KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. Home to the most listened-to public radio station in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services and an award-winning education program, and as a leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration — exposing them to new people, places and ideas.
Contributions from this Station
Tracking Big Cats to Learn Their Secrets
Learning to see the landscape through the eyes of a wild carnivore helps Bay Area residents appreciate the essential ecological roles bobcats, mountain lions, and other predators play in ecosystems. New research shows that lion leftovers feed a surprising diversity of other species.
Post on Jul 11, 2012 by Liza Gross
Oriental Ink Painting with a Computer Instead of a Brush
Traditional occidental painting techniques like watercolor or oil build an image from many layered brush strokes. You don't usually notice the individual strokes unless you stand very close. But in traditional oriental ink painting, called sumi-e, the brush strokes are the painting.
Post on Jul 10, 2012 by Danna Staaf
Seeding Life Through the Universe
Watching Prometheus the other day with my son got me to thinking about panspermia. This is the idea that life sometimes spreads through the universe by riding on interstellar flotsam and jetsam like meteors or asteroids.
Post on Jul 09, 2012 by Dr. Barry Starr
First Flight: Bald Eaglet Expected To Leave Lake Chabot Nest Soon
Hatched on Earth Day, expected to fledge on the Fourth of July, bald eagles are nesting at Lake Chabot. Find out the local story of our national symbol.
Post on Jul 06, 2012 by Sharol Nelson-Embry
All My Children: Making and Donating a Rock Collection
A set of rock specimens, collected for teaching kids, has become a group of friends. Is this normal?
Post on Jul 05, 2012 by Andrew Alden
Post on Jul 04, 2012 by Melissae Fellet
Ocean Overrun With Gentle Gelatinous Salps
What looks like a jellyfish but is closely related to humans? The answer is an oceanic animal called a salp, and right now the waters off California are teeming with unprecedented numbers of these creatures.
Post on Jul 03, 2012 by Danna Staaf
Help the Sea On Your Next Overseas Vacation
If the chance to travel abroad and participate in an ongoing ocean research project sounds more appealing to you than poolside Mai Tais, here are seven sea-friendly ideas for your next vacation.
Post on Jul 02, 2012 by Helen Taylor
Space Telescope to Begin Search for Black Holes
NASA's newest space telescope, NuStar, will soon begin its hunt for black holes. Scientists are hoping to learn more about how they grow and why they're such messy eaters.
Audio Report on Jun 29, 2012 by Lauren Sommer
Voyager: Old Spacecraft, New Frontier?
Thirty-five years after beginning a remarkable journey that started with encounters of Jupiter and Saturn, Voyager 1 may once again be making a historic scientific encounter: the boundary between our Solar System and interstellar space!
Post on Jun 29, 2012 by Ben Burress
Side Trips from Interstate 5: Stony Creek Valley
Visit some classic rocks in the little-trafficked country lying just over the hills of the western Sacramento Valley.
Post on Jun 28, 2012 by Andrew Alden
Science on the SPOT: Up all Night with SOFIA, NASA's Flying Observatory
SOFIA is more than a telescope tucked into a re-purposed commercial airliner. It's a complete flying astronomical observation platform which carries a dozen or more astronomers, observers and crew far above the clouds to observe objects and phenomena too cold to be seen in visible light.
Video on Jun 27, 2012 by Craig Rosa
People's Parks: Protecting Open Spaces for Everyone
Thanks to a novel partnership between California State Parks and the Sonoma County-based nonprofit LandPaths, nearly 3,400 acres of open space filled with old-growth redwood, Douglas fir and majestic oaks in the Willow Creek watershed of the Russian River are open to visitors for the price of an hour-long orientation.
Post on Jun 27, 2012 by Liza Gross
"I Flamed Amazement": The Physics of St. Elmo's Fire
Ariel personified St. Elmo's Fire, the glow that can appear around ship masts and chimneys during a thunderstorm. Lacking a scientific explanation for the light, people in Shakespeare's time attributed it to the patron saint of sailors. Four hundred years later, we still don't completely understand how storms create such magnificent atmospheric phenomena.
Post on Jun 26, 2012 by Danna Staaf
From Alvin to Robots: Deep Changes in Ocean Science
Ocean technology has come a long ways since the submersible Alvin made its first dive in 1964. Increasingly, scientists rely on robots, rather than manned subs like Alvin, to explore the earth's depths. But can remote-control exploration capture the thrill of science?
Audio Report on Jun 22, 2012 by Amy Standen
Observing Life and Death in the CA Least Tern Colony
Our scientific monitoring of the CA Least Tern nesting colony turned out to be more gripping than the best TV drama as we witnessed soaring action, villains and heroes, family ties, and death by predator all within the span of three hours.
Post on Jun 22, 2012 by Sharol Nelson-Embry
Faulty Civic Awareness with the Hayward Fault
Cities along the Hayward fault would benefit their future reputation by owning up to their tectonic situation.
Post on Jun 21, 2012 by Andrew Alden
Shining a New Light on the Chemistry of Art Conservation
Conserving delicate artwork requires knowing what paints and techniques were used to create a piece. A new imaging technique helps restorers look at the pigments in frescos even while visitors are enjoying the works in a gallery.
Post on Jun 20, 2012 by Melissae Fellet
KQED Science Fan Spotlight: Dr. Gabriel Roybal
This week's KQED Science Fan Spotlight features Dr. Gabriel Roybal of San Francisco, CA.
Post on Jun 20, 2012 by Jenny Oh
How I Learned to Love Olives and Hate Their Pests
I've always hated olives. I'd pick them off pizzas and out of salads. But in the last few weeks, I've actually started eating them on purpose. It could be because I'm pregnant, a condition which has me craving salt—and few foods are saltier than a nice olive.
Post on Jun 19, 2012 by Danna Staaf
