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Science Friday (Science-Technology)

  • Now playing on KPCC 89.3 Pasadena, CA 1 hour 10 minutes left
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  • Host: Ira Flatow
  • Each week, we focus on science topics that are in the news and try to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join Ira Flatow to discuss science - and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.
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Can Plug-in Cars Energize The Auto Industry?

today Listen
Experts discuss the future of electric cars, and whether bailout money with "green strings" attached might jolt Detroit into focusing on plug-in and hybrid cars. Find out about Tesla's slick plug-in sports car and a hybrid handcrafted for even more savings at the pump.

Take A Ride In A Car Of The Future

today Listen
Science Friday director Charles Bergquist stops in at the 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems for a look at new car technologies. Down the road, cars may be able to drive themselves ... but will they be able to parallel park?

Ancient Mystery: How The Great Pyramid Was Built

today Listen
Bob Brier, mummy expert, Egyptologist and co-author of The Secret of the Great Pyramid, discusses theories about how the ancient Egyptians managed to build the Great Pyramid. New research suggests a ramp inside the pyramid may have been the key to its construction.

The Human Gut Is A Real Melting Pot

today Listen
Scientists found 5,600 different species or strains of bacteria living in human intestines, making gut bacteria 10 times more diverse than expected. David Relman, one of the authors of the study, explains the findings and how a common antibiotic disrupts this bacterial community.

Atlantis To Antarctica: Tales Of Extreme Research

today Listen
From the bottom of the sea to the bottom of the globe, scientists are looking for life in Earth's most extreme environments. A marine scientist on the R/V Atlantis and a microbiologist studying life in Antarctica recount their adventures, and what their research has in common.

Astronomers Discover New Exoplanets

Fri, Nov 14 Listen
Two independent research teams have detected exoplanets through unconventional methods — by taking snapshots using visible and infrared light. Astronomer James Graham discusses the findings — including what the exoplanets might tell us about the formation of planets and solar systems.

Should Healthy People Take Statins?

Fri, Nov 14 Listen
A study in The New England Journal of Medicine suggests that the drug Crestor, typically used for reducing cholesterol levels, may reduce the risk of heart disease for people with normal cholesterol levels. But do the potential benefits offset the risks and cost of the drugs?

Study Reveals How Bleach Wipes Out Bacteria

Fri, Nov 14 Listen
Researchers have figured out just how bleach kills bacteria, according to a new study in the journal Cell. Ursula Jakob, one of the authors of the paper, explains how bleach does its dirty work and how this information might be put to good use.

How To Have A Water Balloon Fight ... In Space

Fri, Nov 14 Listen
Mechanical engineers Seth Lichter and Mark Weislogel wondered what would happen if they popped water balloons aboard NASA's low-gravity aircraft. Aside from the "fun factor," as Weislogel puts it, the results demonstrate some basic principles of physics.

Happy Tunes May Make For Healthier Hearts

Fri, Nov 14 Listen
Researchers report that listening to joyful music can cause blood vessels to dilate, increasing blood flow — which is good for cardiovascular health. Michael Miller, principal investigator of the study, explains the brain-body link and which songs may make for healthy hearts.

Goodall Reflects On A Lifetime Of Chimp Research

Fri, Nov 14 Listen
More than 45 years ago, primatologist Jane Goodall observed wild chimpanzees making and using tools — a finding that dramatically changed the field of primate research. Goodall discusses her career and what lies ahead in the field of evolutionary science.

Vitamin B3 Reverses Alzheimer's In Mice

Fri, Nov 7 Listen
A new study published in the Journal of Neuroscience shows that mice treated with large doses of vitamin B3 performed better on memory tests. Kim Green, one of the authors of the study, explains whether this discovery could have any application for treating Alzheimer's in humans.

Researchers Sequence Cancer Genome

Fri, Nov 7 Listen
A genetics team sequenced DNA from both cancerous and normal tissue from a patient with the white blood cell cancer. The researchers then compared the two sequences to identify 10 mutated genes that appear to be associated with the formation of the cancer.

New Horizons In Type 2 Diabetes Research

Fri, Nov 7 Listen
Two papers published in the journal Cell Metabolism present different approaches to controlling glucose levels in people with Type 2 diabetes — the form of diabetes in which the body gradually loses the ability to use insulin to control sugar levels in the blood.

