biodiesel are one option. They're touted as being carbon neutral because the CO2 they emit comes from crops [...]
Post on Apr 08, 2008 by Sheraz Sadiq
Reporter's Notes – Cool Critters: Sharks of the Bay
First things first: If you swim in the bay, no need to worry about sharks. None of the experts we spoke to could remember a single instance of someone getting bitten. And you can rest easy about Great Whites too; they don’t seem to have a taste for Bay waters. For more on this, see [...]
Post on Apr 08, 2008 by Amy Standen
Sticking up for the little guy: the California freshwater shrimp
This year the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) will celebrate its 35th anniversary. Under the ESA over 1,350 species are listed in the United States as threatened or endangered, including over 300 in California. This includes a number of "celebrities" of the conservation world such as the humpback whale and California condor, but also dozens [...]
Post on Apr 07, 2008 by Ann Dickinson
Cement – A Dirty Business
Thought California has consigned coal-burning to the scrap bin? Think again! California has 11 coal-fired power plants, all used to heat limestone into cement — making us one of the biggest cement-producing states in the country. In addition to cement, these kilns produce 95% of the state's airborne mercury pollution and 2% of its greenhouse [...]
Post on Apr 04, 2008 by Amy Standen
Stop Energy Going Down the Drain
Here are three of the DWHR devices tested, showing the headers: Left to right, the Retherm S3-60, GFX G3-60, and PowerPipe S3-60. Credit: Charles ZaloumI don't think there is one big solution to our energy problems and the environmental problems related to the use of fossil fuels–there are lots of little solutions that in the [...]
Post on Apr 04, 2008 by Jim Gunshinan
An Upside Down Tree
A Baobab TreeIt is not only animals that can be become endangered but plants and trees as well. One of California Academy of Science's research areas has been Madagascar. Coined as an "Island of Evolution," Madagascar hosts a rich biodiversity of plant and animal life that is indigenous to the area and, unfortunately, highly threatened. [...]
Post on Apr 02, 2008 by Cat
Producer's Notes – SETI: The New Search for ET
The Allen Telescope Array.When I first began to work on Quest's SETI: The Search for ET segment, I have to admit that my initial reaction was "are we still looking for ET?" Of course, humans have been gazing up to the heavens for millennia, asking ourselves that interminable question "are we alone?" And of course, [...]
Post on Apr 01, 2008 by Joan Johnson
Producer's Notes – In the Kitchen with Aerogel
Scientist Alex Gash prepares the "frozen smoke." I've always loved cooking shows. There's something so satisfying about watching an expert gather, wash, peel, macerate, combine and assemble ingredients. And because of the magic of television, we get the whole enchilada neatly packaged within a half hour program. Everything's perfectly cooked, presented and served. And I [...]
Post on Apr 01, 2008 by Amy Miller
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