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Contributions from this Station
NASA's New Mars Rover: Armed and Curious
Space exploration has caught up with science fiction (again): we have deployed laser-armed nuclear-powered robot on Mars, and nearly two weeks after landing, NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, the rover Curiosity, has fired that weapon on a Martian rock.
Post on Aug 24, 2012 by Ben Burress
Energy Geeks Converge at ACEEE's Boot Camp
Every two years the staff of the magazine I edit, Home Energy, is invited down to the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, California, to publish a daily newsletter for the biennial ACEEE Summer Study of Energy Efficiency in Buildings.
Post on Aug 23, 2012 by Jim Gunshinan
Geoscientists Without Borders
The chance to do good with their tools draws geoscientists to humanitarian projects around the world.
Post on Aug 23, 2012 by Andrew Alden
In Defense of Science: An Interview with NCSE’s Eugenie Scott
Eugenie Scott, longtime director of Oakland's National Center for Science Education, has won numerous awards for helping the public understand science and defending evolution, especially against threats to replace it with “creation science” in public schools. She shares her thoughts on the challenges of communicating science in a climate of denial.
Post on Aug 22, 2012 by Liza Gross
Collaborative Creativity in the Digital World
When you think of digital art, Photoshop or a Wacom tablet may come to mind. And yes, drawing on a screen instead of a pad of paper is certainly one kind of digital art. But digital art can also happen on an entirely different level: art can be made with lines of code.
Post on Aug 21, 2012 by Danna Staaf
Arm Yourselves for the Upcoming (Genetics) Revolution
As a nation, we aren’t teaching the right genetics in our schools. And for those of us out of school, the situation is, if anything, even worse. By and large we lack the fundamental knowledge needed to properly interpret the avalanche of data headed our way.
Post on Aug 20, 2012 by Dr. Barry Starr
Building a Better, Tastier Tomato
Many tomatoes have been bred to travel well and look appealing, but now researchers are focusing on making them more nutritious and better tasting.
Audio Report on Aug 17, 2012 by Lauren Sommer
Traipsing the Dipsea Trail
A hiking adventure on the Dipsea Trail from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach explores the transect through coastal habitats.
Post on Aug 17, 2012 by Sharol Nelson-Embry
Stanford's Signature Sandstone
Many prestigious schools feature stone buildings, but the golden sandstone of Stanford's historic core is one of a kind.
Post on Aug 16, 2012 by Andrew Alden
NASA's Roving Robotic Chemist Will Collect Clues For Life on Mars
Scientists are looking for elements and molecules that signify life as we know it. But even if they don’t find those molecules, minerals contain important information about the Martian environment. That could help scientists determine if life could have survived on the planet.
Post on Aug 15, 2012 by Melissae Fellet
The Reverential and the Precious: Human Anatomy as Art
It may take an unusual muse to be deeply inspired by the body's insides. Artist Sara Nilsson possesses just such a muse–as well as the skill to create breathtakingly beautiful, anatomically accurate cross-sections of the human body with quilled paper.
Post on Aug 14, 2012 by Danna Staaf
Internet in Cars: From the Desktop to the Dashboard
Car companies and Silicon Valley tech companies pair up to make smarter cars. But what happens when the internet makes its way into our dashboards?
Audio Report on Aug 10, 2012 by Andrea Kissack
Mars Science Laboratory's Touchdown on The Red Planet
Last Sunday, NASA scored a long-distance touchdown…on Mars! The Mars Science Laboratory, nicknamed "Curiosity" is the largest, most complex spacecraft ever to have set down on the Red Planet.
Post on Aug 10, 2012 by Ben Burress
What Is That Unusual Smell In Walnut Creek?
The city's hospital sits at the site of an ancient sulfur spring.
Post on Aug 09, 2012 by Andrew Alden
Fracking Gives Hydrogen Fuel Cells New Life
In 2009, U.S. Secretary of the Department of Energy Steven Chu dismissed zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as an impractical alternative to electric cars. Now an abundant supply of natural gas, from which hydrogen can be extracted, is changing Chu's mind, but that natural gas comes from the controversial hydraulic fracturing process.
Post on Aug 08, 2012 by C.K. Hickey
Stunning Solar Visualizations: The Sun's Van Gogh-like Artistry
While nearly all eyes are focused on Mars, two astophysicists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center have been quietly staring at the sun instead.
Post on Aug 07, 2012 by Danna Staaf
NASA's Mars Lander: The Exploration Begins
NASA's Curiosity lander has ended its 352 million-mile journey, landing safely on the surface of Mars. For scientists at NASA Ames in Moffet Field, the work is just beginning.
Audio Report on Aug 06, 2012 by Amy Standen
Rethinking Reproductive Biology
Everyone knows that women are born with all the eggs they can ever make, right? Well, a recent study shows that everyone just might be wrong.
Post on Aug 06, 2012 by Dr. Barry Starr
Newly Discovered Stem Cells Cause Clogged Arteries
Scientists thought they understood how arteries hardened and clogged, but they may have been wrong. New research indicates that a previously unknown type of stem cell is actually the underlying cause of clogged arteries. If confirmed, it could lead to new therapies.
Post on Aug 06, 2012 by Jennifer Huber
The Pleasures of Backyard Bird-Watching
Get to know your feathered neighbors and find out how you can contribute to avian science and research.
Post on Aug 03, 2012 by Sharol Nelson-Embry
