Tag: "Science"
Winds of change: the climate of the solar system
Several billion years ago, our solar system was nothing more than a nondescript cloud of gas. There was no sun, no planets– just a lot of hydrogen, a bit of helium, and trace amounts of the carbon, oxygen and the other elements that we take for granted here on Earth. How is it that the [...]
Post on Dec 18, 2007 by Kyle S. Dawson
Weatherization Works! Especially when money is tight
A Nebraska weatherization crew member blows in dense-pack cellulose insulation into an attic. (Photo by Pete Davis.)I am just back from the National Weatherization Training Conference in Orlando, Florida. The Weatherization Assistance Program is funded by the Department of Energy and other government agencies and serves low-income households in the United States. Weatherization professionals– the [...]
Post on Dec 14, 2007 by Jim Gunshinan
Paper or Plastic?
This November, San Francisco became the first city in the country to outlaw plastic check out bags at large supermarkets, arguing that the bags are dangerous to marine life and hard to recycle. But some studies say paper bags can be just as harmful for the environment. So why target plastic? You may listen to [...]
Post on Dec 13, 2007 by Amy Standen
Why does it matter if kids know about science anyway?
Which is bigger, an electron or an atom? If you're reading this science blog, you probably know the right answer. And that would make you a little more informed than the average American, according to a recent National Science Foundation report. Getting kids grounded in science at a young age can go a long way [...]
Post on Dec 13, 2007 by Robin Marks
Snakes are not Poisonous
Often, an Academy biologist or docent will bring out one of the snakes for guests to see and touch. There are many common questions when a guest comes up close and personal with a Ball Python or Boa Constrictor. The most common question asked is – is this snake poisonous? And it is not only [...]
Post on Dec 12, 2007 by Cat
Doing the recombination shuffle
What can DNA Ancestry Tests Really Tell You? A lot of DNA companies are now offering ancestry testing so you can find out more about your ancestors. Overall they can be useful if you have a specific question. But for an overall look at your family's history, they tend to fall short. Let's look at [...]
Post on Dec 10, 2007 by Dr. Barry Starr
Postcards from Mars
Picture of the edge of Victoria Crater superimposed with image of the rover Opportunity. Credit: NASA/JPLMars is not only on the horizon, it's become a sky-high creature of the night…and so, it's time to blog about the Red Planet once again, and to showcase a few favorite pictures from the veteran robots presently exploring that [...]
Post on Dec 07, 2007 by Ben Burress
Rising Seas
What will global warming mean to the San Francisco Bay? QUEST explores how sea level rise could effect Bay Area wetlands, following researchers who are taking cores from local marshlands to discover their climate history and potential future. Craig Miller reports. You may listen to the "Rising Seas" radio report online, as well as find [...]
Post on Dec 06, 2007 by Andrea Kissack
Global Warming on Venus?
Credit: T. Credner & S. Kohle, AlltheSky.comYou may be surprised to hear that Venus is the warmest planet in the solar system. Venus has an average temperature of 850 degrees Fahrenheit. This is much warmer than the Earth, at 60 degrees, and even warmer than Mercury, which sits much closer to the sun, at 350 [...]
Post on Dec 05, 2007 by Kyle S. Dawson
Tune in: KQED's Forum live from the Buck Institute
On Tuesday, December 4th, 9-11AM PT, KQED's Forum goes on a live remote to The Buck Institute for Age Research in Marin County to look at the future of aging. QUEST explored the topic of age research on our Eat Less, Live Longer? TV story and Quest for Longevity radio report . The program will [...]
Post on Nov 30, 2007 by Craig Rosa
Time for Efficiency
Bad news for housing may be good news for efficiency. This house, built by students at the University of Maryland, won second place in the Solar Decathlon, held on the Mall in Washington DC in 2007. Photo by Amy E. Gardner.The recent news about home prices has not been good. In the United States, home [...]
Post on Nov 30, 2007 by Jim Gunshinan
The Traffic Tax – Take our Poll
San Francisco is studying a London-style plan to charge drivers a fee when they travel to high-traffic areas, like downtown San Francisco, or Doyle Drive during peak commute hours. But is congestion pricing a boon for public transportation? Or the death of downtown? Take our poll to share your opinion. You may listen to the [...]
Post on Nov 29, 2007 by Amy Standen
Oil Spill Adds Insult to Injury
Adding more straw to the Bay's back. Image source: Jim M. Goldstein, JMG-GalleriesTalk about kicking someone when they're down down. When the Cosco Busan collided with the Bay Bridge earlier this month, spilling 58,000 gallons of heavy-duty bunker fuel into the Bay, it was a heartbreaking reminder of the Bay's vulnerability. But what makes the [...]
Post on Nov 28, 2007 by Ann Dickinson
Getting to Know Your DNA
Image source: Chris 73If you could know more about your DNA, would you want to? And if you want to know more, is now the time to find out? You might think so given the flurry of company launches in the last few days. These companies promise to help "decode" your genetics (deCODEme). Or reveal [...]
Post on Nov 26, 2007 by Dr. Barry Starr
Carving the holiday dinosaur: a phylogeny of wishbones
A wishbone from a theropod and a turkey.This week, many of us celebrated one of the most American of holidays: Thanksgiving. Following tradition, most of us probably had a bite or two of turkey — if you were one of the fortunate to get your hands dirty, you may have used this New York Times [...]
Post on Nov 25, 2007 by Nick Pyenson
The Five Worlds of 55 Cancri
Artist concept of a Neptune-sized planet orbiting the star 55 Cancri. Credit: NASAAnother milestone has been reached in the two-decade old search for "extrasolar planets," a.k.a exoplanets– planets that orbit stars other than our Sun. In November it was announced that the leading exoplanet research team– the California and Carnegie Planet Search Team, led on [...]
Post on Nov 23, 2007 by Ben Burress
"So, did you go get that bear yourself?"
Ting explores Halloween enrichment. No, that is not a real giant candy corn. Zoo guests and especially young students often ask us how we get our animals, imagining myself or a zoo keeper running after zebras in the savanna sun with nets and ropes. Of course, this is quite illegal these days and I would [...]
Post on Nov 21, 2007 by Amy Gotliffe
Nature Deficit Disorder
Many people spend their holiday seasons inside shopping malls. More and more, kids, in particular, are passing up the opportunity to play outdoors during the rest of the year too. The trend could be contributing to serious health risks such as obesity. And so a movement of parents, teachers and lawmakers is trying to get [...]
Post on Nov 20, 2007 by Gabriela Quirós
Seeing the Trees through the Forest
The Forest Venus Landing. Credit: Soviet Planetary Exploration ProgramIt's time to get back to some of the reader’s questions. Over the last couple of months I've focused on the easy ones like "how big is the universe?". Now, people are asking the tough ones, like that from Mike: "There’s been a recent debate in our [...]
Post on Nov 19, 2007 by Kyle S. Dawson
Science v. Pseudoscience On Trial
NOVA commemorates the historical evolution trial of 2005. Credit: NOVAIf you tune in or point your web browser to PBS this week, you'll see a whole bunch about evolution. It's not Charles Darwin's birthday, but it's a celebration that may one day carry much more significance: it's the two year anniversary of the Kitzmiller vs. [...]
Post on Nov 16, 2007 by Nick Pyenson
Twitter
Facebook
EveryTrail
YouTube
Flickr
Google +
iTunes Video
RSS Video
RSS News
iTunes Audio
RSS Audio
