science

A Quantum Internet? Apparently, Yes.

Virginia Prescott — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:51:40 +0000

A government lab announced earlier this month that it’s been operating a quantum internet at Los Alamos for the past two years. Which led us to wonder, um, WHAT IS A QUANTUM INTERNET??? Joining us to explain it is Rob Fleischman, Chief Technology Officer at Xero-Cole, and the guy we call to help us understand things like, you know, quantum technology.

What If You Couldn't Taste Or Smell?

Virginia Prescott — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:54:59 +0000

Impaired sight often requires glasses – impaired hearing, a hearing aid. But what about people who suffer from an impaired sense of smell or taste? Depending on the source, somewhere between two and five million people suffer in varying degrees from anosmia, the loss of the sense of smell. Here to tell us more is rhinologist Dr. Carl Philpott – Director of the Smell and Taste Clinic at James Paget University in Norfolk, the only clinic devoted to smell and taste disorders in the United Kingdom.

We read about his work in New Scientist, and invited him on the program to tell us more.

Bacteria Lurking In Unlikely Places

Virginia Prescott — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:35:54 +0000

Nearly 10 million cases of food poisoning occur in the United States every year. Moreover, one in five outbreaks of food-borne illnesses are caused by food that people eat in their homes. A new report looked at the parts of the kitchen most and least likely to harbor bacteria and the results might not be what you’d expect. Here to discuss the matter is Lisa Yakas, Microbiologist and Manager of NSF International's Home Product Certification Program and co-author of the report.

Hunting For Elements

Virginia Prescott — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:31:05 +0000

Over seventy years ago, mankind completed an ambitious map unlike any other - the periodic table of the elements – which contained and organized all the known elements at the time. Like other maps, the period table has changed as the geography of its contents - especially since 1941, when researchers at the University of California, Berkeley produced the first man-made element… plutonium. Many more elements have been added to the list, and efforts to create and research new ones continues –here to discuss this difficult scientific quest is Rob Dunn, biologist and writer in the Department of Biology at North Carolina State University. He recently wrote about element hunting for National Geographic.

Breaking: Men Struggle With Understanding Women's Expressions

Virginia Prescott — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 19:30:03 +0000

A new study by German researchers sheds light on men’s inability to read the expressions of women. It seems that males are better wired to interpret the non-verbal signals of other men. Here to add neurological and historical context to our understanding of male/female communication is Tom Jacobs, staff writer for Pacific Standard, who wrote about the study.

The Cicadas Are Coming!

Virginia Prescott — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:44:38 +0000

Drive south of the Massachusetts border this summer and you’re bound to hear the deafening buzz of the 17-year cicada. From the Carolinas to Connecticut, residents can expect a full-on plague of these large, loud, winged creatures to emerge after nearly two decades of underground hibernation. We wanted to better understand these bizarre bugs – called “brood-two” cicadas - so we called biologist Joe Hanson, host and writer of PBS digital studios’ It’s Okay To Be Smart.

And if you're interested in a cheap snack this summer, David George Gordon is author of The Eat-A-Bug Cookbook. We called him to ask, what does a Cicada taste like?

10 Breakthrough Technologies For 2013...According To MIT

Virginia Prescott — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:06:26 +0000

Every year, the MIT technology review publishes a list of ten breakthrough technologies. From health care to environmental sustainability to consumer electronics, the list covers at it all. Here to discuss this year’s picks, just released yesterday, is Brian Bergstein, deputy editor of the MIT Technology Review.

Space Law. Yes, That's A Thing.

Virginia Prescott — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:41:47 +0000

For a long time, outer space was conceptually and legally a no-man’s land – that changed on October 4^th, 1967 when the Soviet Union launched a satellite called Sputnik into Earth’s orbit, triggering an international space race and calls for internationally binding laws to govern space exploration. Last amended in 1979, the outer space treaty drafted in 1967 facilitated smooth, peaceful interactions between nations capable of probing space. As the prospect of civilian space travel and settlement appears more accessible, international space law may be in need of revision. Joining us to discuss the field is Michael Listner, President of the International Space Safety Foundation.

Biological Stowaways: Deadly Ballast Water

Virginia Prescott — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:26:16 +0000

Thirty years ago, a North American ship dumped ballast water containing comb jellyfish into the black sea and triggered a catastrophic decline in marine life. A decade later, discharged ballast containing a strain of cholera contaminated shellfish of the coast of Peru, killing more than 12,000 Latin Americans. These cases of biological stowaways are being targeted by the United Nations for regulation – but the treaty that would prevent future catastrophes has yet to be ratified. Fred Pearce is the environment consultant for New Scientist discusses the stowaway problem and potential solutions with us.

Word Of Mouth 04.06.2013

Rebecca Lavoie — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 17:48:04 +0000

We bring you a collection of tasty segments we know you'll love, using the powers of public radio telepathy.

Who Owns Your Genes?

Rebecca Lavoie — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:21:03 +0000

As of last month, over forty-thousand patents on DNA molecules have been submitted by private research companies –essentially claiming the entire human genome sequence for profit. The Supreme Court will review the matter at hearing on April 15th, and the outcome could have a significant impact on personalized medicine and scientific research. Joining us is Doctor Christopher Mason of Weill Cornell Medical College’s department of Physiology and Biophysics. He’s co-author of a new study that got our attention, on the issue of genomic liberty.

Telepathic Rats

Rebecca Lavoie — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:14:28 +0000

Mr. Spock’s Vulcan ability to transfer his consciousness into another being was a technique he used on numerous occasions in the Star Trek franchise. His colleague Dr. McCoy was, on several occasions, an unwitting recipient of the 'green blooded, inhuman' Spock’s consciousness…impossible science fiction, right? Well, maybe not. Recently, we came across a story about scientists creating telepathic rats in a lab at Duke University. On the line to tell us more is Douglas Heaven, who wrote about the experiment for New Scientist Magazine.

Getting Kids Excited About Science On The Seacoast

Deborah Schachter — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

At the Seacoast Science Center at Odiorne Point in Rye, visitors learn about the science and beauty of marine life and the Gulf of Maine. Myra Sallet is a 13-year-old volunteer who particularly likes working with younger kids who come to explore.

Nashua Students Try Composting For Battery Power

Sheryl Rich-Kern — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 10:00:00 +0000

A team of Nashua High School students is trying to create a bacteria-powered battery that runs off a composter. The team is one of 16 around the country that received up to 10-thousand-dollars in seed money from the Lemelson-MIT Program.

Word of Mouth 03.16.2013

Rebecca Lavoie — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 13:21:49 +0000

Our niftiest and spiffiest content, all in one great show. This week, a look at the shifting human condition. Holocaust survivors being turned into holograms, a Russian "Swiss Family Robinson" that missed most of the 20th Century, corporate anthropologists, transplant "tourism," the nasty effect of internet comments, and a former professor pens a memoir about being stalked by an ex- student online.