News
In Search of the Bacterial Garden of Eden
Now that scientists are starting to get a handle on what kinds of microbes live in the human body and, roughly, how those populations differ from one individual to another, a key question will be whether there is such a thing as an “ideal” microbiome.
Audio Report on May 03, 2013 by Amy Standen from KQED Science
Another Try For California's Second National Conservation Area
Just north of the Bay Area is a vast and varied expanse of land and water that could be in line for new federal protections. The proposed Berryessa-Snow Mountain National Conservation Area would link wilderness zones and other lands in five counties. But it’s been a tough sell in some parts.
Audio Report on Apr 26, 2013 by Craig Miller from KQED Science
Brain Mapping: From the Basics to Science Fiction
Obama's BRAIN Initiative directs $100 million in public money toward basic brain research. But what's the goal?
Audio Report on Apr 19, 2013 by Amy Standen from KQED Science
Bay Area Biotech Industry Braces for Gene Patenting Court Case
The Supreme Court is hearing a case on a key question: can you patent a human gene?
Audio Report on Apr 12, 2013 by Lauren Sommer from KQED Science
Beavers Return to San Jose
A family of beavers has taken up residence in the Guadalupe River, across from the HP Pavilion.
Post on Apr 11, 2013 by Samantha Clark from KQED Science
Navy Training Raises New Concerns for Whales off California Coast
As the whale migration season reaches its peak, new concerns arise over naval training exercises off the California coast.
Audio Report on Apr 05, 2013 by Lauren Sommer from KQED Science
How Flooding Fields Could Alleviate Water Supply Stress
A new approach to small-scale water "banking" could relieve stress on both the water supply and levees in California's San Joaquin Valley.
Audio Report on Mar 29, 2013 by Sasha Khokha from KQED Science
Historic Devil's Slide Tunnels Finally About To Open
It's been a long time coming. The first highway tunnels to open in California in nearly fifty years are about ready for motorists.
Post on Mar 22, 2013 by Andrea Kissack from KQED Science
Get a Sneak Peek of San Francisco's New Exploratorium
The Exploratorium, San Francisco's famous hands-on science museum, is moving to a new location on the Embarcadero. We got to follow along as employees packed up exhibits in the old location at the Palace of Fine Arts near the Golden Gate Bridge, and began to settle into their new spot at Pier 15.
Post on Mar 22, 2013 by Molly Samuel from KQED Science
San Francisco's Exploratorium is Moving, Growing — and Evolving
The Exploratorium, a San Francisco icon, will soon reopen as a stunning, new, energy efficient building on the city's Embarcadero.
Audio Report on Mar 22, 2013 by Molly Samuel from KQED Science
San Jose's Green Vision Helps Spur Silicon Valley Economic Growth
San Jose is trying to lead the country in clean tech innovation. So how is the city doing?
Audio Report on Mar 15, 2013 by Alison van Diggelen from KQED Science
Controversial California Water Plan Takes Shape
The latest draft fails to mollify opponents to a $23 billion-dollar plan for California’s trickiest water problem: the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Post on Mar 15, 2013 by Lauren Sommer
Attack of the Killer Electrons! New Mission Searches for Mysterious Space Particles
They're out there… lurking in Earth's magnetic fields and damaging any satellite in their path.
Audio Report on Mar 08, 2013 by Lauren Sommer from KQED Science
Aboard the Tugnacious With Dr. Doom
The scientist dubbed “Dr. Doom” for his dire pronouncements about California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is retiring after 33 years working on the troubled ecosystem that's central to California's water supply.
Audio Report on Mar 01, 2013 by Craig Miller from KQED Science
Struggling Herring Make a Tiny Appearance
Not that long ago California’s herring population came perilously close to collapse. While their numbers are increasing, herring in the Bay are still struggling to return to their once prolific numbers.
Audio Report on Feb 22, 2013 by Shannon Service from KQED Science
Sierra Club Director: Time to Take Climate Action to the Streets
For the first time in the Sierra Club's 120-year history, its national head was arrested for an act of civil disobedience. It signals a new, more aggressive stance for the organization spawned by John Muir.
Audio Report on Feb 15, 2013 by Craig Miller from KQED Science
On the Elephant Seal Dating Scene, It’s All About Bravado
They may sound like faulty plumbing, but male northern elephant seals have a unique communication system that's all about reputation.
Audio Report on Feb 08, 2013 by Lauren Sommer from KQED Science
San Francisco a Test Case for Coping with Rising Seas
Under a strategy known as "managed retreat," San Francisco gets ready to let the ocean reclaim a cherished stretch of Pacific coastline.
Audio Report on Feb 01, 2013 by Molly Samuel from KQED Science
Who Gets the Cash for Energy Upgrades from Prop 39?
In November, California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 39, closing a corporate tax loophole and using the savings to create the largest state energy efficiency initiative in the country. Now the debate over how to use the money begins.
Audio Report on Jan 25, 2013 by Rachel Dornhelm from KQED Science
In Historic Gold Country, Old Mines Get New Life
It's not the frenzy of 1849, but gold mining is quietly making a comeback in California. While some communities are concerned about the environmental costs, others see the chance for a "greener" gold rush.
Audio Report on Jan 18, 2013 by Lauren Sommer from KQED Science
