Archive for September, 2008
Producer's Notes- The Hayward Fault: Predictable Peril
So we know- or should know- the seismic risks of living in one of the most vibrant, diverse places in the U.S. Short of leaving the region, what can we do?
Post on Sep 30, 2008 by Sheraz Sadiq
Producer's Notes: Physics of sailing
It was another average Tuesday. I was sitting at my desk, looking at my calendar. Another day of budget meetings, returning emails, reviewing contracts, yawn. The usual buzz of production was going on around me, a crew going out to do a story about… sailing. Ah sailing, my favorite topic.
Post on Sep 30, 2008 by Joan Johnson
The Nose Knows
We've known for awhile that animals find their "true love" partly through smells. One of the things they are sensing is whether the potential mate has a different set of MHC genes. People might be able to do this as well.
Post on Sep 29, 2008 by Dr. Barry Starr
Reporter's Notes: Sea Lion Rescue
For these notes, I thought I'd focus on something that didn't make it into the sea lions radio broadcast: the necropsy.
Each year the Marine Mammal Center treats somewhere between 600-1000 animals, including California sea lions, Pacific harbor seals, Northern elephant seals, and steller sea lions. About half of them are treated successfully at the center and released into the Pacific. The other half either die naturally or have to be euthanized.
Post on Sep 26, 2008 by Amy Standen
Expressly Venus
With all the attention that the exploration of certain other planets has received lately, I feel that Venus exploration has fallen off our radar a bit, and that it is high time for an update.
Post on Sep 26, 2008 by Ben Burress
Reporter's Notes: Fast Trains
The devil's in the details, so the details aren't entirely in the proposition. There are still many open questions about Prop. 1A on the November ballot, the proposal to bring high speed rail to California – and that makes sense, since there are a billion details, many of them contentious, in any $9.95 billion initiative and $45 billion project.
Post on Sep 19, 2008 by David Gorn
A Swingin' History: Cal Academy's Foucault Pendulum
There are three iconic exhibits of the Academy that have been revived – the Alligator Swamp Tank, African Hall and the Foucault Pendulum. Each exhibit has its own special history and anecdotes but I quite like the science and Academy history of the Foucault Pendulum.
Post on Sep 19, 2008 by Cat
Me and CFLs Haven't Parted Ways Just Yet
Some readers may have noted that I declared my allegiance to light-emitting diodes LEDs, in a recent blog, since they are potentially much more energy efficient than CFLs. But we'll have to live with CFLs until LEDs become more cost effective…
Post on Sep 19, 2008 by Jim Gunshinan
Your Cheatin' Genes
A new study suggests that having a certain version of a certain vasopressin receptor gene makes a man less likely to cheat on his partner.
Post on Sep 17, 2008 by Dr. Barry Starr
Bay Area Teachers Make Plans with QUEST
What is the most compelling reason to use QUEST resources in the science classroom? "They are local", "I can download them", and "short is good." These are a few of the quick responses given by science educators attending QUEST's first 2-day institutes this summer.
Post on Sep 16, 2008 by Jessica Neely
The sky is falling… or is it?
Why is it that meteorites are brought to me for identification in clusters? I don't mean that people bring clusters of meteorites-but it seems I get calls and visits from possessors of unknown rock samples, hopeful that they are of extraterrestrial origin, in bursts. This time I got two inquiries in two days!
Post on Sep 15, 2008 by Ben Burress
The Large Hadron Collider: The Who, What and Where of the Why Machine
Here's an overview of some good articles and web content about the Large Hadron Collider, to get you up to speed on particle physics.
Post on Sep 12, 2008 by Jennifer Skene
Reporter's Notes: Beyond Alzheimer's
This is the second of two stories born out of an afternoon at UCSF's Memory and Aging Center, where a team of scientists, led by Dr. Bruce Miller, is trying to tease out the differences between as many as 200 dementias that affect aging brains.
Post on Sep 12, 2008 by Amy Standen from QUEST Northern California
No Pond Turtle Left Behind
By creating the best possible environment for the turtles, they grow 3-4 times faster than they would in the wild.
Post on Sep 10, 2008 by Amy Gotliffe
Reporter's Notes: Air Conditioning Reinvented
A confession: When I first got the assignment to do a story about air conditioner efficiency, I didn't exactly leap from my seat in excitement. (Which is why extra kudos go to those who've made it as far as this web page!) But, really, I should have known better.
Post on Sep 05, 2008 by Amy Standen
The Cal Acad's Master List
My position title finally caught up with my nebulous role – Manager, Special Programming. So when I was asked to help out with exhibits, I was up to the challenge. Little did I know what I was getting myself into!
Post on Sep 05, 2008 by Cat
Cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger
The more I examine our lifestyle, the more I find that it has an impact on the environment equal to, if not greater than, that of our technology.
Post on Sep 05, 2008 by Jim Gunshinan
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