Physics Professor Revamps The Electoral Map

Fri, Nov 7 Listen
Mark Newman, professor of physics at the University of Michigan, has a new spin on an old map. He created a program to make cartograms — maps in which states are drawn with their size proportional to their population, rather than their acreage.

New Sustainable Energy Journal Goes Paperless

Fri, Nov 7 Listen
A new interdisciplinary online-only journal from the American Institute of Physics is focusing on the burgeoning renewable- and sustainable-energy fields. The peer-reviewed Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy will feature a blog, top news stories and multimedia features.

Genetic Engineering Conference Kicks Off At MIT

Fri, Nov 7 Listen
Eighty-four teams of students from 21 countries are gathering at MIT to compete in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. The teams have been working since the summer to construct biological machine systems — and operate them within living cells.

Obama And Science: What's On The Agenda?

Fri, Nov 7 Listen
With the election behind him, President-elect Barack Obama is beginning to assemble his transition team. From energy policy to heath care, how will Obama approach science, technology and health issues? Which programs do you think should be on his agenda?

5,300-Year-Old Mummy Has No Human Descendants

Fri, Oct 31 Listen
Oetzi, a mummified man found frozen in the Italian Alps after 5,300 years, has no living genetic descendants among modern humans. The discovery came after researchers sequenced Oetzi's entire genome and compared it with human DNA.

Michigan Ballot Takes On Stem Cell Research

Fri, Oct 31 Listen
There is a new proposal on the ballot in Michigan that would expand the use of human embryos in medical research, but would limit the manner in which they could be acquired. The proposal appears to be popular in public opinion polls.

NASA Probe Returns Stunning Views Of Mercury

Fri, Oct 31 Listen
The MESSENGER probe captured images of never-before-seen aspects of the closest planet to the Sun during a recent flyby. Researcher Sean Soloman discusses the MESSENGER mission, which aims to be the first man-made object to orbit Mercury.

Video 'Pick Of The Week': Dead Hearts

Fri, Oct 31 Listen
A heart pathologist shows how long-dead hearts look and feel, and what that tells us about their former owners.

Fungus May Be Culprit In Deadly Bat Epidemic

Fri, Oct 31 Listen
A newly-discovered fungus may be the source of a deadly plague sweeping through bat communities across the country. Researchers have reported a 75 percent decline in populations among many northeastern species of bats.

Vampire Bats And Other Blood-Sucking Creatures

Fri, Oct 31 Listen
Bill Schutt, author of Dark Banquet: Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood-Feeding Creatures, discusses the real "vampires" in this Halloween-day edition of Science Friday.

New Exhibit Showcases 'Beautiful Science'

Fri, Oct 31 Listen
A new exhibit at California's Huntington Library showcases centuries of diagrams covering everything from anatomy to astronomy. Beautiful Science: Ideas that Changed the World collects original drawings from scientists such as Galileo, Darwin and Robert Hooke.

Voting Problems Emerge As Early Ballots Are Cast

Mon, Oct 27 Listen
Early voting has started in some parts of the country in the lead up to the Nov. 4 election. While voting has gone smoothly in many areas, some voters have already encountered defective machines.

Hail To The 'Farmer-In-Chief'

Mon, Oct 27 Listen
Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food and The Omnivore's Dilemma, believes that food policy should be high on the next president's agenda. Pollan argues that how our food is produced, moved and consumed directly affects the life and vitality of the nation.

Pick Of The Week: Voting Software On Video

Mon, Oct 27 Listen
The key to an electronic voting machine is its software. Computer scientist Ka-Ping Yee describes in a Science Friday video how he created the prototype voting machine software he calls Pvote. He aimed to streamline the code using an open source programming language called Python.

What Kind Of 'Overhead Projector' Costs $3 Million?

Mon, Oct 27 Listen
John McCain has frequently criticized Barack Obama for a $3 million earmark for an "overhead projector" for a planetarium in Chicago. Paul Knappenberger, president of Chicago's Adler Planetarium, explains why this projector isn't just an everyday piece of classroom AV equipment.

Personal Genome Project Posts DNA Info Online

Mon, Oct 27 Listen
The Personal Genome Project is attempting to find 100,000 volunteers to publish their entire genetic makeup — including their physical traits — online. So far, ten individuals have chosen to share their DNA sequences, medical records, and other personal information with the research community and the general public.

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